The Best Spider-Man Film in Quite Some Time (Maybe Even Ever)

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming pits Peter Parker against The Vulture in Marvel's latest adaptation of its oldest and most recognizable hero. Directed by Jon Watts and starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey, Jr and Zendaya, the film relies on both CGI and heartfelt performances to make it work and it most certainly works way more than it doesn't. Despite some irritating comedy and an odd performance from Zendaya, Spider- Man: Homecoming is one of the better MCU films that will surely enjoy some love from fan's and audiences alike.
First off, the film is a very easy and definitely the most accessible Spider-Man film. There really isn't anything new to see here regarding story. Like DC's Batman, Spider-Man's backstory is common knowledge at this point and the film doesn't waste too much time on telling it. I'm shocked that a third rendition of Spider-Man was able to be thrilling again let alone interesting. So much so that the fact that it managed to hold my attention even through the same story is a helluva feat that Watts captured beautifully. While I really liked the way this film told it's story, I wasn't so much a fan of the humor of the film.
The humor used began as light but was then relied on a little too much. While we all have grown accustomed to Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark and his incredibly snarky wit, the humor was less welcomed with the supporting cast especially with Zendaya as Michelle. Michelle is a really awkward character that could have benefited from either better dialog or a better actress to land those comedic moments better. Either way, the character and performance didn't bode well with me but the audience seemed to enjoy her quite a bit. Personally, as far as humor was concerned, Jon Favreau as Happy was the source of my entertainment as he is in it a surprising amount of time and doesn't disappoint. As for the rest of the cast, all were pretty standard for a comic book film outside of Tom Holland.
Tom Holland is superb as Peter Parker. He brings a light to the character that has been missing from all the previous cinematic renditions. It's pretty simple...Holland plays Parker as he is written: a teenage kid. He really does embody what it means to be Peter Parker and relishes in the performance. It's not over the top, it's played just right. And with a great hero, there's a great villain. Michael Keaton is tremendously menacing as Adrian Toomes aka Vulture. He really lays on the sinister nature of the character and the scenes that he shares with Holland are very good.
Overall, Spider-Man: Homecoming is probably the best rendition of the titular character that audiences have seen. Tom Holland and Michael Keaton are tremendous in the film along with much of the supporting cast. Jon Watts delivers to audiences what any up and coming director could ever hope for: a really enthralling and invigorating summer blockbuster. Homecoming is bound to go down as one of the finer installments of the MCU and one of the best blockbusters of 2017.