In response to Spider-Man: Homecoming being released on DVD and Blu-Ray this week, my school showed the movie at our on-campus movie theater. I got to see it once when it first came out and honestly, I thought it was all right. I didn’t have any real expectations for the movie going into it; it was the, what, third version of a Spider-Man franchise in the last fifteen years? So, when I left the theater that night I thought it was good, but I didn’t think it was anything spectacular. Two or three months later, I am sitting in my school’s movie theater having the time of my life watching this movie. It isn’t uncommon to find a movie better the second time you watch it. Once you know everything that’s going to happen, you can focus on all the little details you might have missed before. That is where Spider-Man: Homecoming goes from good to great.
Homecoming follows fifteen-year-old Peter Parker as he tries his best to navigate both his everyday life and his new superhero life as the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War and being recruited by Tony Stark to fight alongside him and his team, Peter believes he is ready for the big leagues and become a part of the Avengers squad. Stark, on the other hand, doesn’t believe Peter’s quite fully cooked and tells him to stay on the ground and stick (no pun intended) to low-level crime fighting. Peter begrudgingly does as told, but when he gets caught up with a gang of thieves who have been stealing alien technology and selling it on the black market he cannot let it go. All the while, he still has school, friends, and a home life to keep in check as well.
Courtesy: My Republica
The movie’s plot is simple to follow, but has some unexpected and entertaining plot twists, giving this teenage superhero comedy some grit. The villain, played by Oscar-winner Michael Keaton, is a great first villain for Peter to face; he follows a sense of ethics he believes to be right and in a way, he and Peter are quite similar, making their face-off more dynamic than just a good guy versus a bad guy.
My favorite part of the film by far is the amount of detail put into the finished product. There is no doubt that director Jon Watts put all of his energy into making this movie more than just a superhero romp. There are several nods to previous teenage, coming of age classics such as The Breakfast Club and especially Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The entire film is essentially an homage to the eighties classic and follows brilliantly in its path as Peter goes from a cocky, naïve teen to someone who has a little perspective. Another great thing about Homecoming is how it stays wholly connected to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it isn’t thrown in your face. Yes, Robert Downey Jr. appears throughout the movie as the beloved Tony Stark and there are cameos from other previous MCU characters, but the real connection is in all the little details you may not catch until someone points them out to you.
In Peter’s school, there is a mural of scientists and Howard Stark, Tony’s dad, a man who helped change the course of WWII, and Bruce Banner are both showcased. In history class, they are learning about the Sokovia Accords, which were passed in a previous movie. Everything Tony Stark does in an attempt to mentor Peter is a nod back to how he was raised as a kid and how he is trying to do everything he can to make sure Peter does not follow in his footsteps or his father’s. It was these little things that I may not have noticed until Tumblr posts started pointing them out that really bring this film together. The filmmakers truly paid attention and thought about everything they put into this movie, you can tell, and it makes a difference.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a new coming of age film for this generation and it just so happens to be a Marvel superhero film. With great actors, a good story, and superb direction and execution, this movie is one that will make you laugh and tear up all in one sitting. Even if you are not a superhero movie fan, I highly recommend you check this movie out, because it’s much more than just a superhero movie.
Rating: A+