Spider-Man: Homecoming
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr, Angourie Rice Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Kerry Condon, Faith Logan (Rated M – 133 min).
Our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man swings back onto the screen with the third actor to play the title role across six films since 2002.
British millennial Tom Holland slips into the new improved red spandex as the crime fighting web slinger and his alternative incognito identity Peter Parker.
Introduced last year in Captain America: Civil War, this ‘Spidy’ is the teen persona he is supposed to be from the Marvel Comic universe, as much as I still quite enjoyed the portrayals from Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire before him. This time I certainly think the filmmakers got the balance right.
On a faux pas excuse to anyone who will listen, including his loving Aunt May, young Peter attempts to convince the masses that he is on a Tony Stark (Ironman) internship. However the reality is until he is called back into action to assist the Avengers, it’s nothing but helping little old ladies across the street or cocooning would-be thieves on stolen pushbikes. After a bungled ATM robbery, lives are almost lost and it’s time for Stark to recall the suit he manufactured for the young hero in training.
Things are getting serious behind the scenes for black market retailer Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) as he goes around the city collecting lost pieces of Avengers artillery which have been mutilated in battle, then reconstructing them into weapons for sale. Legendary Oscar winner Keaton is a good villain, just not sinister enough. Although his eyes gazing over towards the end of the film when confronting Peter on a car ride to the Prom is an icy moment.
Awkward teen humour may raise eyebrows for an older audience with the screenplay delivering generational jokes or high school situations that young adults will relate to. Australian rising star Angourie Rice (Jasper Jones) is always impressive and of course look fast for the obligatory Marvel comic creator Stan Lee cameo.
Soon to be seen in the Lion King live-action remake after appearing as Lando in the upcoming Star Wars spin off Han Solo film, man of the moment Donald Glover, who also made a solid impression in The Martian (2015), pops up here in a small-time-crook role although it seems we may see more of him if future instalments go ahead.
I love Tom Holland, he is the perfect choice and can only improve as the character becomes his own, much like Robert Downey Jr now basically is Ironman. It’s fantastic, action packed, an extremely funny incarnation of Spider-Man. But parents beware: certain aspects may frighten young children, take them to Despicable Me 3 instead.
Shane A. Bassett
