Spider-Man Homecoming Review

[immortalfrieza]

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*

I've decided to do my first review on this site, hope this works.

The movie was fine, I'd give it a 3 out of 5, decent, but bogged down by in this case a really big issue that kept it from being exceptional. Vulture was great and the movie had some funny moments (we salute you Troll Captain America!) but what really dragged down a movie that would have otherwise been excellent is how Spider-Man was portrayed as a totally incompetent screw up, and most of it was either for the sake of cheap slapstick or so the bad guy could get away. I get that this Spider-Man is a relative newbie and has no experience fighting any superpowered threats besides the "fight" with Team Cap in Civil War, but this movie really REALLY went overboard with that. Spider-Man not only failed utterly to beat just ordinary thugs with some fancy sci-fi weapons but he also only made things much worse in his attempts to save the day. Even when he does eventually stop the Vulture he can't manage to do it without destroying Stark's fancy plane and a carnival in the process. He also has this really stupid tendency to just stand/hang there and quip at the bad guys while they ready their weapons instead of just taking them down before they even know he's there. Homecoming's Spider-Man doesn't seem like an inexperienced superhero, he looks like a guy who got his powers 5 minutes ago and had just decided to go fight the first crime they saw in each fight.

The whole thing is inexcusable and only put there by the writers for the sake of some cheap slapstick and so their plot can work, not for the sake of good writing.

 

[terreythompson]

Hey Buddy,

I saw the movie too and it seems that we have the same observations to it (mostly) and I agree with what you've said. It's a kind of a kiddie movie for me.

 

[jademunky]

I would give it a 4 out of 5 at least. Seriously, I've re-watched the original trilogy recently and it does NOT hold up as well as we all remember it. Seriously, Green Goblin's plastic mask and Doc-Ock being mind-controlled by his own tentacles are pretty annoying on rewatch. There is just so much in Homecoming that works for me:

1) Ned: The true friend that comic spidey never had. Well, comic spidey actually has lots of friends, but they are all either: other superheroes, considerably older than him, or are former girlfriends. Harry Osbourne always sucked.

2) Spidey somehow internalized the lessons of previous incarnations of himself. Remember that scene in the Civil War I comics where he unmasks himself? Remember what a continuity clusterfuck THAT resulted in? Well this time

Spoiler

Peter rejects Tony's offer, and refuses to formally join the avengers. This is actually clever on multiple levels since, throughout most of Marvel's history, Spidey has always been only sort-of an avenger.

3) The dynamic between Peter and MJ is flipped from what it was in the Raimi films. Where back then, Peter always had a thing for MJ while she seemed mostly oblivious, SHE seems to be the one obsessing over him while he crushes on Liz. I may be reading a bit too much into a handful of lines but I'm interested in where they go with this.

4) That scene where the upside-down-spider-kiss almost happens, then (thankfully) doesn't.

5) Spidey is repeatedly outmatched by enemies he should really be able to take down quite easily just because, as the film realizes, he is still a 15-year-old.

6) It does not devote any time to retelling his origin story, The Man of Steel could have benefited so much from learning this lesson: Do not assume your audience is stupid and unfamiliar with the basic source material.