Marvel does it again!

Rating: 7/10 (6 July 2017)

Homecoming takes a refreshing approach as it takes time fleshing characters out instead of just relying on non-stop action. Let's start with our villain Adrian Toomes/The Vulture. He is probably the best villain in the MCU, there's more layers to him than you would expect. Previously made redundant, he decides to make money creating weapons from alien wreckage in order to sell on the black market. There is good chemistry between Parker and his friend who discovers his alter-ego in the first 20 minutes. They end up working together throughout and It makes for some good jokes like his constant questions "do you lay eggs".
School bully Flash Thompson isn't the physical buff anymore, he's just an annoying spoilt brat this time who verbally abuses Parker throughout, which makes more sense when you think about it. The love interest isn't Gwen or Mary Jane for a change and thankfully it isn't the focus here. Parkers heart is set on one thing, which is to become part of the Avengers. His Spider suit is equipped with cool hidden gadgets including a digital interface, a power shoot, web-wings, 200+ web-shooter modes and an "instant-kill" mode which will certainly please comic book fans.
As for the humour, it's lighthearted in the tone of the comics and it doesn't feel forced. The action doesn't quite reach the spectacle of other Marvel outings but as stated earlier, it's more character focused which makes it that much better. There are some stand-out set pieces worth mentioning, one includes a boat getting split in half, an elevator rescue and some exciting chase sequences.
However it can be CGI heavy at times, there is a particular twist towards the end that would have been better had it been revealed earlier and there are too many references to other MCU events/characters. For instance Iron Man keeps popping up every so often, there's mention of other events like the airport sequence from Civil War and the final battle from The Avengers. But as tedious as it gets, it does serve a purpose to the plot.
Nitpicking aside, Tom Holland is perfect for the role as he plays Peter Parker with a sense of joy and wonder. Part of the enjoyment is seeing him come to grips with his powers as he uses them for fun a lot of the time and in doing so, endangers civilians and those close to him. This is about him learning to use his powers responsibly. It will be very interesting to see how the next series of adventures unfold. Let's hope Marvel can come to an agreement with Sony to use Venom in their later projects.