Spider-Man: Homecoming - Peter Parker Comes of Age

As a card-carrying Marvel Universe enthusiast, there’s no way I’m missing any new Marvel flick in the theater, so after a hectic couple of weeks, I finally got a chance to check out Spider-Man: Homecoming, the latest crowd-pleaser from Marvel’s cinematic domination of the box office universe. By my count this is Marvel’s 16^th feature, since Iron Man debuted back in 2008. These days, we get 2-3 Marvel films each year, which is really something, with audience appetite showing no signs of slowing down – this latest outing coming between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and this November’s Thor: Ragnarok.

Now old Spidey’s had his fair share of movies since Sam Raimi first debuted him back in 2002, and you’d have to be crazy not to be a little daunted at the prospect of the fan community skeptically sighing, “Again, with another reboot?!?” But this is Marvel Studios, and they don’t leave much to chance – and director Jon Watts (Cop Car) has served up a terrific new iteration of the trials of Peter Parker that manages to feel modern, fresh and new, while maintaining a satisfyingly old-fashioned comic book vibe, all at the same time.

Homecoming picks up right after the events of Captain America: Civil War (feels like that was a lot longer than 14 months ago!), so Pete’s already fought side by side with The Avengers, but he’s still barely 15, and still in high school, fer cryin’ out loud. He’s got twin obsessions, Liz (Laura Harrier), the willowy girl on his academic decathlon team (in this high school, it’s way refreshingly cooler to be a brain than a jock), and his desire to prove to mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) that he’s ready to be a full-time Avenger. How you gonna keep the boy down in the borough of Queens, after he’s seen Black Widow?!

So, he’s the lovable Peter Parker of the comics – a young kid who’s got a whopper of a secret to hide from his peers. One of the reasons Spider-Man: Homecoming is so entertaining is Tom Holland, who is just self-effacingly, awkwardly, unabashedly, enthusiastically awesome, as young Pete. He’s terrific here, and he instantly brings the audience along with him every step of the way. You want him to impress the girl and prove he’s worthy and he’s hilarious when he screws things up – and when he hurts, man – you hurt right there with him.

We’ve seen New York smashed to bits in The Avengers, and have you ever wondered who cleans up that gigantic mess after the dust settles? A bunch of roughneck construction guys, that’s who. When one of these subcontractors realizes they’re about to get squeezed out of business, Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) pockets some damaged alien technology, and a black-market weapons business is born. Before long, Keaton’s devised a massive winged attack suit that lets him swoop down – like a…Vulture! – and plunder whatever he desires. I ask you: who’s crazy enough to try and stop a guy like this?!?

Holland and director Watts work incredibly well together, and let you feel Peter’s angst, but never let you get mired in it. Spider-Man: Homecoming never forgets to be fun, perhaps best personified by Peter’s best pal Ned (Jacob Batalon), a delightfully enthusiastic one-man fan club, a loveable sidekick role similar to Michael Peña’s in Ant-Man, but very much his own guy, and a good friend who helps give Peter all kinds of perspective – and encouragement – on his choices. 

Pitting Holland’s affable adolescent against Keaton’s threatening talons makes for great popcorn. Keaton’s got such great chops, and he brings a menacing, yet relatable quality to a guy who’s not out to conquer the world, but who’s just turned criminal – and who likes it. I’m happy to say this Spider-Man is a fantastic fit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you can swing by our neighborhood anytime, web-head.