Directed by:
Jon WattsCinematography:
Salvatore TotinoComposer:
Michael GiacchinoCast:
Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori (more)VOD (5)
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Tom Holland stars as the eponymous superhero in this Marvel Comics sequel to Captain America: Civil War that sees a young Peter Parker realise the full extent of his powers as Spider-Man. As a 15-year-old kid struggling with the everyday turmoil of being a teenager including school, homework and a crush on a girl who's out of his league, Peter also has to deal with the fact that he is Spider-Man and has the ability to change the world. When he meets with Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), a seasoned superhero who tries to pass on some words of wisdom, Peter is told that his priority should be working hard at school to get good grades, not donning his Spider-Man suit and fighting crime, but for Peter the urge to stop bad guys is just too overwhelming and he tries to find a way to do both. The cast also includes Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture, Michael Chernus as Phineas Mason aka Tinkerer and Marisa Tomei as Peter's Aunt May. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
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Quite a surprise. Before the screening, I would have said that the thematic chest around the spider hero had been emptied by the completion of the Raimi trilogy, but Kevin Feige at Marvel proves time and time again that he knows exactly what he wants to do and how to do it. Homecoming's weaknesses, though, are precisely that it doesn't bring anything too original to the general Spidey themes around the dream girl or his loserism, and that it is a bit skeletal in its attempts to connect the overarching Avenger level to its own story, but it remains a highly entertaining and light-hearted piece that Marvel has been missing from its mosaic – that of the boy within the superhero, a boy who, in addition to the bad guys, has to deal primarily with himself and his teenage problems. One of those comics films that is not so visually imaginative, but definitely the most thoughtful, which benefits a lot from the characterful and unconventionally human villain performed by Michael Keaton. Nowhere near as rushed and forced towards the impending massive team-up as I feared.
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Marvel is going a little differently again. Spider-Man draws heavily on teen and high school comedies from the 1980s, and it's in the moments when the lovable Tom Holland tackles the problems of an ordinary teenager that the film is most entertaining. Spider-Man lags a bit in the action, which is unfortunately especially evident in the finale, but it's still a solid above average film. Plus, it can lean on the excellent Michael Keaton, whose villain is more interesting than he first appears. The two actors' scenes together are the strongest moments of the entire film. It's all the more disappointing that Jon Watts overstays his welcome unnecessarily and that he's a little short on the visual effects scenes. Still, it's a very fine Marvel film that tries to embrace the comic book genre a little differently than the previous ones. And I kind of like it that way.
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From the sympathetic protagonist to one of Marvel's finest protagonists to Giacchino's music, almost ubiquitous but unobtrusive humor and one very mildly unexpected twist... Everything is done right here. I'm not gonna blame Spider-Man for targeting a younger audience when Peter Parker is a teen this time. On the contrary, it is an advantage, because from his age stems the great desire of a boy to be big, to belong somewhere and to be useful, which drives it all forward. The latest addition to this comic book family is, in short, a lively spectacle that does not hold things back with things we've already seen (Spider-Man's origin and so on), but tells something new nicely, clearly and with ease.
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Homecoming is a movie version of Iron Man's remote-controlled suit (which also shows up here). On the outside, it works flawlessly and gives you everything that you expect from it (even though it is mostly just a goof; the film goes by rather quickly), but on the inside it is empty and lacks distinctiveness. Except for the scenes with Michael Keaton, whose cartoonish Walter White entertained me far more than Spider-Man’s dilemma of how to ensure world peace while hooking up with a sexy schoolmate. Vulture deserves a solo turn in which his skilfully constructed story will not be hindered by the (mandatory) references to 1980s pop culture or a teenager struggling with his hormones. I was surprised by how conservative the film seems despite its targeting of younger viewers (roughly the same age as the YouTubers whom Peter’s opening video diary addresses) who might have a rebellious streak in them. Homecoming is a veritable anti-Deadpool. The characterisation of Aunt May begins and ends with the acronym “MILF” and the other more prominent female character is here only so that Spider-Man has someone to save. Of the two people’s heroes, only the actions of the one who acts with the blessing of a huge corporation (and with the help of its super-modern drone-like technologies) are correct, though he strenuously tries to convince himself and those around him that he doesn’t need Stark to have his back, which is underscored by two impassioned scenes of last-minute epiphanies. The only touch of anarchy, which the film unfortunately does not take into account at all, is Spider-Man's reckless destruction of other people’s property (and the likely killing of dozens of civilians in the climax), which repeatedly results from his efforts to do heroic deeds. It is also for this reason that the pathos-free civilian level works much better, the dialogue scenes reminding us that Peter is, at heart, just an ordinary kid off the street who knows where to get the best sandwiches in Queens, but he cannot help you resolve serious moral dilemmas. If the filmmakers had not forced him to be responsible and had not attempted to make his action fit within the template of superhero epics, the new Spider-Man could have been much more compelling. Pro tip: take a sheet of paper containing the names of your favourite characters from the series to the cinema and mark down every time Atlanta’s Earnest Marks, Broad City’s Lincoln Rice, Silicon Valley’s Bertram Gilfoyle or Better Call Saul’s Nacho Varga pops up on the screen. 70%
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At last Spider man filmed right! Coming into the Marvel fold brought the desired emphasis on story and the endeavor not to repeat needless fatefulness paid off. Young Parker is a really nice guy and loser, which were the main ingredients that past adaptations were unable to put across with any success. Maguire was a jerk from the outset and Garfield was unnecessarily sullen. Under Stark’s command, it all colors out nicely and his dialogs with the suit lightens everything up a little. Keaton as Toomes is one of Marvel’s best bad guys. On a classic, but dynamic story level, Homecoming gives us an original twist on Parker’s bad luck. The action scenes are handled excellently. The comedy scenes are even better. The scenes with the tubby friend are super. Giacchino’s music outstrips any preceding spider composers with playful melodies and even some variations of old TV themes. P.S: Birdman is back!
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