Even though Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is only 15 in this reboot, Spider-Man: Homecoming is not an origin story. Thankfully, we don't have to watch Peter get bitten by a radioactive spider again like in the previous two Spider-Man versions. Instead, this picks up where last year's Captain America: Civil War left off.
Peter, feeling a little left out with nothing to do as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and The Avengers have moved on, keeps calling his handler, Happy (Jon Favreau) -- and when he can get hold of him, Tony Stark, but both men consider the boy little more than a nuisance.
Peter tells Aunt May and his friends that he's working as an intern for Stark Industries, but what he's actually doing after school is trying to get experienced at stopping crime.
Trying is the operative word here -- he's sometimes unsuccessful, even mistakenly pointing the finger at a man trying to get into his own car as the car alarm is blaring. That might discourage some, but it gets Peter even more desperate for a real assignment.
In the meantime, salvage company owner Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), whose latest job was shut down by the U.S. Department of Damage Control, causing him great expense, decides to turn to crime. His main concern is making sure his employees get paid and that their families live well, no matter what the cost. He begins to illegally design and create alien weaponry, including a winged "Vulture" suit for himself.
Even though he's a villain, he's the most realistic villain I've ever seen in a superhero movie, which for me, made it all the more enjoyable. Toomes is a flawed man with good intentions and Keaton brings depth to the character.
There are a lot of light, funny moments in the film that, along with Tom Holland's depiction of Peter Parker, make this the best Spider-Man to date.
His interactions with his friends (and frenemies) are entertaining and his obvious disdain for sitting in a classroom watching instructional videos (featuring Captain America) make him a likable and empathetic character.
Make sure to stay as the credits roll for an extra scene and if you're a patient person, make sure to stay until the very last credit disappears off the screen for a hilarious public service announcement featuring Captain America -- you won't be disappointed. ~Alexandra Heilbron
If you've seen Spider-Man: Homecoming and would like to rate/review it, click here.
Comments & Discussion
Join The Conversation: