SPOILER-FREE MOVIE REVIEW
Man, this one was a real bummer.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is Sony's second reboot of the Spider-Man franchise in five years after whatever The Amazing Spider-Man movies back in 2012 and 2014 were.
Clearly, Sony were at a dead end in terms of which direction to take our beloved web-slinger and ultimately gave in to the glorious safety net of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its vast array of already-established characters.
With Tom Holland's fresh take on the character brilliantly introduced to the world in Captain America: Civil War (2016), hopes were high for his first solo outing which got a Summer 2017 release date practically the moment the fans started cheering in their seats as he grabbed Cap's shield.
Now, all may have sounded well for the character up till that point, but then the first trailer dropped and... sigh. Sony/Marvel just can't do trailers, can they?
Ever since The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), the majority of Marvel trailers have all had a consistent trend of revealing far too much in them, practically spoiling the movie.
After having seen the trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming, I was left with a very odd mix of emotions - that of excitement to see more of Tom Holland's awesome and accurate spin on the character (pun totally intended), but at the same time annoyed because of how much Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) kept getting into the mix.
I suppose that's the consequence of bringing Spidey to play with the big boys - there's just always going to be their ever-present shadow being cast above him, and that's a pretty formidable shadow to overcome.
As it turned out in the film, the very same set of mixed emotions hit me as the credits rolled.
Let's get the negatives all out of the way then, shall we?
With the title Spider-Man: Homecoming, one would naturally expect a Spider-Man movie with Spidey rightfully as the one in the spotlight for the movie's entirety. With the added 'Homecoming night' element added to it, on paper, it would make for a really interesting high school adventure for Peter Parker but sadly, it was a convoluted mess.
Yes, I completely understand that the plot surrounds Spidey trying to prove himself to Tony Stark as worthy of being an official member of the Avengers but even so, they didn't need to put in so much of the Avengers stuff into it and instead, could have maybe focused a lot more on Peter's high school struggles.
As such, this supposed Spider-Man movie becomes more worthy of the title "Spider-Man and his Love Affair with the Avengers". I don't know, just my opinion. There's rarely a moment's rest from all the Avengers influence of which some of it felt rather shoehorned in just for a fangasm moment or two.
Speaking of fangasms, this movie is LITTERED with those moments. Some of them work brilliantly but others, eh... not so much. Of course, I couldn't possibly discuss these instances because I'd then be hovering deep into dangerous spoiler territory.
Let's just say that these moments make you go "what, really? Oh, cool" rather than "ASJVDJFLKDSFVNERIFWIFBKEJHBVKUYBVKUEB" - the latter of which some moments do make you go so I'm being fair here, okay?
For the fangasm moments that worked, however, boy did they work. Incredible fan service worthy of praise, but also to be taken out of consideration when coming up with a verdict for this movie (which I feel is why it has its current 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Bollocks really.)
Another major issue I had was with Spidey's suit.
Aesthetically, it's a gorgeous suit, it's just the Tony Stark touch to it which made it more like an Iron Man armour than just a suit. For one, I hated the fact that his suit had all this fancy tech installed in it (not a spoiler as it's featured in the terribly revealing trailer), even complete with J.A.R.V.I.S./F.R.I.D.A.Y.-like AI. It just undermines Spidey's own power and abilities which come from within.
Lastly, the pacing and overall structure of the narrative was really messy.
The film went from classic John Hughes-like high school drama to next Avengers set-up to mega action set-piece and then back to more Avengers set-up, all with just a tiny touch of barely 5 minutes of the whole Homecoming dance element which the entire movie is centred around in its title.
Sad.
Now, the positives.
I adore Tom Holland's portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He captures every element of the character with perfection, from the quippy one-liners to the naivety that one would expect from a 15-year-old kid who obtained awesome super powers after a freak incident and is trying to prove himself.
Having an age-appropriate actor portray the character (Tobey Maguire, God bless him, was 27 when cast, Andrew Garfield, 29.) makes it even better and more credible to Marvel for actually giving a shit this time after the shocking casting of Andrew Garfield as Spidey. To this day, I have no idea what they were thinking when they cast him unless they were trying to appeal to the hormonal teenage girl demographic because then, yes, A1 casting right there.
Looking young clearly isn't going to cut it anymore as Sony painfully found out after their first reboot bombed. Youth is the way forward and Tom Holland at 21 is perfect casting on Sony and Marvel's part.
As much as I love Tom Holland as Spidey, Michael Keaton as the Vulture, man oh my goodness.
The moment that beautiful man was cast as the main villain, I was buzzing. I love Michael Keaton. He was and always will be my original Batman and is an incredibly talented actor in his own right with remarkable range.
As such, his performance as the Vulture was outstanding. He played him with such class and with his trademark understated intensity which is just so brilliantly terrifying.
There's this terrific twist that happens in the film which no one saw coming. I know I certainly didn't because I gasped so loudly that I could feel a million eyes on me in the cinema. That twist made for a lovely new edge and depth to the character of the Vulture. In a universe which has struggled to impress with its villains, this one was Marvel's best since Loki.
I did also enjoy the whole high school movie feel which was incorporated into this film. Imagine combining the vibe of some 1980s John Hughes classics like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) with the whole Spidey mythos. It's an awesome combination and I wished they had featured more of the high school stuff rather than veer off into cinematic universe building.
The supporting cast were all pretty all right. RDJ is awesome as Tony Stark, as you'd expect. Lovely to see Jon Favreau back as Happy Hogan again, as well as to newcomers like the incredibly attractive new and younger Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Liz (Laura Harrier), Ned (Jacob Batalon) and a very interesting new take on the character of Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori), who for the first time ever isn't portrayed as a high school jock or someone anywhere near a jock. It's very different and to some, may be rather puzzling so do brace yourselves if you're allergic to change.
On a technical level, the film is well made despite the messiness of the narrative. It's shot well and edited well considering how obvious bits of studio interference were throughout the movie. Some parts feel as though they were built up in order to lead to a certain outcome, only to have the build-up wasted with yet another reference or shoehorned fangasm moment inserted.
For the music, well, it started well with an awesome and glorious rendition of the classic Spider-Man theme tune from the old TV series sending shivers down my spine over the opening Marvel logos, but that was about it really.
The rest of the score is rather forgettable, which is a shame really considering how Hans Zimmer and crew had come up with a perfectly good theme tune for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 only three years prior, only to have his efforts wasted as the rebooted franchise got rebooted again.
Perhaps composer Michael Giacchino should just stick to making good soundalikes after his John Williams-esque score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) which I thought sounded pretty legit.
All in all, Spider-Man: Homecoming was an undoubtedly fun time in the cinema that was sadly hampered by a messy plot with far too much world building for a solo character movie.
Solid potential is built-up and then ultimately ruined by the constant need for referencing the big boys. It overshadows what should have rightfully been a fun-filled Spider-Man adventure about and only about Spidey and his struggles with life and his own villains, so sod off Tony and co.
Don't think many kids will enjoy this one.
Having said that, however, there were many good ideas brought to the table in this one which leaves plenty of room for future filmmakers to explore in the millions of sequels and spinoffs which Sony will now make due to their new partnership with the MCU.
Let's just pray that there won't be another reboot anytime soon.
Disappointing.
6.5/10.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is Sony's second reboot of the Spider-Man franchise in five years after whatever The Amazing Spider-Man movies back in 2012 and 2014 were.
Clearly, Sony were at a dead end in terms of which direction to take our beloved web-slinger and ultimately gave in to the glorious safety net of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its vast array of already-established characters.
With Tom Holland's fresh take on the character brilliantly introduced to the world in Captain America: Civil War (2016), hopes were high for his first solo outing which got a Summer 2017 release date practically the moment the fans started cheering in their seats as he grabbed Cap's shield.
Now, all may have sounded well for the character up till that point, but then the first trailer dropped and... sigh. Sony/Marvel just can't do trailers, can they?
Ever since The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), the majority of Marvel trailers have all had a consistent trend of revealing far too much in them, practically spoiling the movie.
After having seen the trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming, I was left with a very odd mix of emotions - that of excitement to see more of Tom Holland's awesome and accurate spin on the character (pun totally intended), but at the same time annoyed because of how much Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) kept getting into the mix.
I suppose that's the consequence of bringing Spidey to play with the big boys - there's just always going to be their ever-present shadow being cast above him, and that's a pretty formidable shadow to overcome.
As it turned out in the film, the very same set of mixed emotions hit me as the credits rolled.
Let's get the negatives all out of the way then, shall we?
With the title Spider-Man: Homecoming, one would naturally expect a Spider-Man movie with Spidey rightfully as the one in the spotlight for the movie's entirety. With the added 'Homecoming night' element added to it, on paper, it would make for a really interesting high school adventure for Peter Parker but sadly, it was a convoluted mess.
Yes, I completely understand that the plot surrounds Spidey trying to prove himself to Tony Stark as worthy of being an official member of the Avengers but even so, they didn't need to put in so much of the Avengers stuff into it and instead, could have maybe focused a lot more on Peter's high school struggles.
As such, this supposed Spider-Man movie becomes more worthy of the title "Spider-Man and his Love Affair with the Avengers". I don't know, just my opinion. There's rarely a moment's rest from all the Avengers influence of which some of it felt rather shoehorned in just for a fangasm moment or two.
Speaking of fangasms, this movie is LITTERED with those moments. Some of them work brilliantly but others, eh... not so much. Of course, I couldn't possibly discuss these instances because I'd then be hovering deep into dangerous spoiler territory.
Let's just say that these moments make you go "what, really? Oh, cool" rather than "ASJVDJFLKDSFVNERIFWIFBKEJHBVKUYBVKUEB" - the latter of which some moments do make you go so I'm being fair here, okay?
For the fangasm moments that worked, however, boy did they work. Incredible fan service worthy of praise, but also to be taken out of consideration when coming up with a verdict for this movie (which I feel is why it has its current 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Bollocks really.)
Another major issue I had was with Spidey's suit.
Aesthetically, it's a gorgeous suit, it's just the Tony Stark touch to it which made it more like an Iron Man armour than just a suit. For one, I hated the fact that his suit had all this fancy tech installed in it (not a spoiler as it's featured in the terribly revealing trailer), even complete with J.A.R.V.I.S./F.R.I.D.A.Y.-like AI. It just undermines Spidey's own power and abilities which come from within.
Lastly, the pacing and overall structure of the narrative was really messy.
The film went from classic John Hughes-like high school drama to next Avengers set-up to mega action set-piece and then back to more Avengers set-up, all with just a tiny touch of barely 5 minutes of the whole Homecoming dance element which the entire movie is centred around in its title.
Sad.
Now, the positives.
I adore Tom Holland's portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He captures every element of the character with perfection, from the quippy one-liners to the naivety that one would expect from a 15-year-old kid who obtained awesome super powers after a freak incident and is trying to prove himself.
Having an age-appropriate actor portray the character (Tobey Maguire, God bless him, was 27 when cast, Andrew Garfield, 29.) makes it even better and more credible to Marvel for actually giving a shit this time after the shocking casting of Andrew Garfield as Spidey. To this day, I have no idea what they were thinking when they cast him unless they were trying to appeal to the hormonal teenage girl demographic because then, yes, A1 casting right there.
Looking young clearly isn't going to cut it anymore as Sony painfully found out after their first reboot bombed. Youth is the way forward and Tom Holland at 21 is perfect casting on Sony and Marvel's part.
As much as I love Tom Holland as Spidey, Michael Keaton as the Vulture, man oh my goodness.
The moment that beautiful man was cast as the main villain, I was buzzing. I love Michael Keaton. He was and always will be my original Batman and is an incredibly talented actor in his own right with remarkable range.
As such, his performance as the Vulture was outstanding. He played him with such class and with his trademark understated intensity which is just so brilliantly terrifying.
There's this terrific twist that happens in the film which no one saw coming. I know I certainly didn't because I gasped so loudly that I could feel a million eyes on me in the cinema. That twist made for a lovely new edge and depth to the character of the Vulture. In a universe which has struggled to impress with its villains, this one was Marvel's best since Loki.
I did also enjoy the whole high school movie feel which was incorporated into this film. Imagine combining the vibe of some 1980s John Hughes classics like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) with the whole Spidey mythos. It's an awesome combination and I wished they had featured more of the high school stuff rather than veer off into cinematic universe building.
The supporting cast were all pretty all right. RDJ is awesome as Tony Stark, as you'd expect. Lovely to see Jon Favreau back as Happy Hogan again, as well as to newcomers like the incredibly attractive new and younger Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Liz (Laura Harrier), Ned (Jacob Batalon) and a very interesting new take on the character of Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori), who for the first time ever isn't portrayed as a high school jock or someone anywhere near a jock. It's very different and to some, may be rather puzzling so do brace yourselves if you're allergic to change.
On a technical level, the film is well made despite the messiness of the narrative. It's shot well and edited well considering how obvious bits of studio interference were throughout the movie. Some parts feel as though they were built up in order to lead to a certain outcome, only to have the build-up wasted with yet another reference or shoehorned fangasm moment inserted.
For the music, well, it started well with an awesome and glorious rendition of the classic Spider-Man theme tune from the old TV series sending shivers down my spine over the opening Marvel logos, but that was about it really.
The rest of the score is rather forgettable, which is a shame really considering how Hans Zimmer and crew had come up with a perfectly good theme tune for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 only three years prior, only to have his efforts wasted as the rebooted franchise got rebooted again.
Perhaps composer Michael Giacchino should just stick to making good soundalikes after his John Williams-esque score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) which I thought sounded pretty legit.
All in all, Spider-Man: Homecoming was an undoubtedly fun time in the cinema that was sadly hampered by a messy plot with far too much world building for a solo character movie.
Solid potential is built-up and then ultimately ruined by the constant need for referencing the big boys. It overshadows what should have rightfully been a fun-filled Spider-Man adventure about and only about Spidey and his struggles with life and his own villains, so sod off Tony and co.
Don't think many kids will enjoy this one.
Having said that, however, there were many good ideas brought to the table in this one which leaves plenty of room for future filmmakers to explore in the millions of sequels and spinoffs which Sony will now make due to their new partnership with the MCU.
Let's just pray that there won't be another reboot anytime soon.
Disappointing.
6.5/10.
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