Could and should have been better.

Rating: 1/10 (7 July 2017)

This is the 3rd introduction we have of Spider-Man when it comes to the cinematic universe in 10 years period and it seems like the character lost a bit of it's charm in creativity in trying to reinvent itself and continue to come back to the same old formula. But this time, Marvel's name and "creativity" is attached to it. And that is enough to make people think it's the best thing that happened to it...Sadly, there isn't much of improvement.
May contain some *spoilers*
The film may have said that it is focusing on Peter evolving as Spider-Man and making him that he is already Spider-Man by skipping the origin story, but it's not really true. The film seems like an origin story with skipping the Uncle Ben's death subplot.
The setting in high-school is well felt and not to take away from them trying in emphasizing that aspect a bit more, but do we really need him again in high-school? does it contributing anything to the story other than financial gain (yonger actor = more movies = more money). The fact is that he spent only two years in high-school in the original comic run and the story is much more focus on him as an adult, having adult problems, while being Spider-Man and him trying to navigate between all of that. Now, why do I mention all of this? Because setting him up as a kid limit him as a character and limit the appeal for larger demographics when it comes to viewers. The film is very much "kid friendly", much more than it is an "adult friendly". I understand it is easier approach to make him bland in the MCU, but good writers could have easily figured out how to do that when it more mature and already an established as a superhero and make a film focusing on these points and how he fits in.
They continued to say this film is an homage to John Hughs style and films, and the film does have a few winks at it, but other than that it just fell flat and never once reminded any of Hughe's brilliant material. John's understanding when it came to teen angst and their personal problems made his films to be remembered as they do. He understood his characters and how to develop them. These were also simpler times with larger inner search issues that teens had, and they were far more relate-able to the current take of the current generation and how to approach these issues. The characters are very one dimension, there's hardly any progress with them, even though many of them get a lot of screen time , there is very few progress with their characteristics and development and they are just there because the setting of the film required them to. In no shape or form this film ever felt like an tribute to John Hughes work, and felt more like a TV show in the Disney channel. It takes more than show "Ferris Buller's Day off" in the background, Jon Watts.
Let's talk about diversity in this film and how much it is forced in every film nowadays just to please minorities and have very little sense behind it when it comes to casting and how the characters should be portrayed.
The characters here are drifting far away from how they are and look in the comics, and I'm all up for it when it comes from the right reasons, writing, and fits well with the plot. But here, it just felt forced and out of place and they completely changed all of these characters (Liz Allan, "Michelle", Flash Thompson, Vulture, Shocker). They're making this casting debate as black and white without anything in between to whoever disagrees with them. But it was never about people not wanting diversity, but people wanting it to be felt much more natural and that the characters and story will fit well with the source material.
Michael Keaton pretty much steals the show in every scene that he is in. Downey, and the rest of the adult cast, is doing far better and the best they can from the very little that the script allows them to, as opposed to the younger cast. But honestly, it's not because the direction and writing were top notch that it made these actors shine above, but because these are brilliant actors, that have much respect for their film and project they are working on and it shows. Keaton is doing great and he is probably the best villain since the great Raimi series. Minus Topher Grace.
The visuals are great, and it really is a big improvement over the lacking ones we had in "The Amazing Spier-Man" dualogy. The swinging are great and they really trying to show and emphasize different part of the characters and his powers when it comes to the fact to how Spider-Man can swing when there's nothing to swing to or from? Well, he just have to run. And it's more difficult as it sounds. Or the fact that it even with his super fast reflexes and flexibility is still not enough when you climb a really really tall building.
I was bothered by the fact that they completely forsaken his spider sense which is one of the character most familiar strengths, and really having him lean on this high tech suit, and have his character completely dependable on it and Tony Stark. It worked shortly in "Civil War" introduction, but here it is stretched through the entire story and film and from an independent, smart, well capable character, he became a needy, eager to please Mr. Tony Stark. And it gets beyond tiring after a short period.
Here's hoping that the next one will learn from these mistakes and make a far better, more intense, more relate-able story to the character.