Spider-Man: Homecoming Review
The best on-screen portrayal of Peter Parker makes this the best Spider-Man film in years and even one of Marvel’s top offerings. Is it time we demanded more, though?
There is a common problem shared by almost all superhero films and it lies in the third act. The need to escalate to a fittingly action-packed finale means that these films invariably end with a big set piece made up of lots of loud bashing around. Action set pieces aren’t a bad thing per se, but when they outstay their welcome (which they often do) and pull focus from the plot and characters (which they often do), this can quickly become a tired way to end a film. I’d love to say that Spider-Man: Homecoming bucks this trend and doesn’t suffer from these familiar snags but, alas, no such luck. The good news is that Spider-Man: Homecoming is an enjoyable example of what is now a familiar template, but I do wonder how much longer this model of cinema-as-consumable can remain acceptable. Unfortunately, the answer is probably indefinitely. If you enjoy superhero flicks or anything from the MCU, Homecoming is easy to recommend. Easily the best big screen offering from the web slinger since 2004’s Spider-Man 2 (but, no, Homecoming isn’t better than that film), the film comfortably ranks among Marvel’s better output and Tom Holland is the definitive Spider-Man. If, however, this kind of thing hasn’t worked for you in the past, Spider-Man: Homecoming isn’t likely to change your mind.
Eight months after his run-in with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) finds himself back in Queens and back in high school, the only reminders of his exciting getaway being his high-tech suit, courtesy of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), and a video diary of the whole event. This video diary is how we’re introduced to Peter in Homecoming and it’s suitably endearing and funny. Back in New York, Peter longs for another high profile assignment from the Avengers. He feels he’s ready for more than stopping petty criminals and helping blind people cross the road. He’s tasted the excitement of the big leagues and he wants in. Stark seems considerably less enthusiastic, though. Assigning his right-hand man Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) to act as conduit for his communication with Spidey, Stark’s instructions are for Peter to stay put and keep things ticking along in his local area. “Can’t you just be a friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man?” Stark suggests to Peter. What he’s essentially telling him is, grow up a bit and then we can talk. And this is really what Homecoming is about. Peter has dreams of running off with the Avengers and saving the world as Spider-Man. Throughout the film, though, Spider-Man must learn what it is to be Peter Parker, and here is where Homecoming is at its best. This downscaled story of a kid trying to grow up too fast, shouldering responsibility for the lives of everyone around him, while also navigating the social perils of high school is pure Spider-Man and is what drew so many to the character upon his introduction in 1962. This is a summer Marvel blockbuster though and with that comes the obligatory villain. Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes, or the Vulture, is the rogue of choice here, along with a much smaller role for the Shocker. We are introduced to Toomes in the first scene of the film, set eight years prior to the events of the rest of the film, in the aftermath of the Avengers’ battle against Loki and the Chitauri as seen in 2012’s The Avengers (I know, the dates don’t work. The film says eight years though, so either The Avengers was set in 2009 or this film is set in 2020). Toomes is a blue-collar worker for a company tasked with cleaning up the Avengers’ mess. When the workers get laid off because the job has been awarded to Stark Industries, Toomes has had enough. Rather than disposing of the scraps of alien technology they have left, Toomes and his crew keep the tech and work on using it to create weapons. Fast forward eight years and Toomes, now complete with Vulture mask and wings, is gaining traction as an arms dealer in New York. When Peter encounters these powerful weapons while interfering with a bank robbery, he feels compelled to go after Toomes and take him down lest his weapons make their way into the hands of bigger criminals.
It’s suitably low key compared to the world-ending threats we’re used to seeing in this kind of picture and Toomes makes a nice change from the megalomaniacal super-villains intent on destroying the world of other films. That being said, the Vulture is far from the most interesting villain in Marvel’s gallery and his character here feels inconsistent. His initial motivations as a labourer fed up with the self-serving practices of the wealthy elite feel plausible enough and the film would have us believe he just wants to give his family a decent life. But when you see that Toomes lives in a gigantic house in the suburbs, seemingly made mostly of glass, this facade of an honest, working-man no longer really fits. Toomes is essentially a side character here, which works to the film’s strengths as it allows more focus on Peter, but it also means when Toomes transitions from morally ambiguous arms dealer to cold-blooded murderer, it feels jarring. Keaton gives a fine performance though and the character certainly feels more alive that Jamie Foxx’s Electro or Rhys Ifans Lizard from the previous two Spider-Man films.
Peter Parker, and Spider-Man, are the real focus though and thankfully the film gets this most important aspect absolutely right. Tom Holland is Spider-Man. He brings a delightful energy to the role and manages to nail both the awkward, anxious high schooler that is Peter Parker and the quippy irreverence of Spider-Man. Alongside fighting winged arms dealers, Peter must juggle his school work and extra-curricular activities, all while being constantly pestered about his crime-fighting exploits by best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Between this and keeping his alter-ego secret from his guardian Aunt May, Peter still has to try to look good in front of his school crush, Liz (Laura Harrier). All of this is so entertaining (the film is not short on laughs) that it’s almost disappointing when Peter inevitably gets pulled away to engage in some action sequence. Not that these sequences are particularly dreary, although the film’s climactic action scene does drag on somewhat, but the film finds its heart in its character and much of this is lost when the scale ramps up. Spidey’s vocal nature means the action scenes are injected with a bit more personality, but a few throwaway lines aren’t enough to really add identity to what is essentially a very familiar formula. Of the large kinetic sequences in the film, one that takes place on the Washington Monument is easily the highlight. That the scene involves many of the supporting characters, and the supporting cast to Peter’s life, makes the stakes feel more personal and, as a result, more real. This is the only scene of the film that is truly successful at blending the adrenaline fuelled spectacle of a summer blockbuster with the personal, character-driven stuff that makes Spidey such a likeable hero. Elsewhere, these large set pieces simply call a halt to the more interesting side of things and in a few cases are shot so messily that you’re hard pressed to follow what’s even happening. A late twist seems designed to lend a more personal stake to the climax but while I didn’t see it coming necessarily, I also wasn’t shocked by it and outside of one scene, it doesn’t alter the dynamic of the film enough to be resonant.
Spider-Man: Homecoming ultimately has the message that keeping things small and close to home can sometimes be the right choice. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t really heed its own advice. The strongest parts of the film are when it scales down to Peter’s level but too often it allows itself to ramp up the stakes and deliver just another superhero action scene. I’m sure this will delight many cinema goers simply looking for a flashy film to switch off to and Spider-Man: Homecoming certainly provides a good time at the cinema. Its lasting appeal is somewhat less resounding, though. Following in the Marvel tradition, this is cinema fast-food, meant to be consumed and forgotten. Judging by the financial success of the studio’s films, Marvel have no problem with this model. This is a superhero film through and through, albeit a rather good one. Go and see it, certainly, for it is an enjoyable flick. Just don’t expect it to transcend its well worn genre.
