Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) had already made his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) a year prior to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming. This new version of the wall-crawling superhero was an instant success among viewers and immediately prepared the world for the soon-to-be Spider-Man trilogy, beginning with Spider-Man: Homecoming.
As a teenager growing up in New York City, life is difficult enough, but for Peter Parker, known to many as Spider-Man, school is just the tip of the iceberg. When a supervillain, Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), begins terrorizing local neighborhoods, Peter is forced to disobey Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and do whatever he can to save the day. Everything that Peter loves and cares about will be put in harm’s way, and his morals and resolve will be tested like never before. Spider-Man: Homecoming is Peter Parker’s first real test as a superhero, and it will define who and what the character becomes in the future.
Tom Holland was relatively unknown when he was chosen as the MCU’s version of the web-slinging superhero, and while having little acting experience can sometimes pose a threat to a film, the reality is that Holland fits the aesthetic of Spider-Man perfectly. In addition to being physically accurate, he is brilliantly talented. His talent exceeds literally everyone else in the film and he has quickly become one of the most dominant performers in all of the MCU. Spider-Man: Homecoming allows Holland to showcase his immense talent and express to the world all that they have to look forward to. There are seven microexpressions and Holland has control of every single one, making each and every moment of Spider-Man: Homecoming interestingly believable (considering the film revolves around a teenage boy with spider-like abilities). Holland shows the world everything that he’s made of and delivers an Oscar-worthy performance from beginning to end.
Before the MCU and before anyone had even heard of Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield played the role of the titular Spider-Man in their own series. Those versions of the superhero were often dark and conveyed the hero’s origin story; Writer-Director Jon Watts, with the help of his other writers, chose to take this story in a different direction. The origin story, while mentioned on occasion throughout the course of Spider-Man: Homecoming, is ultimately omitted from the film. After seeing and hearing how Spider-Man came to be over and over again, not seeing and hearing is a breath of fresh air. The darkness that hung over the previous franchises dissipates to some degree and allows this film to feel more like a kid in high school and less of a tumultuous journey of life and death. Due, in part, to the fact that Holland looks so young Watts is able to tell a story that paints Peter Parker in somewhat of an innocent light and allow viewers to see him for what he truly is deep down, a high school student struggling with typical teenagr problems. He’s worried about the Homecoming dance (hence the title Spider-Man: Homecoming), he’s part of the science team, and the girl of his dreams always seems just out of reach, making him the most relatable Spider-Man to date.
Enticing music, beautifully talented actors (especially Holland, and a new twist on the Spider-Man story) play a role in the immense success of Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming. Viewers can’t get enough of Holland and his co-stars–including Zendaya (Michelle), Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds), and Marisa Tomei (“Aunt” May Parker)--and they become engrossed in this fictional world just as well as they had been in previous MCU installments. From the opening moments of the film there is something for everyone to love and Watts and his team never relent, forcing viewers to the edge of their seats and begging for more. Spider-Man: Homecoming preps the world for what is sure to be one of the best Spider-Man-related journeys to date.
Directed by Jon Watts.
Written by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Joe Simon, & Jack Kirby.
Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Abraham Attah, Hannibal Buress, Kenneth Choi, Martin Starr, Michael Chernus, Michael Mando, Logan Marshall-Green, Jennifer Connelly, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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