Tobey Maguire. Andrew Garfield. Tom Holland.
Three cinematic Spider-Men since 2002. It’s all a bit much isn’t it?
Nope! Spider-Man: Homecoming gives us another great web-slinger as he finally gets his first MCU movie.
The Civil War cameo provides a solid intro before moving into a story that is much more grounded – literally grounded. Queens isn’t surrounded by tall buildings! It’s a restriction that forces him to swing low or even run to get where he needs to be, which makes for a nice change.
Rightly assuming we all know the story by now, this isn’t really an origin tale; it’s more about learning lessons. He’s already got the powers and a suit, but at fifteen his wants exceed his abilities. Holland’s Peter is acrobatic, clever and witty, but not overly mature as is befitting his age. There’s none of the overt awkwardness of Maguire or the occasional meanness of Garfield in what feels a more rounded representation of the character.
There’s a lot here for those who like to see MCU tie-ins, but even with Tony Stark involved I never felt as though it detracted. This is a Spider-Man film first and foremost, with the the other characters furthering the story.
I didn’t think I’d be calling a Marvel film mundane. But I am, and I don’t mean it badly. That grounded quality comes through not just in the environment but also in the characters, and most obviously in the villain. It brings me great joy to say that Michael Keaton gives us a great villain in The Vulture, mixing his standard kookiness with both honour and malevolence. Like Peter he’s had a rough time, but he chooses to deal with it very differently. I could go on about Keaton for ages, so I’ll leave it like this; he makes a great change for Marvel villains, and I’d love to see more of him.
One scene in particular left me really worried for Parker, an odd thing for a superhero movie. Sure, he can bust out a flip or a retort, but he can also be truly vulnerable and…well he can actually be like a fifteen year old in an extraordinary situation.
Leaning fairly heavily on the themes introduced in Iron Man 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming introduces another webslinger in fine style.
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