SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING ■ Marvel’s Homecoming King
It’s a strange feeling to watch another rebooted SPIDER-MAN movie so shortly after THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, which only hit cinemas three years ago. For all their faults, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN flicks were enjoyable, especially for cinemagoers (like me) who never really bought into Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN trilogy. Tobey Maguire’s angsty portrayal of Peter Parker didn’t help with that, and Andrew Garfield showcased a lot more of the wisecracking fun that’s an enjoyable part of the comic book character.
Fast-forward to Tom Holland’s first standalone take on the character, and he brings some key things to the table that neither Maguire or Garfield could. First and foremost, Holland is actually believably a high-schooler, instead of a 30-something-year-old posing as one, because he’s a sprightly 21 (which is a baby in Hollywood years), and he actually looks like a teenager. Holland also brings a welcome physicality to the role, manages to pull off social awkwardness while still being endearing, and nails the dramatic beats.
In short, he’s pretty much the perfect Spider-Man, and that’s coming from someone who never saw the viability of the character growing up. After all, teenage angst spliced with superpowers doesn’t exactly make for the most compelling viewing for comic fans who aren’t teenagers themselves. But I digress.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING thankfully dodges the radioactive-spider origin story, but still portrays a fledgling Peter Parker who’s more Spider-Boy than Spider-Man. Robert Downey Jr. plays a fantastic surrogate father figure, Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan makes a welcome return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marisa Tomei as a comparatively young Aunt May Parker makes for a feisty spin on the usually older role.
Michael Keaton is the real star of the show, though, in his portrayal of a three-dimensional villain whose grounded plight is established from the opening scene. He also gets the right amount of screen time to stop him from becoming the usual moustache-twirling Marvel Cinematic Universe villain, and he’s a fitting first match-up for this new Spider-Man.
Despite the 133-minute running time, HOMECOMING web-slings by at a zippy pace. There’s very little that feels like clutter, and almost every supporting character has their own respective moments to shine, which is a neat touch. Yes, it’s a formulaic movie in terms of hitting the usual beats and action set pieces, but it’s executed so well that this rarely detracts from the experience. If anything, comparisons to the over-the-top bombastic action of the last two Spider-Man series can make some of HOMECOMING’s action sequences feel smaller by comparison, but that’s because the Sony/Marvel brains trust is trying to tell a more intimate story with a less-skilled Spidey.
You don’t need to be particularly well versed in Marvel Cinematic Universe lore to jump in to HOMECOMING and enjoy it out of the gate. There’s enough requisite (and, thankfully, minimal) handholding to ensure cinemagoers that fall on different parts of the nerd spectrum are up to speed, but it does have a lot of fan service for Spidey aficionados who’ll glean greater significance in certain events and character names. If you’re a fan of Spider-Man or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is essential viewing on the big screen.
PS – Hang around after the credits start rolling. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING has two stingers.
