Spiderman: Homecoming - early review

[JasonEvans]

I'll have something longer tomorrow or Friday, but I just wanted to share my initial tweets about the film I just saw.

Just got back from #SpiderManHomecoming screening. My two sons are just wandering aimlessly saying, "ohmygod that was such a good movie!"

So, #SpiderManHomecoming ... wow! The fourth most interesting character in this film is more interesting than any D.C. character ever!

#SpiderManHomecoming has less pure action than any comic book movie... and that is what makes it great. Such fabulous character development!

Trying to decide where Vulture in #SpiderManHomecoming ranks among the great comic book villains on film. Loki may be only one better.

I know one thing about #SpiderManHomecoming, Ned is the best sidekick in the #MCU. Props Jacob Batalon!

-Jason "between this film, Baby Driver, and War for the Planet of the Apes, it has been a great 8 days of movie screenings for me (I'm forgetting I ever saw DM3)" Evans

[Olympic Fan]

You prefer Loki as a villain to Heath Ledger's Joker?

[PackMan97]

You prefer Loki as a villain to Heath Ledger's Joker?

Or Schwazenager's Mr. Freeze?

[BD80]

Or Schwazenager's Mr. Freeze?

Or Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman?

[tbyers11]

Or Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman?

I know it is not a movie but the only true Catwoman is Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, or Eartha Kitt



Also turning this into my RIP Adam West post even though there is another thread for that

As for Spidey, it sounds like a good flick. A super hero movie with a "good" story is pretty rare.

[trey]

My daughter and I saw it last night and absolutely loved it. I can't come up with a negative thing to say about the movie itself. My only complaint is that I wish the trailers didn't spoil the Ironman ferry save. It would have been a better moment if I didn't know it was coming.

Best movie I have seen all year. I can't wait to see it again.

[JasonEvans]

My daughter and I saw it last night and absolutely loved it. I can't come up with a negative thing to say about the movie itself. My only complaint is that I wish the trailers didn't spoil the Ironman ferry save. It would have been a better moment if I didn't know it was coming.

Best movie I have seen all year. I can't wait to see it again.

I dunno about best movie of the year (Get Out, Baby Driver, and War Apes are still ahead of it for me), but it is a truly wonderful comic book movie.

I never got around to expanding on my initial comments, but the major point I wanted to make was that this is a fabulous film because it is not really an action movie. Sure, there are a few great set pieces and nice fight scenes, but most of the film is character development and giving us an emotional connection to the characters. It is truly remarkable how adept Marvel is at that part of the movie game. In my opinion, Tom Holland's Spidey is as well-formed and interesting as any comic book character we have seen on film. There are no "wait, why is he doing that?" moments where the character acts in a way that does not make sense. At no time does he feel unrealistic or untrue to what we know about him. The film does a remarkable job of capturing not just the angst and insecurity of being a teen, but also the confidence and sense of invulnerability that come from youth. Spidey makes mistakes in this film, but you know why he made them and they always feel true and honest.

Oh, and this movie has truly stunningly good supporting performances. I briefly mentioned Jacob Batalon, who plays Peter's best friend, Ned. He too feels incredibly real. He's funny in a genuine way, not slapstick silly, and the movie is often at its best when he and Peter have different ideas about what should be done with Peter's powers. Meanwhile, Michael Keaton absolutely knocks it out of the park as Vulture. Wow! The movie takes the unusual step of starting their story with Keaton's Adrian Toomes and he really drives the story as much as Spiderman does. Generally, the bad guys in movies can be defined in one word -- evil. They want to destroy the world or kill a bunch of people or some other dastardly motive. They tend to be one-dimensional -- they are bad guys so everything they do is bad. Well, Toomes is not that simple. His motives are clear and believable. No, he is not a good guy, not by a long stretch, but we understand why he went bad and it makes his story utterly believable. There's no maniacal laughter or booming monologues like we typically see from crazy bad guys. Keaton is menacing while not going over-the-top. There's no question he goes alongside Loki and Ledger's Joker as the most interesting bad guys in comic book history.

The movie is just a wonderful time, fun and funny but also heartfelt. It has surprises galore and never fails to hold our interest. I think it belongs in the very top tier of comic book movies and it is clearly the best Spider Man film ever made (sorry Sam Rami and Tobey MacGuire).

-Jason "oh, and the post credit scenes are great... the final one, at the end of the film, is among the best post-credit scenes in cinematic history!!" Evans

[JasonEvans]

So, I was just reading a glowing article about Keaton's performance and it gives away a huge spoiler about the movie. Please, be very careful when reading too much about this film. There was a moment during my screening where the entire theater gasped out loud -- utter shock. Then, for the next couple seconds you could hear murmurs throughout the theater from virtually every single person turning to the friend next to them to whisper something about what had just happened (mostly they were saying, "Holy !#^@!^!!!").

Please, do yourself a favor and do not let this moment be spoiled for you. Read as little as you can about this film... you will be happier that way. Trust me.

-Jason "'nuf said" Evans

[BLPOG]

Folks, Spider-Man: Homecoming is what a comic book superhero movie should be. I don't know that it was my favorite one, or the best, but it was damn solid. I really don't have any substantive criticisms or nits to pick. It was fun, well-written, well-acted, engaging, and not clichéd. There are other superhero movies that have been set on a grander scale for the character or try to comment on the human condition. It is hard to compare this movie to those (e.g. Logan or the Dark Knight) in terms of which is superior - they clearly had different aims as films. This movie was just one story in the development of the character., but it was executed flawlessly.

If you have ever enjoyed a superhero film or television show at all, it is worth seeing.