(PHOTO PROVIDED VIA GOOGLE)
***WARNING: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS...SORRY***
STARRING:
Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes/Vulture
Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Marisa Tomei as May Parker
Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Zendaya as Michelle
Donald Glover as Aaron Davis
Jacob Batalon as Ned
Laura Harrier as Liz
Tony Revolori as Flash
Bokeem Woodbine as Herman Scheltz/Shocker #2
Where do you start when writing about the homecoming of a character. Spider-Man has been a success movie property with Sony since 2002. This was before Marvel took control of their characters when it came to movie making and had stretched out characters to separate studios. The Spider-verse with Sony, X-Men, Daredevil and the Fantastic Four with Fox and the Hulk with universal. Iron Man was a huge long shot when Marvel decided they wanted to control their properties in the movies. But we all know the history of that story. Marvel first negotiated getting control of the Hulk back. Daredevil and The Punisher finally made their way back home and each have their own Netflix series. Then out of left field, Sony and Marvel came to an agreement and Spider-Man made it into Captain America Civil War. Peter Parker's first solo film back with Marvel couldn't be called anything other than Homecoming.
Not to take away from Tobey Maguire (I'm not even going to talk about Andrew Garfield), but Tom Holland was born to be Spider-Man. Tobey was entertaining to watch as Peter Parker, but I even think he would watch Homecoming and say, "Damn, now that's Spider-Man." The problem with the original trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man series was that they aged Peter too quickly. We met the MCU version of the character in Civil War at the age of 14 and then we see him again at the age of 15 in Homecoming. Mavel has a huge advantage which I believe they understand. Don't rush Peter into growing up. Let him be a high school student for a while. Tom Holland being Spider-Man can last a long time and if Marvel plays it right, this could be what leads the MCU for the next 10-15 years if not longer.
Michael Keaton is simply the man. He keeps telling people how he is still the definitive Batman and he owned it as the Vulture. I loved how the character was written. I actually felt for Adrian Toomes. His ultimate motivation was his family. He did what he did and became what he became as a way to protect and provide for his family. It was amazing.
Aunt May never looked so good. Marisa Tomei was a surprise when I found out she was cast as Aunt May for Civil War. I felt she was too young and too beautiful. But her chemistry with Tony Stark and how he acted around her made for a very different perspective. Marisa Tomei as May worked for me. Her love for Peter was evident and it worked. I also liked how she reacted to seeing Peter in the Spider-Man costume. Classic. I can't wait to see how that plays out.
"My friends call me MJ." The line that shocked the internet. I'm not worried though, I don't think Michelle is Mary Jane. In fact Kevin Feige said that she isn't Mary Jane. Again, remember Peter is only 15 years old. There is plenty of time for both Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane to come into Peter's life. I'm not worried.
Ned is the best friend Peter could have. His character was funny and entertaining. I do long to see Harry Osborn come into the picture. Liz was a nice touch for Peter. She was someone for him to work towards and to get that first day, was a great personal victory for him. Too bad who her daddy ended up being. Flash was a disappointment. He was the only part of the film I did not like. Flash Thompson is supposed to be a bad ass jock that other students fear. This version of Flash was not that.
Finally, let's talk about Tony, Happy and Pepper. They were all great choices to help bridge Spider-Man into the MCU. The mentorship from Tony and Happy to Peter was fun to watch because Peter taught them both a little bit about themselves at the same time. It's always fun having Robert Downey's Tony Stark on screen. He's the central character to the entire MCU. Seeing Pepper Potts back on screen was great too. We have gone too long without her presence in the MCU.
The suit was the best suit on screen in my opinion. From the AI to all the special features. It added a new element to Peter Parker. I especially loved watching him figure out all the additionally features after he and Ned turned off the "training wheels." And for those who hate that Peter doesn't have his spidey senses, get over it. Again, the character is 15 in the movie. He can develop the ability later on.
As you can tell I loved this movie. I give the film 5 out of 5 stars. Welcome home Spider-Man. I can't wait for Infinity War to see how everything moves forward. Oh and for those who haven't been able to see the MCU version of the Iron Spider suit, skip ahead to the end of the post.
