A Reboot that Works

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2017)

:Slight Spoilers Ahead:
After 2014's rather dismal The Amazing Spider-Man 2, I've been rather sour on Spidey and the thought of yet another reboot of the character/franchise. However, Tom Holland's brief, but strong appearance as the character in Captain America Civil War, along with the current trailers renewed hope heart that the web slinger will once again fly high in geeky esteem.
So very happy and relieved to say that Spider-Man: Homecoming is definitely a reboot that works. Hands down this movie is firing on all cylinders.
It's a young, fresh and a refreshing take on Spider-Man.
No time is wasted rehashing the characters' origin story from the beginning. There's a brief mention well into the story and we move on. Personally, the best part of this is not having to see poor old Uncle Ben kick it, yet again. Yeah, yeah. Great power, great responsibility. Yadda, yadda, yadda. This gem of a life lesson comes harshly, but organically.
This go around, the backstory is broader and focuses on placing Spider-Man in the Marvel Universe that we've already seen from The Avengers through Civil War, giving us the "big picture" as well as this particular film's framework. This integration technique is also quite successful in establishing Michael Keaton's character in the film, making him one of the best villains out there.
Characters/characterization. Yes, yes, YES! They did this one right all the way around. Returning characters are built upon, new ones are nicely established and fleshed out, old faves pop up enlighten, delight, and amuse. One of the best parts of Hollands' Peter Parker/Spider-Man is the back to basics of him being a kid, a kid with amazing abilities and potential, but a kid nonetheless. And all the baggage that entails, including being/doing something stupid, repeatedly, even for the right reasons. While things do get heavy/intense the weight of the world hasn't dropped on Peter's shoulders, yet so there's still a light hearted, even naivety about him that's been missing from previous versions. All of which leads to this movie being fun and entertaining from beginning to end. The excitement, awesomeness of getting to be a superhero is infectious.
Overall, the story is solid, relatable and gratifying. The characters/acting is terrific across the board. The balance of action/humor/heart/angst is perfect. Nice soundtrack. There are even some surprising twists and turns. And let's be clear, this is the coolest, most bad@$$ version of the Spider-Man suit to date.
Fill up your webs lingers and swing to the nearest theater to catch this one. It's a 10 and you need to see it on the big screen. And be sure to ration your drinks, there's an additional scene after the credits.