Director Jon Watts
Genre Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
Cast Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr, Marisa Tomei
Rating PG-13
Release Date July 7th, 2017
“Following the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), Peter Parker attempts to balance his life in high school with his career as the web-slinging superhero Spider-Man.”
From relatively inexperienced director Jon Watts, who's only other feature-film credit is the direct to On-Demand drama thriller Cop Car starring Kevin Bacon, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a continuation of Captain America: Civil War, delving right into the world of Peter Parker. Tom Holland was offered the role of Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, previously held by Tobey Maguire, prior to Civil War where he made his first appearance as the full of personality crime fighter in the red spandex. The full cast for Spider-Man: Homecoming includes Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr, Marisa Tomei, and Jon Favreau.
Hilarious and heartfelt, Spider-Man: Homecoming is not only a fantastic superhero movie, it is a coming-of-age comedy drama that successfully expands the genre stereotype. I thoroughly enjoyed the film even considering my lofty expectations, and that is also considering the fact that I did not have a chance to see it in the IMAX due to odd showtimes (I still went to my favorite theater with powered recliners though, obviously). For me Spider-Man: Homecoming is a Marvel superhero film with more substance than many of the others generally have, and as a fan of coming-of-age films in general, I really enjoyed the added layers. The story unfolds seamlessly taking place immediately following the events of Captain America: Civil War which I thought was a really nice touch. The pacing is exceptional and I never felt like the film was dragging at all. The touches of humor are found everywhere throughout the film, capturing genuine laughs from the audience. The tone of the film remains light for the most part, stepping outside of that a few times during some of the more pivotal scenes. I really enjoyed how well the film illustrated the growth of Peter Parker from young adolescent to a mature teenager, seemingly coming to the realization that life may be a bit more complicated than he initially thought. All in all Spider-Man: Homecoming is extremely entertaining, visually pleasing, and well-rounded enough to cater to a larger audience than the majority of the Marvel films may appeal to.
I absolutely loved the casting choices for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Tom Holland is the best casting decision for a Marvel franchise since they snagged Chris Evans as Captain America. Holland is the perfect teenager crime fighter/superhero, with his ability to be funny, witty, full of personality, and dare I say impossible to not root for. Robert Downey Jr. does not disappoint, and his partner in crime sort of speak Jon Favreau is great as well. I was extremely pleased with the casting of the films villain, played by none other than Michael Keaton. I am still holding out hope that the 1996 comedy Multiplicity will hit Blu-ray one of these days, I swear I have seen that movie 30 times. I actually bought it for someone as a gift a few years back when I stumbled upon a DVD copy at a Marshalls of all places for $2.99; I am still kicking myself for not grabbing my own copy. Back to the here and now, Keaton is one hack of an actor and he brings a tremendous amount of versatility to his role. He is far from the generic villain type we have come to expect. Even with a relatively limited role, the ageless Marisa Tomei makes her presence known. You almost forget how many amazing films she has been in, until of course New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick quotes My Cousin Vinny, the 1992 classic that earned her an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The rest of the supporting cast was great.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a breakout role for young actor Tom Holland, and is yet another impressive addition to the Marvel movie library. Holland has single handedly reignited Spider-Man for the masses and I am personally looking forward to his involvement in the realm of superhero movies going forward. Whether you are a fan of superhero movies or not, Spider-Man: Homecoming really does offer something for everyone and comes highly recommended.
