Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Dir: Jon Watt

It is a peculiar thought that given only five years ago audiences were being welcomed by the dower, Nolanised Amazing Spider Man reboot. At the time many questioned whether we really needed or wanted a new Spider-Man origins tale. The undignified end of what started out as a revelatory Spider-Man adaptation by Sam Raimi still lingered in the minds of many. However, after the perfunctory mess that Sony had prescribed during Marc Webb’s reign, Spider-Man fandom were in need of some cinematic therapy. And having acquired the rights for our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, Marvel has begun the rejuvenation of Peter Parker just three years on from Sony’s most recent instalment.

Opening just days after the Battle of New York, seen in The Avengers, contract builders headed by Adrian Toomes (performed by Michael Keaton) are clearing up the carnage. This is shortly before the builders are removed from the scene by Stark Industries officials, confiscating a lucrative source of potential income. This is followed by the crew keeping the few scrap alien artefacts and going into business of their own, in order to provide for their families. With many wanting to see Parker straight off the bat, the film takes its time and focuses on the eventual villain, in order to not fall into the consistent Marvel trap of short-changing it’s villain with weak motivation and short screen time. And it is this depth and patience that runs throughout the film, always walking before running.

But what of our protagonist? With the title itself a self-aware nod to the fans that Marvel’s poster boy is finally coming home, we do not have to wait long to see “underoos”. And our first encounter with the New Yorker is through Parker’s chronicling of the events in Berlin, where he cameoed in the hugely successful Captain America: Civil War. This offers the chance for audiences who did not see Civil War (if you haven’t, come on now) to retrace Spider-Man’s participation in the conflict. But this collection of footage shrewdly aligns the audience into the main aspect of Peter Parker: he is simply a kid. While in Spider Man 1 and 2, Toby Maguire did a fantastic job, he did look a tad old for high school. Homecoming effectively places the joyful charisma of Spider-man into the 21st century. The film immediately attunes the audience into what Spider Man has always been, a shy geeky kid who suddenly attains super-powers. 

Casting Tom Holland in the central role, an actor who looks like he was born to play Peter Parker, his youthful energy and dynamism presents a fascinating facet to be added to the MCU canon. And like only a few of MCU’s central performances, Holland provides range and a gravity to his role that was refreshing to see. His performative style echoed similarities to Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark, a superhero who functions as a vital strand in the Homecoming web. Stark intervenes in pivotal moments in Parker’s plight to adopt the missing father figure Peter is craving so much. At one point Stark, a character persistently struggling with his parent’s memory, even says “I’m sounding like my old man.” Contrasting what we have normally seen with Mr Stark, his character becomes something of a mentor for the inevitable Avenger. After altercations with (Keaton)/Vulture and his crime syndicate, Parker survives by the skin of his teeth. Stark persistently orders Peter to “forget this Vulture guy” and focus on helping his neighbourhood. This lack of trust in Spider-Man leads Parker to have tantrums over his capabilities, believing that he is ready to take on the Vulture but Stark continues to treat Parker “like a kid.” This thematic conflict is a component that runs throughout the screenplay, with Parker believing that Spider-Man is a better version than himself.

While the intensity builds after every near-death experience, Parker’s plight is rooted in a grounded reality of high school. Instead of being an emo loner with a speech impediment, Parker is coupled with Ned (played by Jacob Batalon), who provides a greater dynamic with Holland as well as being Parker’s “guy in the chair.” Homecoming captures the sensibility of a John Hughes film (interestingly enough there is a reference to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), spending a considerable time in the high school arena, the Spider-Man essence is transfixed into an effective genre of a coming-of-age drama.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a joyful resurgence of the Spider-Man franchise. Back in the safe hands of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jon Watts and his writing team capture the purity of Peter Parker’s adventures with a John Hughes sensibility. An exceptional cast, ranging from Michael Keaton performing as the thrilling Vulture to Downey Jr as his own Tony Stark, rounded off by the excellent Tom Holland who truly understands the essence of Peter Parker. Mixing the coming of age drama with the witty writing akin to James Gunn’s Super, this endearing and character-driven genre piece marks a refreshing beat to a questionably fatiguing brand.