Spiderman Homecoming: The One We’ve All Been Waiting For
This is it. The movie we have been waiting for. He’s swung from Sony back to Marvel Studios this week and I can say he got a very warm welcome home.
The film is brilliant in every aspect. The casting, effects, music, scenery, story, and characterization were all on point. The surprises shocked me, the humor split my sides, and the fights had me on the edge of my seat. Everything was working together in perfect synchronicity to make a movie that re-defines a summer blockbuster.
Our Spidey this time around, thanks to actor Tom Holland, was witty, sarcastic, a touch naive, and ultimately a hero you want to route for. He makes a few mistakes in the film, but he is still learning so its easy to forgive him. He learns as the film progresses what he is made of, the importance of balancing his two lives, and what exactly he is asking for in his quest to become an Avenger. His portrayal of Spiderman is everything we always imagined he could be and more.
Of course, our great hero would be nothing without a great adversary. Michael Keaton proves his amazing skills in his performance as the Vulture. Vulture is normally pasted over in favor of the more colorful members of the legendary Sinister Six, but in this film Keaton was able to make us see that the Vulture is not a man to be messed with. He is a man pushed to the brink by what he sees as an unfair system and the drive to provide for those he loves. His views are not totally inaccurate either, making him more compelling. Ultimately, he is intelligent and quite classy in a way that makes you respect him as well as fear him. Laura Harrier was a great love interest for our budding hero as Liz Allen. Instead of being derisive of Peter (as many love interests are in teenage super hero stories), she actually sees his great qualities and is only dismissive when she feels that Peter has let her down too many times to be forgiven. In the end, her dismissal of him may actually prove for the best. The cast as a whole does a lovely job of telling the story while keeping us entertained with wit, humor, and heart. Those are the hallmarks of a great performance by a company.
The story is fast paced, funny, heartwarming and full of life. It is the perfect summer blockbuster in terms of action, but it also takes a deeper look at what makes a hero, as many of these stories do. The way they answer that ancient question is a testament to the character Spiderman: a hero is someone who looks out for his people as best he can. As long as he realizes and truly knows his inner strength, he needs nothing more.
The cinematography, as you can imagine, is quite demanding and difficult for a film like this. Marvel did not disappoint, though. The flips, fights, humor, and even the small moments were captured in a way that highlighted the purpose of the scene or just brought out the intensity and insanity of the action. The music also helped create the mood of any scene, from hilarious to morose, elegantly and beautifully. Every decision, from the stunts to the music to the setting, aided in painting the picture, leaving a masterpiece on the screen.
This film is a lovely homage to the character that is one of the most beloved in this universe. It is also a perfect welcome home for a character who has finally been done justice on the Silver Screen. Hopefully, he will swing back soon, because I am excited to see what happens to him next.
