Generic but Fun!

Rating: 7/10 (12 July 2017)

Wasn't sure about this entry after the trailers, but am happy with the outcome. The Good : Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-man is an absolute treat to watch. Don't think it's fair comparing his take to Tobey's or Andrew's version of the character as the universe it is set in is totally different. I do believe that all 3 actors did justice to the material that was given to them. Bearing that in mind...the material for this one was 'Good Old Fashioned Fun'so there was very little about it not to like. Michael Keaton as The Vulture...Loved every bit of it! The motivations for his villainy (though cliché'd) come out beautifully with his performance. Driven and unpredictable...I mean, what more could you ask for? If I watched this film for a 2nd time, it would be for Michael Keaton's Vulture! Now, The Not So Good : This isn't really the movie's fault, but nothing Spider-man does on film has the VOW effect on me anymore! Seeing the action in Spider- man (2002) particularly the sequence right before the end titles left me blown away and wanting more. I guess there have just been too many action sequences over the course of 7 films (and 3 franchises now) that they just come across as "Been there, Done That!" I am taking into account that I'm 38 years old today as opposed to 23 when the first film came out (and 5 when I saw Nicholas Hammond in the TV show) so that probably has a lot to do with my sentiment, and I probably sound stupid complaining about a movie about a guy who swings and climbs for a living when he actually swings and climbs, but maybe the filmmakers need to find a way to make the action look fresher and less generic in comparison to the previous entries. That being said...still enjoyed it to a degree The Bad - (or what I didn't like) The High Tech Suit : I tried to like it, even bearing in mind that this a next gen Spidey set in a world with Alien Invasions and whatnot, but it was lost on me! There was a point in the movie where I felt Peter didn't need his inherent Spidey Powers because the suit seemed to be doing all the work. Betty Brant could have been in that suit and it would have done something. What I love most about Peter Parker in the comics is his limited resources yet genius intellect which brings me to my second point :- From whatever angle you look at it, Shared Universe or not - Avenger or not, Spider-man is the Crown Jewel of the Marvel Universe. It does not feel good as a fan to see him upstaged in his own film! All due respect to Marvel and what they've done with Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, but the whole mentor thing took away a bit of zing from the experience. If I remember correctly, there is an arc in the comic where Peter Parker hacks in to the Stark Industries main frame thereby getting recruited as an Avenger, not the other way round where he is chasing them like a lost lamb. Sigh of relief when Peter declines the offer in the end! Still....A Enjoyable Experience where the Good very much outweighs the Bad. Look forward to a lot more Spidey (stand alone) with a little less Avenger!