Film Review: Spiderman Homecoming Succeeds Because It Is Young
I am a comic-book nerd, and while everybody races away with theories as to why THIS Spiderman is, specifically, THE BEST of all Spiderman films, I feel I must throw my arrogant, “two-cent” theory, as well. While I loved Tobey Maguire and enjoyed Andrew Garfield, Tom Holland thrives as Peter Parker for, actually, being closer to the characters’ age.
Hollywood could have sincere, Dawson’s Creek syndrome; where 32 year olds play 16 year old characters, and everybody has to pretend that boys with full-grown beards were completely possible, and not a condition, at said age. Thus, while Spiderman Homecoming is a good film, it becomes refreshing and, possibly, the best one out of the sag,a because it truly captures high-school with a cast that could, actually, be in 10th grade. Writer John F Daley and Director Jon Watts have marvelously elaborated that Peter Parker is a kid with superpowers that feel like they should be, at least, with someone older. Hence, his determination to be a full- Avenger appears as innocent as a child wanting to be an adult. Spiderman Homecoming was the first time in a Spiderman film that I realized how YOUNG Peter is, and how, in a way, he is in over his head. Although he is strong, sweet, and kind of “mature” for his age, it is inescapable that he is just another teenaged kid, Thus, the film thrives off its humorous and sweet high-school sequences thrive that strengthen Peter as human being, which, at times, the other films lacked. They all showed Peter in relation to his love interest or to his villain, but Spiderman Homecoming gives him more layers. He is burgeoning with angst- hormones and has a best friend Ned that might steal the movie for people. Honestly, Jacob Batalon is so wise, kind, and loyal to Peter that I wanted to hug the screen and reanalyze my choices in friends. He, along with Peter’s classmates and Aunt May (played any the always amazing Marisa Tomei), add a grounded humanity to the film that, at times, outshines the action sequences.
Yes, Michael Keaton (The Vulture) is a great villain, and his face-offs with Spiderman are good, but they are nothing to write home about. I am beginning to realize that Marvel, along with general, comic films, struggle with fleshing full villains because they are only meant for one film. Loki has thrived because his motivations/ mischief have popped up in nearly three Marvel films. Thus, Keaton does well, in his short time, to represent a man slighted by how the rich get away with “everything” while “the poor” are left to pick up the pieces. (I hear ya buddy!). Still, the fight sequences do not do much to innovate cinema or the film, but I am okay with that. By now, the Marvel Universe is so used to “end of the world” destruction that a ferry ride going wrong was welcomed. Thus, Spiderman Homecoming is better, for me, than previous Spiderman because I felt closer to Peter Parker, as person, while, in the other ones, I felt closer to Spiderman as a hero. To Watch Spiderman In Theatres On July 7 Click Here.
