In Marvel Studios’ attempt to incorporate Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Spider-Man: Homecoming” picks up six months after the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Peter Parker is attempting to balance his normal high school life while fighting crime on the streets of Queens as Spider-Man.

Tom Holland is the ideal Spider-Man for this film. Though he is 21 years old in real life, he pulls off the appearance of a 15 year old trying to survive high school. It feels like you’re being sucked back into your own adolescence and teenage angst through Holland’s portrayal. On top of that, as unrealistic as it sounds, it feels like he actually could be a kid superhero.

Serious congratulations have to be given to Jacob Batalon, who is the best character in the entire movie as Ned Leeds, especially as this is only Batalon’s second acting credit. He is the perfect combination of comic relief, sidekick-and-plot device, which makes him a key piece to this movie’s success. If this is what he has accomplished so far in his career, it’s exciting to think about what will come next for him.

Michael Keaton brought strong star power to the film as Vulture, giving audiences a villain who is more than just a one-issue character. He brings us a man who doesn’t think he’s evil, just doing what it takes to survive. Keaton’s Vulture is complex, but most importantly he’s a regular man. He’s one of the MCU’s strongest villains to date.

Director Jon Watts was set on making this film feel like a teen drama, taking cues from famous 1980s film director John Hughes. Watts succeeds with this idea. It has the look and feel of the famous director, yet fits into the mood set by the rest of the MCU.

One big problem with the film is the major twist toward the end. I called it from the first few minutes of the film. It feels recycled, not only because it’s a major twist used in most teen dramas, but because it’s a twist many of the Spider-Man films before this one have used too. Though the twist scene is shot beautifully and has some fantastic color coordination, it wasn’t a surprise.

The other major problem is how it relies heavily on the MCU. It references incidents that occur outside of the plot, brings in two different Avengers, one who has a large role and overall feels like it reminds you every five minutes that this is a Marvel film. The film is strong enough on its own. It doesn’t need so many references to the MCU.

As an introduction to the newest adaptation of Spider-Man, this is a great film. As a tie between Spider-Man in “Captain America: Civil War” to his next appearance in an Avengers film, this is a great film. As a general superhero movie, this is a great film. This film is a great set up to the future of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and makes you excited to see where he goes next.

Rating: Four kernels out of five.

Contact the writer: [email protected]
Twitter: @BethanyWadeTWW