Can’t you just be a friendly neighborhood : Spider-Man Homecoming Review

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Since childhood, there has been a character that I have loved to no end. A character that when anyone asks me who my favourite fictional character is he has always been either straight-up number one or tied for first.  While I will state that Iron Man was my favourite MCU character, that is because this character had yet to appear.  Yes, of course, I am talking about Spider-Man.

Spider-Man, as is true for many young kids, has always been my favourite superhero since the first time I was introduced. This was helped by the fact that the character is heavily marketed towards young kids and the fact that my Dad was a massive fan of the character only helped.  My Dad was a kid who was able to read a large chunk of the original Amazing Spider-Man comics and has a collection of over 100 comics that includes some really iconic storylines.  While writing these reviews I have never claimed to be the biggest comics reader or expert.

However, I have read nearly all of my Dad’s Spider-Man comics that span from the mid-60s to the late 80s.  Most of those comics I have even read more than once and I have read more recent runs as well like the original Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man Life Story, and the beginning of Nick Spencer’s run.  I have watched most of the Spider-Man cartoons, from the original 60s show with the iconic theme song to the 90s show which I saw many reruns of, and the entirety of both Spectacular Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man. 

In terms of the movies some of my earliest memories are watching the original Tobey Maguire Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 ( I didn’t see Spider-Man 3 until much later since my Dad didn’t like it).  My first Spider-Man theatre experience was seeing both Amazing Spider-Man films and I remember going home to theorize which characters and villains would appear in the following films.  So while with most characters I wouldn’t even call myself close to an expert, I will with Spidey.

When Captain America Civil War had its second trailer that revealed Spider-Man was going to be in it I rewatched that trailer daily until the release of the film.  When I got the DVD, I would rewatch the scenes with Spider-Man without watching the rest of the film. When it was announced that we were getting a Spider-Man film in the MCU my dreams were made. I followed the entire production of this film reading every article, watching news videos and leaked set clips.  I hadn’t been this hyped since Avengers Age of Ultron. So after all that hype what do I actually think of the film?

While to get the negative out of the way I only have one negative for this film.  While I was perfectly fine with them doing away with the origin story, I still wish they had least said the name Uncle Ben out loud. It’s hinted at in Civil War and even more so here in a scene with Peter and Ned where he talks about what Aunt May has gone through. I just wish the name had been used even once in the film.

Moving on, I love this film. While this is the third time we have seen Peter Parker in high school this is the time he has most felt like a teenager. Part of that is a cast of actual teenagers or near teenagers as opposed to nearly thirty-year-old Tobey Maguire playing 17-year-old Peter Parker. Also, I love that this film explores the idea of the ordinary person in the MCU. We see a salvage company and how they tried to salvage the Battle of New York wreckage back in 2012. We get to see how teenagers react to the superhero stuff.

Do they care, not really but that is super accurate for teenagers, though they will play “ F, Marry, Kill” with the Avengers which also fits. I will address this now but that is the reason that I am ok with Peter Parker wanting to be an Avenger so badly in this film. For one in case you forgot in the first Amazing Spider-Man comic, he tried to join the Fantastic Four. I know that was to try to get money but you know Peter also knew it would be easier to do this as part of a team.

Secondly, in a world where Peter would’ve been like 11 years old when the Avengers saved New York of course he would look up to those heroes and want to be like them. It isn’t like the comics where they were all introduced at a similar time, he came after them here. So the Iron Boy Jr. narrative was always dumb and I am glad it has mostly faded.  Tony is a fun mentor and I like his dynamic with Peter. The care he takes with him shows how Tony has grown. That being said I do prefer a more low-tech Spidey and I am glad that Peter turned down the Iron Spider suit at the end.

Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man. If you remove your nostalgia goggles and think as to the elements that make Peter Parker, particularly in high school, he fits it. Besides just looking like a teenager he captures the awkward nerdiness of Peter and how he is much more confident in the suit. While his quips are hit or miss and not always present, he manages to still show he is looser in the suit than Peter. He has so many moments that hit the essence of Peter Parker and the longing for a normal life but putting his responsibility first.

His rooftop scenes at Liz’s party and at the hotel in Washington are some of my favourite little scenes because you know he wants to be down there but he knows that he has to sacrifice a lot to do what is right. Or the scene right before he walks into homecoming when he knows he has to look like a jerk to go do the right thing.

All those scenes there are pure Peter Parker. They all build up to the moment when Peter is trapped under the rubble all alone and he has to push himself to be more than Peter he has to be Spider-Man to get the job done. That scene in the rubble is my favourite.

Michael Keaton does a great job as the Vulture and I love the way they made his character work in the MCU. Vulture is not a villain I ever expected to see in a Spider-Man film and I really like how they used him. He wasn’t a crazy old man. He had a purpose and clear motivation. He wasn’t stealing for the fun of it.

The reveal of his character is amazing and unexpected. It gives him an extra connection to Peter. The scene in the car is my second favourite with so much tension even without the spandex on. The action in the film is also pretty great with the best action scene being the Washington Monument scene because it shows him saving people not just fighting.

All in all, this is all I could’ve hoped for in an MCU Spider-Man film, it is funny, action-packed, relatable, and in essence, it is Spider-Man. It kicks off the journey of my favourite superhero in an excellent way! So, you know wherever there’s a hang you’ll find the Spider-Man. Check it out!