Fun, fresh, and fast-paced -- the movie we've been waiting 3 installations for

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2017)

Our take: See it in theaters. The extra $2 for a 3-D showing will not be a waste. Post credit scene? Yes, two, so just wait until that last Sony logo appears to get up and leave.
You would hope that when they do a reboot every three years they'd learn something. And they did. Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fun, fresh, and fast-paced installation and the movie we've been waiting years for. Forget the doom and gloom, forgot convoluted side plots, forget Oscorp and the Bugle, forget the awkward emo dance moves — this movie eliminated it all and tucked the canon neatly into the MCU instead. Somehow, it was even able to give the newly introduced villain, Vulture, a grounded backstory in the universe. After his backdoor- pilot mission in Civil War, Holland finally gives us a coming-of-age, high school Peter Parker story instead of just handing us an amazing Spider-Man. With very little exposition necessary (sorry Uncle Ben, but we've seen you die, A LOT) the movie was allowed to explore the character and struggles that Peter Parker has in both high school and as a hero, in ways the other films failed to (Incredibly, movies about high schoolers are so much better when you cast younger actors instead of British men in their 30s that you have to get out of high ASAP because the aging process doesn't stop.) Added to the mix are a sidekick (Ned played by Jacob Batalon) that often steals the show a lot of sidekick comedy, a stupid high school crush (Liz played by Laura Harrier), and an MCU caliber villain creating an instant hit for all ages. Even with the occasional plot or character stumble, the film was able to deliver an amusing and entertaining look at the new Spider-Man franchise. But The film leaves you with a familiar feeling, and yet, it also feels completely new — it's an increasingly delightful dichotomy and direction for these films to be heading in.