Spider-Man: Homecoming Movie Review: Peter Parker Makes Being A Hero Fun Again

Third time’s the charm! The latest reboot of everyone’s favorite webslinger swings onto the big screen – and blows its predecessors out of the water. Spider-Man: Homecoming has everything you never knew you wanted from an MCU movie. Wannabe Avenger Peter Parker! Awkward high school parties! Bonding over Legos! Life-or-death academic decathlon! Wait – what?

Director Jon Watts shows us a Peter Parker (Tom Holland) we’ve never seen before. Fifteen, eager to prove himself, and absolutely loving being a hero, Holland’s Spider-Man is instantly relatable. You won’t find any brooding angst here. Watts delivers a fun, attractive high school action comedy that goes against the usual formula for MCU films. He takes tired tropes – the bullied nerd, the cocky jock, the perfect love interest – and turns them on their heads. The conflict is small-scale, without the level of epic (but unnecessary) destruction we usually see. And the villain is actually compelling, not some two-dimensional force that looks and breathes evil. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” successfully gives audiences the small-town hero that made Spidey a comic book fave for decades, while also updating Peter Parker to fit with modern times.

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: No Capes, No Crusades, More Fun

Two months after the craziness of “Captain America: Civil War,” we reunite with Peter in Queens. And it’s a bit of a downgrade, to go from stealing Captain America’s shield to chasing down bike thieves. Peter feels the same way. He attends school, builds Lego Death Stars with best bud Ned (Jacob Batalon), gets bullied by Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori), sighs after senior crush Liz (Laura Harrier)… Normal high-school stuff. The kind of stuff that’s basically torture to a guy with superhuman abilities, an awesome new suit, and a need to prove himself.

Peter wants more than anything to become an Avenger, so he tries to fight crime on his own terms. It goes about as well as you’d expect from a gawky teen still fumbling through puberty. But Peter’s awkward eagerness actually plays to the film’s strengths: he’s fun and likable and a joy to watch. He’s his own biggest fan, even when his crime-fighting could use (a lot of) work.

Tom Holland gives a fantastic performance as wise-cracking, overeager Peter. He captures the fun and excitement of being a hero with the special awkwardness that comes with being a teenager. It helps that Holland, at 20 years old, makes a more believable high-school student than his predecessors. It also helps that unlike other superhero movies, Holland’s Spider-Man is angst-free. No capes, no brooding, no crusades of vengeance or tragic backstories. Holland reminds audiences how much of a blast being a hero can be.

High School Movie First, MCU Second

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” starts where “Civil War” left off, expanding Peter Parker’s life and role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can see hints of that greater universe throughout the film. Construction foreman Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), who later becomes the villainous but relatable Vulture, shows off a drawing his daughter made of the Avengers. Bank robbers in Avengers masks steal cash from an ATM. Kids in detention are forced to watch hilarious motivational videos featuring Captain America (Chris Evans). Not to mention Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) in an extended cameo as Peter’s tired but supportive mentor figure. But while the MCU’s influence can be found everywhere, it still takes a backseat to the true centerpiece: Peter. And his life as a high-school student.

Unlike its predecessors, “Spider-Man: Homecoming: is a high school movie first and a Marvel film second. Tropes abound. There’s the bullied nerd (Peter), the enthusiastic best friend (Jacob), the cruel jock (Flash), and so on. But these tropes aren’t flat, one-note performances – the characters are fleshed-out and real. Updated for modern times. Flash, usually portrayed as a jock who tormented Peter, has been reinvented into a smug, entitled brat with a brain to rival Peter’s. Liz, Peter’s love interest, is down-to-earth, over-achieving, and genuinely sympathetic. Sarcastic loner Michelle (Zendaya) reveals herself to be startlingly observant and a team-player.

Settings and plot points revolve around high school events: a party, Academic Decathlon, the Homecoming dance. Spider-Man: Homecoming shows just as much panic over superhero stuff as normal high school activities. The fact that Peter is a sophomore in high school is an unavoidable – and unexpectedly hilarious – reality. One that makes “Spider-Man: Homecoming” stand out from its predecessors and a true delight to watch.