{"id":58246,"date":"2017-06-29T23:36:39","date_gmt":"2017-06-30T06:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cookiesandclogs.com\/?p=58246"},"modified":"2017-10-09T13:02:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T20:02:41","slug":"spider-man-homecoming-movie-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cookiesandclogs.com\/spider-man-homecoming-movie-review\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Really Wanted to Know About Spider-Man: Homecoming Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

This past Saturday I was able to see a pre-screening<\/a> of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Then, last night, I was able to see it again but this time with friends. My verdict remains the same \u2014 Spider-Man: Homecoming is a ton of fun to watch! It\u2019s light-hearted with a solid storyline and families will want to see it again and again. This is the witty and quirky \u201cfriendly neighborhood Spider-Man\u201d from the comics that we\u2019ve been waiting for. My inner fangirl was jumping for joy!<\/p>\n

Spider-Man: Homecoming Movie Review<\/h3>\n

Filmmakers decided not to make this an origin story and that was a great decision. They did make reference to how he got his powers but didn\u2019t draw it out. Most people already know about he got bitten by a spider and about how his uncle died. Instead, you see the struggles of Peter Parker being an awkward but brainy 15-year-old with super strength, agility, and able to climb walls. He wants to do more but is young and often makes faulty decisions. He\u2019s also a good kid who wants to do right by his aunt, his friend, his mentor, and everyone else in his neighborhood. And, even though I knew the plot for most of the movie already, there were some major surprises. Spider-Man: Homecoming will keep your toes! FYI, you’ll want to stay until the VERY end of the credits for a second stinger clip.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s minimal swearing, no innuendo, and the fight scenes are not gory or exaggerated. In fact, Peter seems very much in touch with the fact that he\u2019s dealing with real people and that there are consequences to his actions. Children ages 8 and up who like superhero movies will probably be fine. But, the film is rated PG-13 so parents should use their own discretion.<\/p>\n

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At times, though, I felt like the timing was slightly off. There were moments in which the excitement and suspense would ramp up nicely, but then it never came to a climax. That meant some scenes fell kind flat in what should have been pivotal parts of the plot. Though most characters were well-developed, a few sections felt rushed or forced. When certain characters acted or thought the way they did, a couple times I wondered, \u201cWhere did that come from?\u201d I\u2019m guessing that a few things were cut due to time constraints. Maybe we\u2019ll see those connecting bits when watching \u201cdeleted scenes\u201d in the future Blu-ray or digital release.<\/p>\n

Spider-Man: Homecoming \u2014 Cast of Characters<\/h3>\n

Spider-Man: Homecoming features a significantly younger cast than in previous versions. This works really well. The actors do a fantastic job of portraying awkward teens coping with the trials of high school life. It\u2019s not that melodramatic, everyone is against you, angsty and scary environment. Nor is it a sugar-infused and musically-inclined one either. It\u2019s your normal, going to school for five to seven periods a day kind of life with teachers, quizzes, secret handshakes, embarrassing hall passes, crushes, etc. Their interaction is realistic and many kids are portrayed as weird, clumsy, and nerdy. But, they\u2019re okay with that. The film encourages young people to embrace their uniqueness and be comfortable in their own skin.<\/p>\n

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I enjoyed the makeshift family dynamic between Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), and Happy (Jon Favreau). You can really feel the close bond he shares with each of these and these relationships keep him grounded. He also has that one best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), who makes high school bearable. The way Peter and Ned play off each is hilarious!<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s the character of Michelle (Zendaya). Her role and comments seemed so random to me. But, according to my daughter and her teen friend, they totally got her humor and snarkiness. The film does leave room for her to grow in future films so we\u2019ll see what happens then. What do I mean? Well, let\u2019s just say that you need to listen very carefully to the nickname she refers to later on…<\/p>\n

The main villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming is Vulture (Michael Keaton) and he\u2019s pretty complex. Instead of being a purely evil person intent on doing bad things, he\u2019s a multi-layered, blue-collar, working-class kind of guy. He values loyalty and family and, when someone does something good to him, he makes sure to return the favor. Sadly, he had some not so nice things happen and reacted out of desperation. That makes the fight against him even harder to come to grips with.<\/p>\n

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Spider-Man Homecoming \u2014 Other Reactions<\/h3>\n

During last night\u2019s screening, I was able to bring a few people with me. I was so glad we invited the people we did because their reactions during the movie were awesome. I had almost as much fun watching them as I did while watching the movie! Here\u2019s what they thought of the film. By the way, I was surprised by how well one of our friends expressed his views. Frans and I agree that he needs to quit his job and become a movie reviewer. \ud83d\ude1b<\/p>\n

Friend 1: I really liked it. It was definitely the best Spider-Man movie. Even though you had a little bit of a normal teenage movie, it did take it to the next level in terms of some of the decisions that he made.<\/p>\n

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Teen 1: I thought it was cool that the Spider-Man was actually my age. It was pretty realistic. People actually do act like that in high school.<\/p>\n

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Frans: I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s the best movie ever but it feels like, \u201cYes! Finally! A good Marvel movie again!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Munchkin: I think the Spider-Man movie is a movie you have to see again.<\/p>\n

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Friend 2: I think this is one of the best Marvel movies. I think it was spontaneous and didn\u2019t have to retell the origin story from the beginning. It was smart alecky, it was corny when it needed to be, it was fast-paced, and it just kept moving. The attitude of the movie was kind of like the personality that I would see in the comic books of Spider-Man. It was that wittiness, being clever, awkward, him trying to fix his mistakes, and stressful situations where he has to think and try to solve what he made in the first place. Him trying to think of ways to defeat the situation, I thought it was pretty cool. It\u2019s a good setup for the next one. You can\u2019t have everything in the first one. There\u2019s got to be a nice setup and I really like the thought of a teenage Spider-Man. I think it was more realistic than the other ones.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you like comic references and Easter Eggs, there are plenty in Spider-Man: Homecoming. You\u2019ll hear a lot of name dropping and hints of signature actions, gadgets, codenames, and family ties. There are several nods to other Marvel movies and it all blends in seamlessly with Peter Parker\u2019s world. I don\u2019t want to spoil things for you but, when you pick these things out, you will be \u201cgeeking out\u201d like my daughter did after seeing the film. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n

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Spider-Man Homecoming \u2014 What Families Should Know<\/h3>\n

Overall, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a refreshing addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It offers a completely different tone than other MCU movies that\u2019s young, fresh, and easy to relate to. Given, it\u2019s not a perfect movie. But, both long-time comic fans and casual viewers alike will leave the theater satisfied, with a smile, and anxiously asking when the next Spider-Man film will come out.<\/p>\n

Check out my other Spidey coverage here:<\/p>\n