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Spider-Man Returns to Marvel


          Spider-Man Homecoming is the third movie reboot of the Spider-Man franchise in the last fifteen years. Returning to a new incarnation of this character so frequently can be tiring. However, Homecoming made the wise decision not to be the origin story we all know, sans spider bite, death of Uncle Ben, “with great power comes great responsibility”, etc. It opts instead to be a hybrid superhero-high school movie.
          Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has been splitting his time between school and amateur crime-fighting ever since Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) gave him a high-tech new suit. But when he discovers that salvaged alien technology is being sold to criminals as weapons, he makes it his mission to put a stop to it, while also having to contend with his responsibilities to his school decathlon team and impressing his crush Liz (Laura Harrier).
          Half of this film is a standard high school movie, and the other half is a standard superhero movie, the key word being “standard”. Neither of these spheres goes incredibly out of its depth, with a lot of predictable story beats. This makes a number of sequences a bit of a drag to get through. They’re not necessarily boring, but do rely on well-worn clichés, particularly in the high school stuff. Another problem is that while this movie is a Sony-Marvel co-production, it really hammers in the Marvel connection. Fans may like that Spider-Man now exists in the same cinematic universe as Captain America and Thor, but the fact that Iron Man plays a large supporting role in this movie and it can never quite get away from referencing touchstones of the universe like the Avengers, it suggests it can’t or has no interest in standing on its own. Though the basic plot is simple and contained, the constant reminders of other Marvel movies makes Spider-Man feel less significant.
          That’s by no means on the part of Tom Holland, who just as he proved in his brief appearance in Captain America: Civil War, is a pretty great Peter Parker. He’s smart, funny, and likeable, in spite of his glaring character flaws. He’s written with a lot of hubris, and his arc is his humility through failure. And while this makes sense for an irrational over-confident high school kid, you know these tricks, and that his circumventing Tony Stark’s trust will not end well. The line that comes up in the trailer, “if you’re not enough without the suit, you don’t deserve it”, is a much recycled sentiment. Downey Jr. of course is good as he always is as this character, but it’s actually Jon Favreau who gets the better moments, essentially as the guy looking after Peter for Stark. As for Peter’s classmates, Harrier doesn’t make much of an impression as Liz, and the kid from Grand Budapest Hotel plays a bland bully well below his skill-set. Jacob Batalon plays Peter’s best friend Ned, the first person who learns his identity. He’s a goofy nerdy character, but his mannerisms can get grating after a while. Singer Zendaya plays Michelle, and she’s great as this cynical leftist slacker. Marisa Tomei is back as Aunt May, and she’s good when the movie’s not indulging in overdone “hot Aunt May” jokes. And this movie needed a lot more Donald Glover. But as with most movies he’s in, the best part of the film is Michael Keaton as the antagonist Vulture. He plays the guy as a blue-collar foreman forced out of his job, and whose turned to arms trafficking as a result. He’s very relatable, entertaining, and actually intimidating, particularly in one car scene late in the film.
          There are some good thrilling action scenes though, especially one at the Washington Monument, and the films’ biggest strength may be its humour. There are a lot of comic relief moments and good jokes, great timing and deliveries, Holland and Batalon have good comedic chemistry, and of course Favreau and Keaton are quite funny. The opening scene takes the form of a vlog Peter makes during the events of Civil War and it’s a funny and unique way to start the movie. Hannibal Buress has a great cameo, there’s a hilarious Ferris Bueller reference, and Spider-Man’s banter is well-written and believable to the character. This movie also has the funniest end credits scene since Howard the Duck.
          Spider-Man Homecoming is not that good of a movie, but not bad either. It’s got great humour, and some good performances and effects. But its’ story is very conventional on both the superhero and high school fronts; and though Holland is really good, he doesn’t have the charisma of Downey Jr or the charm of Chris Evans to wholly rise above the mediocre development and themes. Also the “Homecoming” part of the title is very incidental. Jon Watts directs the film capably, but even against the low-bar the Spider-Man movies have fallen to in the past decade and a half, this one is merely an okay ride.

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