[rating=7.00]
There’s not much to be said about a new MCU movie that hasn’t already been said about every previous MCU movie. The folks at Marvel Studios have cracked the code, and know how to consistently unleash movies that please crowds and critics without too much by the way of effort. Whatever else you can say about Marvel, their brand game is on point.
So it is with Spider-Man: Homecoming, the product of a joint venture between the former upstart studio (who now rakes in multiple billions of dollars per year at the global box office) and Sony Pictures (who purchased the rights to the character in the dark ages of the late-90s, when Marvel stood on the precipice of bankruptcy). With Marvel Studios now leading the creative direction of the character, there’s little else to be said except that it’s certainly a Marvel movie.
Much of what’s great about Homecoming is legitimately great, but the caveat is that it’s only great in a vacuum. An aura of familiarity glows upon every frame of the film, which unfolds not unlike most MCU movies do these days—regular person gains powers, is awesome, gain notoriety, is stunned when their match is met, has crisis of faith, eventually overcomes. Gone are the days of the MCU feeling fresh and new. They may still be the gold standard, but the market is flooded with gold.
Compounding the problem is the fact that this is our third Spider-Man series since Sam Raimi set the bar for superhero films in 2002 with Tobey Maguire (and then set again two years later with Spider-Man 2). There’s a kind of perfection to those first two Raimi films that’s impossibly hard to top (as Sony later learned with their oft-maligned Amazing series starring Andrew Garfield). From both a narrative and cinematic standpoint, it’s hard to shake the sense of déjà vu you experience watching Spidey swing across New York or deal with being a bit of a loser.
In that sense, much of Homecoming feels rather like a sort of Greatest Hits package of reworked and reimagined scenes we’ve seen before. There’s something to be said about the adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and to that end they’ve certainly stayed true. As familiar as Homecoming does seem at times, it does manage to take what has worked from previous iterations of the hero while dispensing with what hasn’t.
Of the changes made, the most dramatic is that of the suit. Here, Spider-Man’s iconic streetwear is a product of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) who acts as a sort of mentor to the young Peter Parker (Tom Holland). Purists might balk at the notion that his suit wasn’t Parker’s own creation; in the comics, much of Spidey’s appeal comes from the fact that he’s a bit of a super-genius and created both his suits and his webbing himself. Having it Starkified takes a bit of teeth out of the character, and the enhanced-Iron Man-esque abilities of the suit seem certain to be a point of contention among fans as the character moves forward.
Holland does a remarkable job at anchoring the character in the world of the established MCU. As with his debut in Civil War, he’s the epitome of the fanboy, one who’s lucky enough to live in a world where his heroes actually exist instead of just on screen or in the pages of comics. His story is infused with plenty of teenage drama—will he get the girl? can he make onto the academic decathlon team? will ever not be an awkward loser?—which bolsters the character and will surely please fans of the classic comic arcs.
Setting Homecoming in Peter Parker’s teenage years does allow the film to play in a sort of John Hughes sandbox, with much of the film’s comedic moments coming from places of teen angst and awkwardness—there’s even the most on the nose (and potentially groan worthy) allusion to Ferris Bueller you’ve ever seen. This will certainly play well to the teenage crowd, though the adult MCU fans may find it’s easier to take Spidey’s teenage brooding in comic form rather than on the big screen.
Michael Keaton is continuing to enjoy his career resurgence, putting everything he has into Adrian Toomes, a.k.a., The Vulture, though as a villain the script gives him a bit too little to do. A former construction contractor, Toomes has fashioned himself an arms dealer after the Chitauri assault on NYC (see The Avengers, True Believer!) and he and his crew design and make fantastical weapons befitting the universe they inhabit.
Like all MCU movies, however, the villain’s characterization is rather flat, and Toomes exists as The Vulture for precious little screen time. This adds to the somewhat dissociative feeling of Homecoming, as the film often has trouble oscillating between teen-angst comedy and superhero extravaganza. By the time you’re firmly invested in the high school narrative, The Vulture swoops in from out of nowhere to remind you why you’re really here, and then disappears just as quickly.
The opposite of that is just as true. As soon as the superhero plotline grabs a hold of you, here comes academic decathlon to remind you that this ain’t Raimi’s Spider-Man. While the split between the teenage drama of Peter Parker and superhero exploits of Spider-Man has made for some interesting comics over the years, Homecoming often struggles to maintain the momentum of either of its two main plot lines, and the film suffers somewhat as a result.
But, then again, that’s quickly becoming the Marvel brand. Spider-Man: Homecoming is their 16th effort, and they’ve accomplished nothing if not the perfection of catering to audience desires. As they’ve proven (and continue to prove) audiences will tolerate simplistic plots and beats so long as the movie hits baseline expectations. To be clear, fans looking for web slinging action from their friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will be more than pleased by what’s been delivered here, and it’s certainly the best iteration of the hero since Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. In the end though, that’s not saying too much. The result is a film that’s perfectly fine, but not great. As a character, Spider-Man deserves greatness.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is now playing in theaters everywhere.
