Film Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Homecoming
Director: Jon Watts

Sony/Marvel
In Theaters: 07.07

I’ve heard multiple times, “Why are they doing another Spider-Man already?” It’s a fair question. This latest film will be the sixth from the franchise since 2002—however, there is a huge difference. The Marvel character’s license is actually owned by Sony. No one ever thought the two juggernauts would join forces and bring all of their characters together on screen at the same time. Someone must have wished on a shooting star, because the first glimpse of this unification was briefly seen in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Now, it’s time for Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) to control the story and start swinging. There are two stories going on in this teenage coming-of-age superhero tale. First, Parker desperately wants to be associated with something bigger than himself after his success in Civil War’s airport battle, yet Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) orders him to stay low and keep cool until the time is right. As any teenager with powers would, that didn’t happen and he eventually comes across Adrian Toomes/The Vulture (Michael Keaton), an arms dealer selling alien technology. Let’s just say things get out of hand. On the other side of the tale, Parker is a typical 15-year-old shyly in love with his high school classmate Liz (Laura Harrier), and spending his time hanging out with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). On the Spider-Man side, there’s a series of intense action thousands of feet in the air. If you’re afraid of heights, you will get nauseous. If you’re not afraid of heights, you will get nauseous. It’s uplifting to see a joyous character embracing his abilities and doing the best he can with what little he has. Keaton is one of the scariest villains in the genre, and proves he will do anything to succeed. That means threatening the life of Parker face-to-face. Did I mention he’s only 15? On the Peter Parker side, it’s a comical and lighthearted adventure we’ve seen 30 years ago in the John Hughes era of filmmaking, with best friends misbehaving behind their adult supervision, including Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May. This is easily the best Spider-Man of the franchise (Yes, Spider-Man 2 is a close second), and I cannot wait to see how Sony and Marvel take on this character for three more films—and to see the reaction of other studios who own Marvel licenses. –Jimmy Martin