Spider-Man: Homecoming is not the best Spider-Man film there is, but it is certainly not the worst.
Going into the film, you’ll need a bit of understanding of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and some of the stories that have already played out. The film opens following the Battle of New York, depicted in the 2012 film The Avengers. A group of salvagers, lead by Adrian Toomes aka Vulture (played by Michel Keaton), are rummaging through an alien spaceship and stealing weapons.
Cut forward eight years and we meet high school student Peter Parker, (played by 21-year-old Tom Holland). Unbeknownst to Parker’s fellow students, after school Parker is putting on his Spider-Man suit and stopping small-time criminals in New York City. During this time, he is struggling to come to terms with what happened in Captain America: Civil War, where Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) employed him to fight Captain America.
Throughout Homecoming, he keeps contacting one of Tony Stark’s employees, wanting to join the Avengers on bigger missions, but fails to impress the superhero. Parker then discovers Vulture’s big alien weapons trade… and that is where the drama begins.
After years in the Sony studios, it is good to finally see Spider-Man as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The title of the film, Homecoming, plays on that, as Spider-Man is home. Having said that, bringing the film into the MCU does bring a few pitfalls to the film.
When compared to 2002’s Spider-Man and 2004’s Spider-Man 2, where Tobey Maguire donned the red suit, Homecoming feels a little childish. This could potentially be because of the MCU’s focus on mixing drama and comedy to create a unique and accessible superhero film brand. Despite this, the film is enjoyable and is a lot better than the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel (where Andrew Garfield played the character).
Where the film does exceed is in its ability to make you connect with Peter. Tom Holland is perfect as Spider-Man, showcasing the range of emotions that a teenager would feel being thrust into the world of superheros perfectly.
Spider-Man: Homecoming might not be the best Spider-Man film of all time, but it is very, very good. And for those who love a good Marvel post-credits scene, you won’t be disappointed with this one. Spider-Man: Homecoming is on now.
This post originally appeared in the South Burnett Times.