Movie Review: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

The wait is over! Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: Homecoming is finally here!

Audiences weary of another Spiderman origin movie can rest at ease with Homecoming.  From the very beginning of the film Peter Parker is already Spider-Man so audiences are able to get right into another chapter of Spidey’s life.

Following the events of Civil War, Peter Parker believes Tony Stark and the Avengers will call on him soon for another mission.

Enthusiastic for that call, he makes use of his time by web-slinging around the city and stopping small and petty crimes. His impatience grows as he waits for the call and he actively starts calling Happy Hogan to get an update.  This just annoys Hogan to the point that he practically ignores Peter.

Spider-Man eventually comes across an illegal arms deal with weapons made from Chitauri alien tech from their invasion during The Avengers. But the weapons give these criminals an edge and they are able to escape Spider-Man's grasp. These weapons are being made by Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton).  After his company lost a major contract, his business was in jeopardy until he got a piece of the alien technology. From there, his business branched out to arms dealing.  Toomes has also constructed himself a flying suit with wings, which he has become quite efficient at using.

Peter Parker juggles his time with school and discovering who the arms dealers are. He figures if he can bring them in, then Tony Stark will have no choice but to bring him in to the Avengers fulltime. 

His school life and superhero life eventually cross paths as he gets closer and closer to finding out where Toomes and his cronies are.

After previous iterations from Sam Raimi and Mark Webb, Jon Watts brings us the most faithful adaptation of the character yet. Gone are Raimi’s organic shooters and angst driven character. Gone are Webb’s lackluster villains.  This is the Spider-Man film that embraces what truly makes Spider-Man and Peter Parker great characters. 

Holland’s performance is spot on. He is energetic and lively as Spider-Man, yet unsure and awkward as Peter.  Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man was close, in that he liked taunting his opponents with smart aleck comments, but Holland’s Spider-Man takes it to the next level and much more consistent with his character in the comic books.

Once again, Michael Keaton shows that he is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. Personally, he has always been one of my favorite actors, whose range never ceases to impress me. From the energetic go-getter in Nightshift, to the dark and brooding Batman in Tim Burton's two films, to five distinct personalities in Multiplicity, to a scary, serial-killer, mastermind in Desperate Measures, Keaton can convincingly do any role thrown at him. 

His portrayal of Adrian Toomes (aka The Vulture) utilizes his acting range to the fullest. One minute he is a dedicated small business owner who is charming and loyal to his family and crew and the next minute he is a terrifying villain who is creepy and downright threatening.  

There are also many nods to the classic comic book that I was happy to see.  When Spider-Man first came out in comics, he was excited to potentially be joining a well-known super-hero team. In the comics it was the Fantastic Four, and here it is The Avengers. And in Amazing Spider-Man #33, Spider-Man has a building collapse on him and there is a scene in the movie that seems influenced by the cover of that issue.

Marvel Studios knows and respects their characters and the source material. And with the exception of a few minor things, this movie is a fine example of that. It truly is Spider-Man: Homecoming and I for one am happy he is back home where he belongs because this is the Spider-Man movie I have been waiting for.

And be patient, the after credits scene is worth waiting for ;) You’ll see what I mean.

Cameron's Score: 9/10

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