by Maya Girimaji, managing editor
I’ve been a fan of Tom Holland’s since I saw him in the drama-disaster film The Impossible. And I’ve been a fan of Marvel for as long as I can remember. So when I found out that Tom Holland would be the new Spider-Man (the new Spider-Man that would be joining the MCU, which inevitably means he’ll team up with the Avengers) I freaked.
In Sony’s second reboot of the Spidey films, Peter Parker is a 15 year old boy who is struggling to balance his life as a high schooler and a superhero. Just like today’s teenagers are growing up with Taylor Swift, Emma Watson, and Ryan Gosling, the teens in Spider Man Homecoming are growing up watching The Avengers. And Peter struggles with keeping his identity a secret because he must choose between not endangering and worrying Aunt May and becoming the most popular guy in school. He has just returned from his mission with Iron Man and desperately wants to be an Avenger. More than just “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” Because of this, he gets caught up in an underground business run by the Vulture.
Homecoming delivers something fresh, something that we’ve never seen Marvel do before. Instead of a superhero who already knows how to lash out in full combat mode, we watch Peter literally getting into the swing of things. He’s not used to flying around the city, so we see him stumble and fall many times. This version of Spider-Man focuses on showing the daily struggles of being a high schooler while also trying to save the city. Several moments throughout the movie, it actually feels like his high school struggles carry more weight than the crime-fighting. Because at the end of the day, Spider-Man is Peter Parker, the boy who lives with his Aunt, the boy who lost his uncle, the fifteen year old that is struggling to fit in and just wants to give back and do good in this world. The emphasis on his life as a teen makes this movie relatable. He pines after Liz Allen, quits his school’s academic decathlon team and worries about the upcoming school dance. His best friend, Ned, speaks for the audience when he fanboys over Spider-Man. All of which serve as a reminder that he hasn’t gotten the hang of this superhero thing yet, which brings us to the fight scenes.
The fight scenes were quick and to the point, never dragged out. Peter Parker is very obviously over-powered when he fights the Vulture and his accomplices. The Vulture is an interesting opponent who is tired of the rich and powerful pushing him around but still deeply human by wanting to provide for his family. Michael Keaton’s Vulture is a sinister, deadly threat and, in my opinion, one of the best villains in the MCU. His role as the villain also helps the audience focus more on the face behind the Spider-Man mask. Iron Man also has this effect by being Spider-Man’s mentor. There’s a clear father-son relationship between the two. And, because of this, the old saying “great power comes with great responsibility” really shines through when Peter Parker hacks his suit to use it to its full potential and the repercussions lead to Tony Stark taking the suit from Peter.
Overall, Homecoming is one of Marvel’s best films. From picking the perfect cast to alluding towards the comics (cough cough MJ), Marvel has yet again exceeded my expectations. It was hilarious, intriguing and powerful. Homecoming was so good that it received a standing ovation after the credits in the theater the night I saw it. I definitely want to see it again so if you want to laugh, cry and root for Spidey with me, hit me up.
