Review- Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man Homecoming is the third SpiderMan reboot in ten years but it also manages to be one that is genuinely entertaining and doesn't depend on absurdly massive stakes in both the world and in supporting a cinematic universe. The general story is that after the events of Civil War, Peter Parker is waiting to get the next mission from Tony Stark, to essentially become an Avenger. While he's waiting, he stops petty crimes, crushes on girls and attempts to keep his identity a secret. Eventually, Peter discovers The Vulture, a villain who is pawning off Alien technology and using it to commit heists. The plot is largely basic but has a few nice twists throughout. Most important though was the low key nature of the plot. If Spider-Man didn't save the day, the world wouldn't end. He might fail his Academic Decathalon or not get the girl but there is no big world ending CGI mess to fight against.

The cast in this film may be one of the single best ensembles for any film in years. As the titular hero, Tom Holland is obviously a huge part of the movie and after a great first impression in Civil War, he proves himself even further here. He is funny yet awkward as Spider-Man and is the nerdy, slightly uncomfortable character that Peter Parker is meant to be after Andrew Garfield's much too cool version. As the villain, we have Michael Keaton as The Vulture, giving one of the best villain performances in recent years. We understand exactly why he is how he is yet he still intimidates and terrifies on screen. One moment in particular near the end of the film between Keaton and Holland had me on the edge of my seat in a way that few films have done in a while. I'll just list the rest of the cast here, all of whom do a fantastic job: Robert Downey Jr., Marissa Tomei, Jon Favreu, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Chris Evans, newcomer Jacob Batalon as the actually amusing sidekick character, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Stan Lee, Hannibal Buress yet again adding his absurdist flair to a Summer blockbuster, Michael Mando, Martin Starr, Angourie Rice, Logan Marshall-Green and Jennifer Connelly. Even if there are names there you don't recognise, chances are you will know their faces and be impressed by their work here.

What is probably most impressive is the tone in the film. From the trailers, many people were predicting a John Hughes kind of vibe and while it isn't full on Breakfast Club, it is a film that treats Peter Parker as an actual teenager. It mixes the struggles of teenage life with the more joyous aspects of them, as well as throwing in some decent action. On that note, the action in the film is pretty good and I enjoyed every action scene, although it's nothing spectacular. What is great is the humour of the film. I laughed consistently, from start to finish and would find it odd if someone didn't do the same. There was one joke in particular which was highly inconsequential but due to the delivery of it made me laugh out loud very obnoxiously. I would have cared but I was laughing too much. It's not all laughs (will any film be as funny as Lego Batman this year?) as there are a couple of really resonant emotional moments peppered throughout. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, there are some cracking bits of tension in here too. With that many tones, the film should be a mess yet this incredible balancing act works. All of the tones have their moment and come together to create a film that quite simply works. Sometimes you don't need anything more than that.

If you had told me at the start of the year that I would love a new Spider-Man film more than I would love the sequel to my favourite superhero film, I probably would have laughed at you. Instead, I'm laughing along with the quips, the relatable teenage moments and then feeling that sweet excitement during the action. If Thor: Ragnarok is great, this may well go down as the best ever year for Superhero films, as I give Spider-Man: Homecoming a