21 Jul Nerdy for Thirty #11: Spider-Man: Homecoming

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

dir. Jon Watts, starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Robert Downey Jr.

Spider-Man is possibly the most beloved superhero in all of comic books. More than Superman, more than Batman, more than Wonder Woman or even the fervor of an Avengers world that’s had its grip on the zeitgeist for over a decade, Spider-Man still remains the most marketable and relatable superpowered being to be published. After 2002’s Spider-Man, spearheaded by Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire and its 2012 reboot with Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield, fans of the character are treated to their third, and possibly most accurate, depiction of Peter Parker, the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man that has stood the test of time for over 60 years. In a landmark deal with Sony Pictures, Disney and Marvel Studios bartered for the rights to use Spider-Man in Civil War, with Marvel agreeing to lend a hand in developing further solo movies for Sony. The first result of this partnership is Spider-Man: Homecoming, successfully integrating Peter Parker and his supporting cast into the Marvel Cinematic Universe while also making boatloads of money for Sony not previously seen in their other installments.

Spider-Man: Homecoming tells the story of Peter Parker early in his superhero days, juggling high school woes while also striving to become an Avenger. After being put out of commission by Damage Control, contractor Adrian Toomes and his crew begin selling Chitauri weaponry on the black market around New York, and after catching wind of it, Peter has to choose between spending time with his friends and family or stopping these weapons from falling in the wrong hands. Mentoring him along the way is Tony Stark and Happy Hogan, keeping an eye on the kid from afar as Spider-Man struggles to come into his own.

Starring Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Homecoming is the actor’s first feature length foray into the superhero world. Introduced in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, fans were exultant over Holland’s performance, giving them a preview of a portrayal of the character they were unused to seeing on the screen. If Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man captures the down-on-his-luck aspect of the character and Garfield’s embodies the nerdiness (if a bit too cool) aspect, Holland delivers on the manic nature of a teenager holding the most important secret to himself. All stutters and stammers, Holland’s version of Peter is expert at reminding moviegoers of life in high school. Spider-Man’s balance between his real life and his superhero one has forever been one of the most appealing aspects of the character and Homecoming not only plays into it but preys on it, putting Peter in one impossible situation after another. For all of this, including his scenes with both Laura Harrier as Liz and Zendaya as MJ Watson, Holland excels at the quieter moments as well as the loud and splashy ones.

Over the years, Spider-Man has not only been defined by his outstanding rogue’s gallery, but by the characters that aid him as well, and Homecoming is no exception. Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marissa Tomei, and John Favreau are all in top form as Peter’s support throughout the story. Ned Leeds, repurposed in this movie from abusive husband of Betty Brant to supportive friend of Spider-Man, is perhaps the most central pillar to this version of the wall crawler. Played wonderfully by Jacob Batalon, Ned is both Peter and Spidey’s right-hand man, his guy in the chair. Few characters in the MCU are as supportive as Ned; Batalon’s enthusiastic ebullience makes for excellent comedy when played off Holland’s straight man role. MJ, a smaller force in the movie but immediately proven to be a shrewd foil for Peter’s antics, is played by Zenaya in a way that initially downplays her eventual importance to his life. Zendaya and Holland have fantastic chemistry, and while Peter spends the majority of the movie chasing after Laura Harrier’s Liz, it’s the few moments of screentime with Holland and Zendaya that remain a highlight.

Marissa Tomei’s Aunt May is one the film’s most surprising characters. Traditionally seen in the pages of the comics and throughout the first two Spider-Man series as less an aunt and more a grandmother, here common sense prevails and May Parker is recasted to a more age-appropriate character. May remains the magnet that Peter’s moral compass can fixate on, and Tomei’s handling of the character feels fresh and updated. Reserved to only a handful of scenes, Tomei is a delight as May, another actor with which Tom Holland has an amazing amount of familial chemistry with.

Robert Downey Jr. once again reprises his role as genius billionaire Tony Stark, discoverer of Peter Parker and adopted father figure. While the relationship between Tony and Peter is far different in the source material, here Peter’s adoration of the universe’s first modern superhero is an understandable one; Tony’s intellect is something Peter admires as a beyond gifted young man who was also orphaned by his parents. Here in Homecoming, the interactions between the two helps prove that while Spider-Man isn’t quite yet ready for the big leagues, he’s well on his way. For his role in things, Tony is given the chance to be a pseudo dad, adding new elements to the character as he continues his path of development. Downey and Holland are excellent together, proving that Holland and his central cast are a key element to the film’s overall success.

On the outside of that is Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes, former business owner ousted out of his contracts by Stark’s Damage Control. Yet another unforeseen misstep made by Tony leads to the creation of a villain that is keen, resourceful, and, above all else, careful. Managing to operate under everyone’s radars for as long as he does shows that Toomes is a capable businessman, relying on his tinkerer to reverse engineer and further develop the weapons the crew uncovered during the Avengers battle of New York. Keaton’s shining scene, his conversation with Peter in the car, is by far the film’s most stellar scene with Keaton stealing all of Holland’s juice and reminding the audience that he’s still one of the top-notch actors working in Hollywood.

Directed by Jon Watts, Spider-Man: Homecoming marks his initial foray into big budget filmmaking. Like his predecessors, Watts leans on the fun of the character in order to tell the story of a high school kid imbued with superhuman powers and responsibility. For the first time in Sony’s Spider-Man franchise, Peter Parker is a high school kid that feels like a high school kid with high school problems. With no disrespect to Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield, the character in the hands of Watts and the film’s five (yep, FIVE) screenwriters is by far the closest adaptation audiences have gotten to the character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The action scenes are crisp and inventive, with Peter using his powers in creative and inventive ways, allowing the action to help further develop the character through his use of ingenuity. Watts and team manage to nail perfectly Spidey’s relentlessness, as best displayed when trapped under rubble after Toomes’ sneak attack (reminiscent of Amazing Spider-Man #33) and his unwillingness to let the villain succeed after his intense physical exertion. Its these scenes, combined with those of Holland’s interactions with Zendaya and Downey Jr, that highlight the best qualities of the character in ways never before touched upon. Thanks to Michael Giacchino’s score, which takes elements of the classic Spider-Man theme and reinvents it bolstered by a full orchestra, the action scenes are exhilarating while the development scenes (such as Peter and Toomes’ chat in the car) do more quiet lifting than maybe initially noticed.

Overall, Spider-Man: Homecoming remains of the most entertaining movies of the MCU. From Tom Holland’s portrayal to Michael Keaton’s bone-chilling turn as Adrian Toomes, all the classical hallmarks that define the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are present. Director Jon Watt’s ability to infuse the scenes with a heartfelt appreciation for the New York boroughs is apparent as Spidey traverses the city in an attempt to shut down The Vulture. A thrill ride from beginning to end, Homecoming is a crowd-pleasing full introduction of the webhead into the universe, kickstarting a series of films that manage to nail the character’s very core.

Review by Darryl Mansel