"Peter, You're Young. You don't know how the World Works." Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming

3/5

Directed by: Jon Watts

Rated: PG-13

           The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is here, and with it comes a familiar face, but a whole new adventure. Spider-Man: Homecoming is the coming of age story about a boy, Peter Parker. He's a nobody at his high-school. The girls ignore him, the bullies don't even think he's worth their time, and he is a big science geek. Aside from all this, Peter is running around the suburbs of New York, as the one and only Spider-Man. He's not a noteworthy hero, though, like his mentor Iron Man, as Peter mainly stops small crimes, and casually helps out the people of New York. Seems like Peter has little to do and worry about, until one fateful day, when trouble ruptures the city. Brave Peter steps in to help out and save the day, but he might be too far out of his league on this one. Can this kid man up in time to save Manhattan from a new threat, or will Peter's attempts at herodom have him fall flat on his face?

          Spider-Man: Homecoming's story is complemented by its fascinating characters. Tom Holland gives a spectacular performance as the Marvel character, Spider-Man, and also offers a heartfelt and vulnerably human portrayal of Peter Parker. The screenplay does a good job letting viewers in on the growing pains of his life and the gradual changes of his mindset. It makes audiences want to root for him, see him develop as a character, and hope everything turns out well for him in the end. Additionally, Michael Keaton gives a gritty and terrifying performance, as this movie's main antagonist, Adrian Toomes. His onscreen presence screams danger, and yet Adrian remains composed. Because of the pure antithesis between these two characters, they play incredibly well off of each other, and it's thrilling when the two of them are together onscreen. Aside from these two, there are plenty of high-school characters in this movie. Accompanying Peter Parker is his one good buddy Ned, played by Jacob Batalon. For how uncool Peter is, Ned makes him look cooler than a frozen Captain America. Some viewers may find Ned is a hilarious addition to this movie, while others may see him as unnecessary and overbearing. As is the case with the majority of the jokes in this movie, the audience's amusement depends on their sense of humor and expectations.

          What separates Spider-Man: Homecoming from other Marvel movies is the age of its main characters. The movie primarily takes place within Peter Parker's high-school, and centers around the characters and relationships he creates there. The school in the movie gives an accurate impression of a modern high-school, and can give people who have been through senior high a sense nostalgia or dread. The scenes within the high-school are mostly comprised of inside jokes, which high-school students should supposedly understand. Along with this primary location, the age range of the main characters lowers this movie's maturity level. Aside from featuring few low brow jokes and vulgar insults, Spider-Man: Homecoming's immature nature detracts from this movie's potential impact. This movie does not offer a great amount of substance or depth. Even the movie's action scenes have been toned down to accommodate for Peter's teenage years. He is not an adult, so he will not deal with any adult themes, suffer from any unchangeable consequences, or perform many heroic feats.

           Beyond all of this, there is a big problem audiences may have with Spider-Man: Homecoming and also future installments in the MCU. This cinematic universe has become akin to a TV series, instead of a film franchise. It is nearly impossible for a new entry in the MCU to be a stand alone film. Each next movie in the MCU not only requires that audience members watch the previous movie, but are also aware of the lore around characters and events in the MCU. To fully appreciate and understand Spider-Man: Homecoming audience members will have to see Iron Man (2008), The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Captain America Civil War (2016). There's a lot of enjoyment to be had watching Spider-Man: Homecoming, but not without first doing the required homework.

Verdict: Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fun movie, if a bit immature, with two great lead performances, and it gives audience members in on its jokes and lore a sense of satisfaction.