Here’s all you need to know about Spiderman: Homecoming- It’s exactly what you want it to be. Marvel Studios has made a Spiderman movie and it’s as good as the best Marvel movies.
Spiderman is home.
After Sony stumbled with the beloved character- deciding to waste the talents of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone one ANOTHER ORIGIN STORY and lackluster sequel- they decided to hand the keys back over to Marvel.
I haven’t seen a transcript of that meeting or anything but I’m pretty sure it went something like this:
Marvel: Stop ruining it.
Sony: I know. We suck at it. How about this? You make the movie and give us money.
Marvel: Fine.
And so Spiderman gets to go to The Machine and gets all the frills.
A cool, Iron Man-y suit complete with a smooth-talking computer voiced by Jennifer Connelly.
A KILLER Villain in the Vulture played by Michael Keaton as he completes his Trifecta. Batman begat Birdman. Birdman begat Vulture. And he is perfect. Grounded and real while strapping a giant flight suit to his back. His motivation is pure and better than Raimi ever came up with.
THIS IS NOT A ORIGIN FILM. Spiderman is already Spiderman!! I’m not sure how he got that way but it’s awesome ?
And, and, and… Marisa Tomei!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Most important: Peter Parker is a 15-year-old kid, navigating the seas of High School while trying his damnedest to be a SpiderMAN. Eager to please, he gets in just as much trouble as he stops. He is surrounded by his friends and has a crush and there is just as much tension in asking the pretty girl to the dance as there is trying to stop the bad guys.
Director Jon Watts has made a John Hughes film. He calls it out midway as we have a decent “Ferris” moment. While much time is spent in the hallways of a high school, it is well balanced with the mammoth action scenes. Masterfully done. Side note: Watts made a film a few years back called Clown that is currently on Netflix that is about a dad who puts a possessed clown suit on and becomes an actual clown (whatever an “actual clown” means…) It’s worth a look and illustrates another opportunity that Marvel has found some solid, fringe talent and is cultivating them.
You know you’re going to see this movie. I can do nothing to sway you. But rest easy to know that you will not be disappointed.