"Spider-Man: Homecoming" Film Review

After making his big screen debut in last year’s Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland makes his first solo outing as a webslinger in Spider-Man: Homecoming, now playing in theaters.

The film marks Spider-Man’s place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but does well to stand out on its own. It has the perfect combination of a funny teenage comedy/drama and a superhero film. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man movies seemed to push Peter Parker’s schooling to the background, whereas this film brings it front and center, making it a high school movie first and an MCU film second.

Homecoming keeps the jokes about teenage life at a decent pace and blends it together with many moments of lightheartedness, creating a self-contained narrative as we see Peter struggling to be a normal teenager and a 15-year-old crime fighter. The movie also does a great job combining its broadly comedic antics with more drama and character development, which helps moves the film forward.

I was impressed with Tom Holland’s portrayal of Spider-Man in Civil War and was excited to see what he would do in his first solo adventure. Holland’s young age and charismatic performance makes his take on the character believable as a kid who has good intention but is in way over his head. The other young costars are just as likeable and believable in their performances. Jacob Batalon was great as Peter’s nerdy and enthusiastic best friend Ned, and Zendaya was brilliant as the whip-smart loner Michelle, who may or may not become important in the sequel. Laura Harrier’s Liz was an interesting take on the typical Peter Parker love interest. Homecoming keeps the attention on Peter and his schoolmates, which is great, but Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark and Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May make for some sweet and interesting moments.

Michael Keaton makes his return to the superhero genre as the villain Adrian Toomes/Vulture. It was a breath of fresh air to see a villain that wasn’t the Green Goblin, and Keaton’s performance makes the character compelling.

Spider-Man: Homecoming doesn’t do much in a way of moving the MCU storyline forward, but it excels at being a standalone superhero Marvel movie that isn’t dependent on its cinematic universe. Homecoming makes for an exceptional summer blockbuster for MCU fans and casual moviegoers. The character Spider-Man will next be seen in next years Avengers: Infinity Wars.

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