REVIEW: Spider-Man: Homecoming is a Refreshing Take On the Web-slinging Hero

2002 saw the introduction of Tobey Maguire as Columbia Pictures Spider-Man, a huge hit that followed Maguire as Peter Parker transformed from a shy unknown into the web slinging comic hero, Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield assumed the role in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man and now, handful of years later, Columbia Pictures has Tom Holland stepping into Spidey’s tights.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a refreshing take on the tale of everybody’s favorite neighborhood Spider-Man; this time however, Spider-Man has stronger ties to his Marvel home. Homecoming picks up immediately after Captain America: Civil War and finds Peter (Holland) hanging around, literally, while he waits for the next Avengers mission. The highschool student has taken it upon himself to protect the city of New York, and he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Spider-Man encounters super villain Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture (Michael Keaton) and his gang of goons who are using alien technology to create and sell their own weapons of mass destruction for profit.

The small preview of Holland as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War gave fans just enough to believe he could be the Spider-Man they’ve been looking for and Holland proves in this film he may even be better than his predecessors. Holland creates his own version of Peter Parker that is unlike the ones before. Holland’s Spider-Man is younger, still grappling with his new super hero size role in the world while trying to navigate high school and youthful growing pains. It will be fun to watch Holland as he creates a new backstory of this Spider-Man’s life prior to the Avengers.

Zendaya is not a prominent figure in the movie, but her character provides a number of laughs, as does Jacob Batalon, who plays Peter Parker’s best friend, Ned. Jacob’s performance really helped drive home how we all would feel if our best friend was a superhero. Michael Keaton took on the villain, The Vulture with ease and aplomb, while Marisa Tomei works as a younger version of Peter’s Aunt May.

Homecoming is not an origin story but rather, the story of what it takes for, and the toll it has on, Peter to be Spider-Man. The movie hones in on the problems Peter faces as a teenager in high school trying to balance his crime fighting life. The film has all the good makings of a super hero film with action packed sequences and an evil villain mixed with a coming of age high school flick. Holland shines as the new Peter Parker and the delightful cast of angsty youth make this a great start for this new generation Spider-Man.

Go see Spider-Man: Homecoming, it is worth seeing in theaters and if you want to see it in IMAX, see it in IMAX. There are two post credit scenes, so make sure to stay until the very end.

Grace: A-