Spider-Man: Homecoming

So, literally just got back from the theater (Just two more days, @Chronicler) , and I wanted to give my two cents on the film.
Spoilers Abound

First, the story. It was pretty good, and was a great superhero movie, along with being a great high school movie in general. I was really able to relate to a lot of the characters, being a year younger than Peter myself. It seemed a little clicheā€™ in portions to me, but it wasnā€™t bad. Two standout scenes for me was the Rescue at the Washington Monument and the Boss Battle with Vulture. The Washington Monument scene was really great, but the Boss Battle was my favorite, just for some of the underlying elements; Peter ultimately turned into a better hero than Tony when he didnā€™t just let Toomes die, whereas Tony actually killed his enemy in his first outing. So, ultimately Peter did fulfill Tonyā€™s wishes for himself.
Second, the acting. Wow, was the cast absolutely superb. Not much can be said that hasnā€™t been said already, but Tom Holland and Michael Keaton were absolutely amazing. (excuse the pun) I am now adopting Hollandā€™s Peter as my personal avatar, because seriously, that dude is me right now. And dat rubble scene, doe. Keaton was really one of the best Marvel villains weā€™ve had on the big screen, and might just be my favorite next to Zemo. The scene in the car kind of terrified me a bit. The supporting cast was all great as well, the standouts being Favreauā€™s Happy, Zendayaā€™s Michelle/MJ and Jacob Bataltonā€™s Ned, who all killed it.
And the action was all awesome, no new news there.
There are some cons I had; first, this felt like one of the more, while not as bad, language killed Marvel movies weā€™ve had in a while. And, there were a few off-color jokes sprinkled in, most notably Nedā€™s alibi as to why he was using the computer. Blech. Secondly, story wise Iā€™d say Peterā€™s suit felt a bit like a scaled-down Iron Man suit, which makes sense, but they could have been a bit more original. I would have liked if they used the other lackeys a bit more, like both Shockers and Scorpion, but it makes sense why they didnā€™t. Thatā€™s about all the cons I have.
One, and the end credits scenes. The first one was standard fare (SINISTER SIX!!!) but that second one, dang you Marvel, why do you have to have us trained so well.

Seriously, go see it. It is Amazing, Spectacular, and Superior to all previous Spider-Man movies. I loved it.

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Totally agree. They all deserve Oscars, in my not-so-humble-or-realistic opinion. Especially Tom Holland. I think itā€™s really amazing how effortlessly he has stepped into this role. Heā€™s the Spider-Man I never (and always) knew I wanted.

[quote=ā€œJediTimeLord824, post:223, topic:21696ā€]

And dat rubble scene, doe. Keaton was really one of the best Marvel villains weā€™ve had on the big screen, and might just be my favorite next to Zemo. The scene in the car kind of terrified me a bit.

I read an article recently that praised the rubble scene, and Iā€™ve heard a lot of people say how much they love it. IMO, itā€™s the best scene in the movie, followed closely by the entire segment after the revelation that Toomes is Lizā€™s father. The emotional weight of seeing Peterā€™s two halvesā€“the vulnerable teenager and the budding superheroā€“was really evident. Plus, the fact that it was Kevin Feigeā€™s nod to the similar, standout moment in the Spider-Man comics is just icing on the cake.

[spoiler] I agree about the language bit. I know teenagers use bad language a lot, especially these days, but Spider-Man is a kidā€™s hero, and a lot of parents take their kids to see these movies, so using some of the language they did could be a turn-off. I have heard a lot of stories of parents having to explainā€“or, rather, deflectā€“the meaning of Nedā€™s alibi to their children, which sounds awkward and irritating, for sure.

As for the suit, I see where youā€™re coming from, but it makes sense to me because this suit was always intended to have been designed by Stark, who is notorious for going overboard on his gadgets (as the mlive wittily pointed out). I also really liked the interaction between Peter and K.A.R.E.N., particularly the joke about his being only 98% successful in stabilizing the ferry. [/spoiler]

I really love the second scene, oddly enough, as I was caught between laughing out loud and seething while I watched it. Itā€™s got the same witty humor as Deadpoolā€™s post-credit scene (though itā€™s not a parody of another film). I also love how they extended the Captain America PSA bitā€“it was the perfect comedic note to hit upon.

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Originally, I was bit worried about the high school setting and was thinking I was gonna cringe at all of Peterā€™s teenage issues, but they made it work and just make it something fun and anything that wouldā€™ve been cringey elsewhere, I laughed at here instead.

@Toa_Heatwave Yes! That second after credits scene was the best one in any MCU film thus far.

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Well, I finally watched the movie. First, with the spoilers:

That twist with the Vulture being Lizā€™s dad definitely shocked me. The whole scene with Peter in the car made me feel as uncomfortable as he was. I also like how Vulture managed to figure out Spider-Manā€™s identity. Then there was that last after credits scene! I was mad at first when I was trolled, but couldnā€™t stop laughing afterword.

[spoiler]Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man to date, really getting the character of Peter Parker right. He was young yet had to figure out when to not fall to peer pressure. He also quipped just enough, but didnā€™t do it obnoxiously. I really loved that scene where he was in the rubble, and saw half of his face behind the mask. It felt like a scene from the comics. Actually, the rubble thing was an adaption of The Amazing Spider-Man #33, which I appreciated. Oh, and those notes were great! Nice to see those coming back since he did those in the comics.

Peter Parker pulling Toomes out of the fire at the end really sold the performance after the rubble scene. The rest of the film was great and he consistently did an excellent job. However, I felt we really saw Spider-Man after he rescued Toomes from the fire. This was especially apparent when he rejected the shiny suit and decided against being an Avenger. I saw the humbleness of Peter Parker, and it definitely benefitted the character.[/spoiler]

The rest of the characters were nice. Ned was a good friend character who was funny and lovable, Liz was a fine love interest. Flash, despite his changes, portrayed a more modern bully (one that I had to deal with in high school). I was not a fan of Michelle, however. Zendaya had a nice performance, but I just donā€™t like the character she had to portray. One thing Iā€™m really happy about was, while having multiple villains, the Shockers and Tinkerer were just henchmen, which I appreciated.

The plot was nice and tight, and really felt like it was out of a comic book. The character struggles, the way Peter had to get places, the situations, and just the way everyone interacted. It was a blast, and I had a good time. Overall, I think itā€™s appropriate to say one final thing:

#Welcome home, Spider-Man.

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I really want to see this movie

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Same bro. I loved the other Spider-Man movies and hopefully this will be good when ever I get to watch it.

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Saw this movie yesterday, was not disappointed! Time for my thoughts!

[spoiler]The very beginning of this movie sets everything up nicely. We are immediately introduced to our villain, Adrian Toomes, and his motivation within the first ten minutes.
I have to say, itā€™s great to get a villain with this relatable an end goal, and the actual execution was a perfect and natural circumstance I could totally believe would happen after an alien invasion that destroys half a city. Seriously, it gives us insight into what goes on after all these battles are done and how it affects every day people. Genius.

Immediately after, weā€™re treated to a fan film by Peter Parker throughout his trip to Germany during Civil War. I thoroughly enjoyed these scenes as it really drives home that ā€œoutside looking inā€ feeling a fledgling super hero like Peter would feel. After all is said and done the film beautifully returns to a normal camera view right to the end of the action, and Peterā€™s motivations are immediately laid before us. Tony Stark says heā€™ll give Peter a call when heā€™s needed again, and of course, months later heā€™s still reporting to Happy Hogan after saving people from Grand Theft Bicycle and locking themselves out of their own cars (excellent Stan Lee cameo here). I loved that we arenā€™t instantly treated to Spider-Man, and for a good chunk of time we follow Peter through his school day. Heā€™s constantly waiting for the bell to ring, like the audience is waiting for Spider-Man, and it really makes him relatable, and they finally nailed how high school actually is.

Peterā€™s first moments as Spider-Man in this film made me giddy with excitement, I nearly fell out of my seat when he first started moving on screen. Seriously, the movement of Spider-Man is spot on in this film, and although itā€™s not anything we havenā€™t seen before, having it in a movie thatā€™s actually good at what itā€™s trying to do is special.

The character development is so great in this film, particularly with Spider-Man, however not so with some other characters. Tony Starkā€™s turn around in support of Peter towards the end of the movie is pretty jarring, and although it was warranted considering all that Peter did by himself, it felt like too quick a judgement on the part of this more cautious Stark. I will say I was glad Iron Man did not overstay his welcome, he was very seldom seen in this film, and when he was it was needed for progression. I did really like his lines though (ā€œHeyyy, Spider-Manā€¦ā€).

I feel like Iā€™m ramblingā€¦

Let me wrap this up, web pun intended.

  • Loved the inclusion of Karen as a humor element, very funny.
  • I feel the love interest of Liz Allen wasnā€™t contrived, but it didnā€™t feel as important as Mary Jane or Gwen in the earlier films, but perhaps that was because she was basically thrown away at the end.
  • Iā€™m excited to see a Spider-Man that knows how to use his suit.
  • Peter hides his old Spider-stuff underneath a row of lockers only he can lift. Thatā€™s fantastic!
  • The Vulture is terrifying and relatable, such a great villain and a great version of him!
  • The inclusion of the Shocker and the Tinkerer was so natural, having them be a part of Vultureā€™s gang! I didnā€™t even know the one guy was the Tinkerer, but it was great that he was named so in the credits! I also instantly knew the Mac Gargan reference was a set up for the future, loved that!
  • The action scenes in this movie actually hold weight and value. Very very little of that lame bathos they always use in Marvel movies, even when itā€™s so easy to do with Spider-Man.
  • This story just flows. Every scene is a natural progression of the last, excellent writing.
  • Spider-Man without buildings? Totally shown. Poor kid has to run! Web line too long? He faceplants into a roof. So many Spidey questions answered.
  • Cheeky super hero intimidation joke, using the altered deep voice and everything then totally making fun of it twice.
  • Spidey is fifteen and he drives a car at one point. Kid hasnā€™t learned to drive, such a great moment! Though why does he need the car? He can web swingā€¦
  • Vulture reveal was spectacular. 'Nuff said.
  • MJ reveal was a surprise for me, but I donā€™t care because I see it as more of a reference than a ā€œTHIS IS MARY JANE, GUYS!ā€ moment. Sheā€™s her own character who may or may not fill that role. There are plenty of other girlfriend characters for Spidey to chase after.
  • Iron Spider was a yes.
  • Spider-Man lifting rubble scene. Everyone loves this from the comics (he even had the water dripping down), and it was perfect here. I could feel the helplessness Peter felt, and it was so powerful, as was the half and half face bit. Spider-Manā€™s just a kid, he gets scared, but his moral strength and perseverance make him more of a man than anyone else.

Is it better than the original trilogy? I honestly couldnā€™t say. Trying to compare the two is a losing battle. Spider-Man from 2001 is a classic, no doubt, but it hasnā€™t aged too well. Spider-Man: Homecoming is an all around fantastic movie, but it felt too much to me like just another Marvel movie than a Spider-Man story.

Itā€™s still a great Spider-Man story, but it still feels too rooted in the MCU to be compared to the stand-alone Raimi films. Theyā€™re both great at what they do and what they are, I think they serve two different purposes and canā€™t really be compared in that sense.

That said, Tom Holland is still my definitive Spider-Man.
[/spoiler]

Yea, that was long. Like everyone else said, go watch this, you wonā€™t regret it!

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This seems to be not as bad as I thought it would be, should I go see it?

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Yes. You really should!

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Itā€™s absolutely fantastic.

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Hopefully going to see it next week.

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Itā€™s really amazing, so yes, go see it.

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But why thoughā€¦

Well I like the movie as a whole, like how Spider-Man named his A.I. Karen named after Planktonā€™s Computer Wife from SpongeBob is a no brain.

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I didnā€™t pick up on that until my mom pointed it out. XD

I honestly felt that the humor was great and to those complaining about the language: itā€™s Queens NYC. What made you think itā€™s going to be any different? Also when Ned says heā€™s looking at porn, I felt that that was more of a play on how high schools honestly think that students with iPhones are going to be using the public, out in the open computers to be looking at adult content. They overreact, and Ned is just playing into their suspicions so they ask as few questions as possible.

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Did you like The Vulture?

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I saw this movie today and while Tom Holland did an excellent performance as Spider-Man, I was really impressed with Keatonā€™s The Vulture. He has become one of my favorite MCU villains because his family-based motivation was something very different and refreshing. And the way it came together near the climax, when he was revealed to be Lizā€™s father, was completely surprising and brilliant.

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I thought it was a great movie.

But darn that 2nd after credits scene >:(

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Sometimes waiting is very disappointing.

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