Spider-Man: Homecoming is now in theaters.
Spider-Man: Homecoming’s sense of humor and incredible cast make it one of Marvel’s best movies in years.
The majority of Homecoming takes place just a couple of months after the web-head’s initial debut in the MCU, Captain America: Civil War. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has gone back to his normal routine of juggling his priorities as a high school student and a superhero, but he wants to do more. After jumping into something as crazy as a battle between Avengers, Peter feels like he could do more than just stopping bike thefts and ATM robberies. Peter’s mentor, Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), wants Peter to only work on smaller crimes, which he does until a new threat reveals itself in the form of arms dealers led by Adrian Toomes/Vulture (Michael Keaton) selling dangerous alien-human hybrid weapons to common criminals.
The story isn’t anything ground-breaking, but it’s still a whole lot of fun because of the spectacular cast. Tom Holland is easily my favorite Spider-Man, exemplifying the heart and humor of the wall-crawler. As a huge Spider-Man fan, I am pleased to no end that the MCU’s version is just like the one from the comics. Michael Keaton makes the most out of a character who’s fairly one-dimensional until his last few scenes, creating a threatening and enjoyable villain. Jacob Batalon’s Ned, Peter’s friend, fellow nerd, and confidant, brought as much to the film as anyone. The way Batalon and Holland played off of each other felt truly genuine, and was often hilarious. It’s not often that I enjoy a supporting character as much as the star in a superhero movie, but that’s certainly the case here.
Jon Favreau also added a great deal of hilarity as Happy Hogan, the go-between for Stark and Peter. Zendaya plays Michele, one of Peter’s classmates, and the funniest character in the movie. The delivery of her verbal jabs at Peter, Ned, and a couple of other characters were hysterical. Robert Downey Jr. was awesome as always, bringing his signature snarky humor and attitude to the table. Hannibal Buress’ Coach Wilson and Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May had a few funny quips and one absolutely hysterical line each, but I wish they had been given more to do.
The only weak link cast-wise was Laura Harrier’s Liz. I felt like she never really amounted to anything other than love interest and damsel in distress for Peter to save.
Jennifer Connelly portrays Karen, who I can’t describe further without spoilers, but is definitely a highlight.
Homecoming feels pretty different from most of Marvel’s most recent films because of it’s constant humor. Marvel Studios is no slouch in the laughs department, but only Homecoming and 2014’s Guardians of The Galaxy made me feel like they could fit into the action-comedy genre as easily as superhero. Humor is a huge part of why people enjoy reading the Spider-Man comics, and director Jon Watts definitely gets that. Excluding the final battle, the action scenes (which are great, but nothing too awe-inspiring for Marvel) are often punctuated with laughs. Spidey delivers sarcastic quips or has funny side conversations during all sorts of crazy action sequences, which makes it that much more enjoyable. Even the “slower” scenes are fun because of the consistent playfulness of the cast.
All in all, I’d say that Spider-Man: Homecoming is immensely entertaining from start to finish. With its sharp humor and solid cast, it builds a compelling story that’s engaging throughout. It’s rarely, if ever, tedious or plodding, and sustains a feeling of immersion without ever taking itself too seriously.
It’s safe to say that this is a strong contender for my favorite Spider-Man movie, and certainly one of my favorite movies this year.
I give Spider-Man: Homecoming an A-.
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