The Box Office:
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a test of sorts. No, it's not a test of whether Marvel and Sony can work together without driving each other crazy or whether the notion of Marvel teaming with a non-Disney studio to make a film for which another studio has the rights. I mean, that's interesting and all, but the real question is how much value this third "new" Spider-Man franchise earns by virtue of being a part of the MCU. Yes, this Jon Watts-directed superhero adventure isn't an origin story, but it is another "new" Peter Parker Spider-Man franchise just five years after the first Amazing Spider-Man movie and just three years after the second and final Amazing Spider-Man movie.
Those Marc Webb films weren't terribly beloved even if they were relatively high-grossing. With $757 million wide, The Amazing Spider-Man still holds the record for the biggest straight reboot movie, soaring ahead of the likes of Man of Steel, Batman Begins, Star Trek and Casino Royale. But the second film, which was foolishly sold as a backdoor pilot for an expanded universe, was written off as a whiff when it made just $202m domestic (down from the $262m domestic total of The Amazing Spider-Man) and $709m worldwide (which to be fair was partially a matter of exchange rates/deflation in the intervening years).
I will argue that the films would have been fine had they cost closer to $175m than $250m, which is just one way in which Spider-Man: Homecoming is a course correction. But has Amazing Spider-Man damaged the brand, both in terms of potential Spider-Man oversaturation and by releasing two middling movies that banked on IP? If Spider-Man: Homecoming "underperforms," it will be because the notion of a Spider-Man movie is no longer special and because audiences may realize that it has been 13 years since they got a Spider-Man movie that they really liked and that the presence of Iron Man isn't enough to overcome indifference.
Or maybe it will be yet another Tony Stark-related MCU movie to top $800m worldwide and establish this whole "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends" thing as a viable new franchise. But, of note, we should remember that $175m budget if the film ends up closer to Amazing Spider-Man than Spider-Man 3.
The Review:
Director Jon Watts has assembled all the essential ingredients for a great Spider-Man movie. You've got a dynamite new Peter Parker in Tom Holland, an eclectic (and uncommonly inclusive and diverse) supporting cast and a keen desire to play around with the character and his world in a way that hasn't quite been done in the previous big-screen incarnation. And, since we've already had the somewhat mythical passion plays and the grounded n' gritty reboot, this one has the freedom to be a full-on comedy that emphasizes our hero's youth and inexperience.
Despite these trump cards, the film doesn't work. Why not? Because in a desire to highlight his youth and inexperience, the film turns Peter Parker into a dangerously incompetent would-be superhero. At its core, Spider-Man: Homecoming is 133 minutes of Peter Parker failing the "first do no harm" rule of super heroics.
First, come what may, Tom Holland makes an entirely believable Peter Parker. The entire cast is excellent, to the point where you'll wish this was more of an ensemble piece just to give everyone else more time in the sun. That's not a criticism, as this is a Peter Parker story through-and-through (Robert Downey Jr. is used sparingly). However, when you've got Tyne Daly for a literal cameo, well, I can only hope it's to set up a "Damage Control" television show down the line.
Parker's friendship with Jacob Batalon's Ned is a highlight of the film, and it is in these interactions where the film becomes the glorified John Hughes tribute that it so desires to be. It's nice that this Spidey movie isn't super focused on romance, if only because the previous five were. But Laura Harrier's Liz Allen deserves better than the duff hand the film deals her. No, she doesn't get kidnapped or fridged, and I appreciated that the movie made the attraction mutual.
Watch On Forbes: Meet Kayla Itsines, The Internet's Workout Queen
The notion of the film blending super heroics with high school melodrama is negated by the fact that Spidey faces no real consequences as Peter for his inability to balance the two roles. The kids and teachers at Peter's high school are so authentic and enjoyable that I think I would have rather seen a high school melodrama over the somewhat strained origin story that we got.
No, this doesn't recount how Peter got his powers or how Uncle Ben taught him about power and responsibility just before being murdered. There is (unless I missed it) no reference to Peter's actual origin and the film stumbles by essentially making Parker's desire to be Spider-Man less about his guilt or even his willingness to help and more about impressing Tony Stark. It is still an origin story in that it tells a tale of how Spider-Man became smart enough to be the Spider-Man we know and love.
And like too many origin story/reboot movies, we spend an entire movie watching this wet-behind-the-ears wallcrawler screw up repeatedly (while depending almost entirely on Tony's super-suit and its various toys) only with the promise that he'll be the competent and inspiring superhero in the next installment.
It's one thing to show a young Spidey as inexperienced and capable of error. But this film overplays that to such an extent that this Spider-Man becomes a consistent threat and menace. It's frustrating to watch a Spider-Man movie and actively root for Peter to stop being Spider-Man not because you want him to be happy as Peter Parker but because he's terrible at being Spider-Man.
After Captain America: Civil War introduced the character as being able to hold his own against the Avengers, it's a huge step backward to see this Peter unable to do anything right. As we watch Spidey accidentally blow up a convenience store while trying to stop ATM thieves or (no spoilers) try to save folks from a disaster that he entirely caused, you realize that this film has turned your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man into the equivalent of Curious George. Sure, he blew up the local deli, but it's okay because he helped the owner escape just in time.
The film fails the Lilo and Stitch test, named so because I spent much of that otherwise excellent Disney toon hoping that Stich would leave this poor, orphaned family alone before he caught them killed or arrested as a result of his comedic mischief. As nearly every time Peter puts on that suit, he makes the situation worse. So, you're technically rooting against the very thing, Peter being Spider-Man and attempting to save the day, that you came to see.
Without going into spoilers, the film doesn't have Peter learning to be smarter, but rather shows him doing the thing he always does but with a better result. Even one early scene of Spider-Man outright saving the day would have at least offered the idea of a Spider-Man who can be a useful and valuable local neighborhood superhero. As is, Tony Stark taking Peter under his wing feels like yet another "Let's make Ultron!"-type miscalculation.
Okay, with all of that said, where does the film stand even if you don't care that Spider-Man is a terrible superhero who makes almost every situation worse by his involvement?
As noted above, the cast is dynamite, with the likes of Donald Glover (whose "interrogation scene" is one of the film's best moments), Marisa Tomei (who is a delight as Aunt May with too little screen time) and Zendaya (who is hilarious with very little dialogue and many priceless reaction moments) all getting moments to shine.
Michael Keaton's Vulture works as a challenge to be bested, and it's nice to see a Spidey villain who isn't a doomed scientist/mentor gone rogue. He has one dynamite sequence in the third act which ties into one of the more intriguing plot developments while playing up Watts’ prior experience directing down-and-dirty thrillers. Even Chris Evans earns laughs, appearing in super cheesy school videos even as the faculty notes that he's probably not the best role model anymore.
The picture uses its 3D to great and occasionally vertigo-inducing effect, and if I argue that Watts shoots too much in close-up (more noticeably on an IMAX screen), I will also note that he shoots clean action beats that are always easy to follow. Oh, and it’s entirely kid-friendly, as it’s much closer in tone (and terms of violence) to Ant-Man than Iron Man 3. I did like the various moments where Spidey found himself in a place where his web-slinging wouldn't quite do the trick.
Spider-Man: Homecoming contains the raw materials for a strong Spider-Man franchise. It has terrific actors (the likes of Bokeem Woodbine, Hannibal Buress, Tony Revolori, Kenneth Choi and Angourie Rice exist just around the fringes), quirky characters, fun dialogue and a sense of scale in contrast to the more bombastic MCU adventures.
And maybe once it moves past treating Spider-Man as the world's worst superhero for the sake of cheap laughs while retrofitting his arc so that he's doing what he does for the approval of a cool adult, we'll be on solid footing. The film offers some subtle teases for future installments, even as it's refreshingly stand-alone save for references to Captain America: Civil War.
No spoilers, but one credit cookie offers a subtle explanation for a dangling plot thread while the other is, hands-down, the best MCU credit cookie since Iron Man 3. If you're someone who doesn't care that Peter Parker stinks at being Spider-Man and/or that we must sit through another origin-in-disguise so that we can get an amazing Spider-Man in the sequel, then you'll probably have a grand time. There are some great jokes (the final beat of the film deservedly brought the house down), and I want to see more of several of these characters.
Since we're getting a sequel anyway, I will end by saying that there is potential for a second film that is much better than this one. All they need to do is offer a Spider-Man who at least does more good than harm. The biggest problem with Spider-Man: Homecoming is that you'll find yourself agreeing with J. Jonah Jameson. Peter's heart is in the right place, but this time out he is a threat and a menace.
