SPOILERS: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING - 6 Things That Worked And 4 That Didn't
Spider-Man: Homecoming is undoubtedly a triumph, but the spectacular reboot set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't perfect! Here are the story points, twists, and moments which did and didn't work!
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a spectacular movie which finally brings Peter Parker into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and restores the wall-crawler to the glory days he's not seen since Spider-Man 2.
However, while the movie does an awful lot right it's fair to say that it doesn't quite hit the mark on a few different occasions. Yes, this is a damn near perfect Spidey solo outing but in their attempts to freshen the wall-crawler's world up, Marvel has left lots of the table sure to disappoint many fans.
On the other hand, there are lots of things they do right which tops both Sam Raimi and Marc Webb, something which Jon Watts deserves an awful lot of credit for. What you'll find here then is a look at the things which did and didn't work in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but major spoilers do follow...
Did Work: Just Enough Iron Man
Like the rest of you, I went into Spider-Man: Homecoming expecting it to be the Iron Man show. While it's true that the Armoured Avenger shows up a couple of times to help Spidey out of a jam, he never outstays his welcome and I was extremely thankful that he never appeared during the wall-crawler's final battle with The Vulture to save the day (which one of the reboot's posters pointed to being the case).
If anything, this is one of Robert Downey Jr.'s finest turns yet as Tony Stark and the emotional arc he has with Peter Parker has now made their friendship feel a whole lot more exciting and real. That's something which was lacking from Captain America: Civil War but as we look ahead to Avengers: Infinity War, it finally makes sense why Iron Man would turn to a 15-year-old hero in training for his help in the battle against the Mad Titan, Thanos.
Didn't Work: Who Are These People?
Spider-Man: Homecoming's young supporting cast is very good, with Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds a definite highlight. However, he has literally nothing in common with his comic book counterpart and the same can be said for pretty much this entire group of characters. Flash Thompson picks on Peter Parker and is actually a very good modern-day interpretation of a bully, but Betty Brant (a wasted Angourie Rice) seems to just have that name for the hell of it as she robotically reads the school news in sequences which are probably meant to be funny but fall flat.
Liz Allan is good, though a last-minute twist pretty much changes who she is entirely. Oh, and then there's Michelle. In one of the dumbest Marvel movie moments ever, the story ends with her telling Peter and company that her friends call her "MJ." So, Michelle Jane Watson? Seriously, Marvel, WTF?
Did Work: A Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man
While it's a little disappointing that Spider-Man: Homecoming doesn't feature any iconic moments of Spidey swinging through New York City, the fact that he's a Friendly Neighbourhood superhero actually works really well on a number of levels here. Something all of the previous Spider-Man movies dropped the ball on is the fact that Peter mostly deals with street crime and is only dragged into major conflicts when they come along and The Avengers need that extra little bit of help, so it's refreshing to see him become Queens' local hero.
It will obviously be nice to see this progress and for him to go a little further afield into Manhattan, but grounding the wall-crawler makes a lot of sense and it's fun seeing him struggle to get around Queens because it feels like something different and is definitely an element we haven't seen on the big screen before. Six movies in, that's a very good thing!
Did Work: The Score
From the moment Spider-Man: Homecoming kicks off with Michael Giacchino's spectacular take on the classic Spider-Man theme over the Marvel Studios title card, you know that you're in for a treat when it comes to the reboot's score. The composer has come up with a fresh new sound for the wall-crawler which really works and helps distinguish this movie from the five solo Spidey adventures which preceded it.
However, even better is the music director Jon Watts chose to set much of the action to. He picks tracks which feel very relevant to this younger Peter Parker that help give Spider-Man: Homecoming a fresh new feel; unlike those chosen by Marc Webb for The Amazing Spider-Man (*cough*Coldplay*cough*), these don't feel at all pretentious and thankfully don't result in the hero coming across as a complete hipster douche with obscure band posters all over his walls.
Didn't Work: No Spider-Sense
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige maintains that Peter Parker has Spider-Sense in both Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming, but it's not at all obvious and its absence feels like a huge oversight on their part. While the hero does occasionally manage to avoid danger, it's something which seems to be more down to his speed and reflexes than an additional sixth sense, while the movie also makes no mention of the fact he needs those goggles on his original suit because they help keep those in check.
Neither Sam Raimi nor Marc Webb took full advantage of Spidey's Spider-Sense and Jon Watts could have done something really special with that here visually or otherwise. The fact that Peter is surprised on multiple occasions both in battle and otherwise pretty much proves that his Spider-Sense is a non-factor and this needs to change in future instalments.
Did Work: Peter Parker And Aunt May's Dynamic
Many fans found fault with the fact Spider-Man: Homecoming features a much younger Aunt May, but this new take on the once sickly and frail character works extremely well and could just be what their on-screen dynamic needed. May actually feels like the sort of fun aunt someone like Peter Parker would have and the fact they come across as a mother and son might speaks volumes about how great the chemistry between Tom Holland and Marisa Tomei is.
Of course, you have to give credit to Marvel for acknowledging the fact that Peter's Aunt May is now a hottie as that's a running joke throughout the movie and one which is a great way to ease fans into this updated take on the beloved supporting character. It would have actually been nice to see them share more scenes, but if the ending (which I'll get to in a little while) is any indication, she's going to have an even bigger role moving forward.
Did Work: Best. After-Credits. Scene. Ever
If you go into Spider-Man: Homecoming expecting an after-credits scene setting up the events of Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, or even Venom, you're going to be disappointed. The first features a sinister exchange between Adrian Toomes and Mac Gargan in regards to Spider-Man's secret identity for a scene which may or may not be building to the Scorpion showing up in the sequel. Then again, that could just as easily be for Silver & Black, a movie which it's rumoured which feature Mac Gargan in a lead role.
We'll see, but it's the second scene which is by far the most memorable and one of Marvel's best to date. Throughout Spider-Man: Homecoming, we get to see Captain America's video messages to the students of Midtown High but he shows up at the end to tell moviegoers all about the disappointment of waiting patiently for something amazing that just never comes. Get it?
Didn't Work: No Uncle Ben
Spider-Man: Homecoming doesn't feature a single mention of Uncle Ben, with the only hint of his existence coming when Peter alludes to Aunt May going through a tough time (not to mention the way she reacts when he goes missing for a day). While it's easy to understand why the reboot didn't want to go back down the origin story route, to not even make reference to the fact Peter does what he does because of the death of his uncle is a strange decision and one which lessens the impact of his emotional arc here.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a very light and fun movie, but a little more darkness wouldn't have actually hurt it in any way so it's a shame that Marvel decided against adding some gravitas to Peter's mission. It's also a tad infuriating that we once again get no mention of the iconic "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" line Spidey lives his life by.
Didn't Work: Wasted Villains
Spider-Man: Homecoming has only one primary villain in the form of The Vulture, but there is a long list of supporting bad guys who also make their presence felt; just not all that effectively! The two Shockers fail to make much of an impact beyond some cool visuals and a brief fight scene which once again sees Peter totally overwhelmed, while Mac Gargan's inclusion is downright baffling. Introduced as a thug looking to buy some tech from Toomes, he's quickly taken out in the crossfire and later reappears scarred and broken behind bars where he attempts to learn Spidey's secret identity.
It very much sounds like he could suit up as the Scorpion in the sequel, but ditching the character's private eye background seems like a shame and the movie doesn't really do enough to make us care about him. At least Donald Glover's Prowler is good fun, though I do wish we'd seen him suit up in the after-credits scene instead!
Did Work: The Ending
However, the best is yet to come as just as you think the movie is ending with a typical hero shot of Peter as he takes his mask off in his bedroom, Aunt May walks in behind him and exclaims, "What the f-" just as the credits kick off. That's right, May now knows that her nephew is Spider-Man, a game-changing moment which guarantees that this franchise will be different to those which came before it. It's also a perfect and very funny note to end the movie on which is sure to leave you grinning!
What did you guys think were the best and worst moments of Spider-Man: Homecoming? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.