Homecoming Spider-Man: Homecoming User Reviews Thread *SPOILERS*

[Kane52630]

Liked it overall but HATED the overly PC garbage and the whole "MJ" reveal.

Both took the movie down to 7/10 territory just for those factors alone.

And that sounds like a moron millennial response.

Changing source material characters just to be "diversified" and having a virtual ethnic check-list of Peter's peers, correcting language like "Cowboys and Indians" to point out it should be "Native Americans, injecting slaves built the Washington Monument, etc. = PC Garbage

 

[Mike Murdock]

I do think Michelle was a bit of transparent pandering to the Tumblr crowd, mostly because you could cut her from the film and lose nothing (meaning her only real role is to supply occasional offbeat humor), but I think they'll do more with her in the sequel.

You could also cut those student newscasts and lose nothing. She was there to add some jokes to the movie from an actress who is known for having a good comedic timing. They're also apparently planning on expanding her role for future films, but, judging on this film, that's what it was there for. You could also cut Cap's videos or the gym teacher and lose nothing from the film.

 

[StormC]

You could also cut those student newscasts and lose nothing. She was there to add some jokes to the movie from an actress who is known for having a good comedic timing. They're also apparently planning on expanding her role for future films, but, judging on this film, that's what it was there for. You could also cut Cap's videos or the gym teacher and lose nothing from the film.

True, but all that stuff was one-and-done. Michelle was a constant presence but contributed nothing to the plot, which was a weird choice to me. But I'm just nitpicking.

 

[Mike Murdock]

Really? It felt to me like she was in maybe four scenes. I'm pretty sure there were three of those student news reports.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Liked it overall but HATED the overly PC garbage and the whole "MJ" reveal.

Both took the movie down to 7/10 territory just for those factors alone.

My good fellow, it appears you are in desperate need of a doctor. Your skin appears to be dangerously thin.

 

[Murdock103]

Saw it last night, I loved it.

Tom Holland and Keaton were phenomenal and they made the Vulture an actual believable, threatening villain.

And you know who I loved? Aunt May! I totally get what they're going for.

A lot of the minor changes to characters etc that I thought might annoy me really didn't because they got the important stuff so, so right.

So yeah, I don't really know about ratings but, 8, 9 out of 10 maybe?

Nice to have Spidey in the MCU!

 

[slimshady247]

You could also cut those student newscasts and lose nothing.

We had those at my school so, for me, it helped make that high school atmosphere authentic.

 

[Schlosser85]

We had those at my school so, for me, it helped make that high school atmosphere authentic.

Same here.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Same here.

Here it was just radio, but basically the same thing. I agree that I loved how authentic the high school here felt compared to the Raimi and Webb films.

 

[slimshady247]

Yeah, I had honestly forgotten all about morning announcements (I'm about to graduate college, it's been a while). Gave me a nice injection of nostalgia as they very much captured how awkward that **** used to be.

 

[The Guard]

You could also cut Cap's videos or the gym teacher and lose nothing from the film.

Lies. All lies.

 

[HKpowerup]

It was good, in fact one of the better comic book movies I’ve seen lately – it infused a lot of realism which I appreciated while also integrating it into the fantastical aspects of the MCU. I'm not a fan of the new high-tech Iron Man-esque suit though, and always preferred organic web shooters.

Better than all Spider Man movies I think except maybe for Sam Raimi’s Spider Man 2, but I need to re-watch that again.

I’m a bit exhausted on this character to be honest, but the movie was good. Need to see it again to appreciate it more though.

7/10.

 

[Mr.T]

Finally, got to watch it a 2nd time and must say I liked it even more the this time around. Still a surefire 8/10 for me. I still have a problem with the Vulture easily getting onto the cargo jet. Other than that, the entire cast is great and Holland was damn near perfect. I love Stark's mentor role.

 

[MrGrandCanyon]

Saw this morning at 11:30am then had to crash since I work overnights. Thoughts as follows:

Spoiler

I have been a big fan of Spider-Man since I was a kid and have followed his ups and downs and across mediums.
While I appreciate the first two Raimi films for bringing Spidey to the big screen, as time has gone on I have found more fault with the overall tone of those first two films (Number 3 just doesn't exist form me) and the vibe they give off. Often there just seemed to be a very artificial gloss to it all. Maguire certainly sells the idea of bad Parker luck but the scripts and dialog never get much more beyond a sad sack that's had a terrible run of luck. You sympathize with him but it becomes very clear early on that Raimi is only interested in making Peter miserable and the rest is just pro forma super hero stuff.


It's oft times really well done pro forma super hero stuff, like the battles with Doc Ock in S-M2, but you get a sense what Raimi wanted, which too often was a frozen in amber version of Spider-Man from the late 60's and early 70's. Thus the artifice of the world of Spidey in those movies. As a fan of the Donner Superman films the camp elements from that film seem to also be what Raimi was going for and that combined with his "Hollywood back lot"
take of NYC, even with location shooting in the city, just has the effect for me of grinding the stakes down and making it all seem less a real happening and more like a live action cartoon. For myself there were important elements missing, for all that Raimi got right. And despite my already listed criticisms Raimi did get a lot right. Quibbles aside (Like say... not having Peter's sense of humor apparent in costume, the crappy Goblin suit, the high school section feeling like something straight out of the early 1960's in a very incongruous way...) the films are still of good quality though and were landmark films in the evolution of super heroes in cinema.

Now I am probably in the minority but... I do prefer the first Andrew Garfield THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN to both of the first Raimi films. For one, I just feel that Garfield's Peter Parker is a more well rounded and more realistic character than Maguire's. His world in general just felt more real, while still for sure being a super hero film filled with a lot of the the well worn cliches and tropes but I thought, done pretty well. Just like in the comics, and the previous films by Raimi, Peter is forced into a conflict with an enemy that has some kind of personal relationship with him, complicating the actions he tries to take as a hero. Do I think that the death of Ben Parker was done better in the Raimi film? Gun to my head? Yeah, it probably resonates more and is closer to the comic in exactitude and spirit. But I don't find anything objectionable about how Marc Webb did it in TAS-M either. And again the grounded nature of the film combined with keeping the "soap opera"
elements well worn within the mythos worked for me. A vast improvement was going for Gwen Stacey as the love interest for our hero, and the coup of casting Emma Stone. Now... I'm not as enamored by Stone as a lot of others online but as this version of Gwen she worked gangbusters and you bought the relationship totally. Over all with it's, again, soap opera aspects,
the complexity of the performance and writing of Peter's character,
the great action and grounded yet heroic moments (the bridge rescue scene,
and for me, YES, the maligned "Crane Dad" scene) I enjoyed the first Webb film more on each viewing over the Raimi films, while I get why many prefer the former over the latter. For me the first AMAZING film worked though.


The less said about TAS-M2 the better... But I will simply say that it's bloated,
seems to be a reaction in many ways to the usual blind stupid over reactions to the first film that fanboys raged about online, and suffered from an obvious tension between what he director wanted and what the studio mandated. It's one bright spot was the continuing good handling of the Gwen and Peter relationship and frankly I don't think there is a better dramatic scene in any of the Spider-Man films, HOMECOMING included than the death of Gwen and the aftermath thereof. And Webb and Garfield do it with silence. It's haunting and real and it ALMOST redeems the stupidity of all that came before. Still, it's mostly a misfire on multiple levels (though those misfires are not the ones people often throw around online in my opinion. I don't for one moment understand the epithets that get shot Garfield's Peter's way) and it seemed that Sony's one time goose that laid golden eggs might be coming to an abrupt defeathering.

Enter the all new Spider-Man as a co-production between Marvel Studios and SONY. We got our first look at this new, integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. The character worked like gangbusters there and in limited usage came off very well. So now we have the pieces in place and we are ready to see a new Spidey and his world on the big screen. The result is a resounding success. Over all this is a successful film and does some things I find interesting given my own personal druthers.

This was a Marvel film that was both the most "Marvel formulaic" yet it contained elements that we don't see that much in an MCU film out side of say the first IRON MAN, the CAPTAIN AMERICA trilogy, the first THOR,
AVENGERS and I would include THE INCREDIBLE HULK. For one, it's a certainly very funny film and that fits with the character of Spider-Man well.
Not only was Tom Holland relatable with the humor involved, he had the right mix of nebbish and confidence that is a hallmark of Peter Parker but very importantly is the hallmark of a lot of real teenagers, and this was a key difference. You barely bought that Tobey Maguire was an actual high school student, and Garfield's Peter seemed to be on the cusp of manhood in his first outing. Tom Holland is... He'e s zygote. He sounds and looks really young.
He's playing fifteen years old and you buy it, and you buy it not just in terms of humor but you buy it dramatically. The usual Marvel humorous beats in this movie don't become tiresome or feel out of place, and they don't drain the film of dramatic tension. There were many scenes, but two in particular that stand out where I truly reckoned with the idea that this is a CHILD dealing with the most terrible of dangers, to the body but to the soul as well. The stakes, Peter's physical and mental well being, had impact.
I felt that they laid out the consequences of Peter's actions or what could happen to him and those around him really well. It's a movie. There's of course suspension of disbelief and any dramatic tension is of course neutered as compared to many other kinds of films. Still, there is a genuine investment in Peter's fate and it just works. As another Hypester said, "consequences"
are apparent in the film and it's story. However he ends up saving the day and stopping the villain, he's gonna face consequences and that's very refreshing in a CBM about super heroes and bad guys.

Which brings us to a not inconsiderable factor in the film's overall success,
the casting of Michael Keaton as The Vulture. A re-imagining of a classic Spidey villain, this version is a complete improvement on the comic book original and Keaton's performance raises the material even more so.
Here, Toomes is a literal Vulture, a man driven to becoming a world class thief, stealing from the carcasses of the various battles that the super heroes of the MCU have taken part in. That is to me, brilliant. It keeps the theme of the name and makes it relevant to the story. Of even more import to the film,
Keaton's character has in him a reflection of the burning "righteous anger"
that is free floating through America right not, for good or ill. His turn to crime, and eventually murder and terrorist threats against a teenager,
is done in a way that is understandable. Perhaps it's also getting such a pro actor to play the part but that part, the "professionalism" of the Vulture and his crew made them a credible threat without having to go over into full on mustache twirling, uncompromising evil, while still balancing the, again,
soap opera aspects of a Spider-Man story. Of course Toomes is going to end up with some kind of connection to Peter. That's been the case for decades now with Peter's enemies. Here though the build up to that connection works so well and when Keaton's character comes to the conclusion that reckons with Spider-man's real identity it makes for one of the best scenes of villain "monologuing" ever in a CBM. And as illustrated by Keaton throughout the film as well as in the film's mid-credit sequence, the character he is playing has more depths and complexities than many villains in the MCU films.

And on that note, let's get into how finally having a Spider-Man film in the Marvel world established in 2008 affected the proceedings. First, the elephant in the room... Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. I know there was a bit of a derangement here on the Hype and elsewhere, which feared that this was IRON MAN 4 for some reason. I am happy to say (no pun) that the MCU easter eggs or inclusion of events and characters worked and especially the use of Iron Man. Did the inclusion of Stark change up things from the source material? Yeah, it did. Do I find those changes affronts to the character of Spider-Man in any way? No, and I think it's a bit silly the way some go on about certain aspects of this film doing so. No, Tony doesn't replace Uncle Ben in any way. Yes the new suit has way more high tech gadgetry than Spider-Man usually does. Is this undermining Peter's intellect? Not the way the film handled it. The aspects involving Tony and Happy that got so much negative response online, sight unseen, in no way undermine Peter, like the issues many had with the fun sequence where Peter videos himself and we get to see the events of CW from his perspective. Did he "live blog" (which while stupid for a kid super hero to do, for some reason around her made some just go nuts) throughout the entire film? No. In fact the MCU connections are wonderfully subtle and culminate in the finale of the film in a way that felt organic and non-telegraphed, which is a testament to the deft touch of the script and the direction. In hindsight you of course can see how it was all plotted out but as you watched it play on the screen the pacing and other elements of the story made you forget about what Happy Hogan was up to and then it all just fits into place. As a side note to these ruminations on the MCU, can I say I really loved the inclusion of Pepper Potts and the way the announcement of a new Avenger became the sealing of the Potts/Stark relationship. I can honestly say that this is the most likable and responsible characterization we have seen of the Stark in far too long. So the film in it's way is even a redemption of the Iron Man franchise/character.

If I have any negatives to point out about the film they are few but... They are there.

For one, I understand that the film has alot on it's plate but there were times it felt that it wasted the talent of quite few members of it's rather sprawling cast. Marisa Tomei, Donal Glover, Hannibel Buress and quite a few others feel like they were given the short end of the stick to the point that you question why they were cast in such small parts, and yes, I do kinda include Aunt May as played by Tomei in that category. Don't get it twisted, she is good as May but she's not a big factor in the film and it's a shame since she and Holland had a great chemistry in a familial relationship that had both a matriarchal and sisterly vibe to it. Hopefully the film's ending indicates a bigger role for May in the next film. Another character that seems to only be there for future use is Zendaya as Michelle/MJ. I honestly could care less about the casting or the obvious altering of the source material. No, my real issue with Zendaya's character is that she is there just so there is build up for another film. And what was built up in my view is just kinda forgotten given every thing else going on in the movie. She barely registers except for maybe once or twice in the whole run time. It's like you don't pay the character no mind, and that's easy since the material written get's lost. She says some funny stuff but there way funnier material in the movie so she comes off much more like an odd background character and then suddenly at the very end comes the MJ revelation and I just was like "Oh, I guess I was supposed to be paying attention to her." I think you could cut her out of the film and there would be zero difference in the enjoyment and excellence of execution of the movie.

Any other complaints are minor quibbles frankly, simply pissy fanboy nonsense on my part (but seriously... with the inclusion of Chris Evans as Cap they had a chance to have at least one scene with Peter talking to the REAL Cap and getting some advice that could matter. This would deepen the relationship and give both Evans and Holland something to add to their interactions in IW... but I digress...) of the sort that in the end don't really detract from the finished product.

If anyone is on the fence with this film I say go and spend your money on a ticket. This film is fun but it takes it's characters and their circumstances very seriously. It's action is top notch, and it realizes it's hero and villain incredibly well. It's not a transcendent theater experience but a well crafted and engaging time out. A solid 8 of film which I suspect will not lose it's luster on repeat viewings.

Little late, but just wanted to say that this is a great post. We don't agree on every small thing, but we're pretty much on the same page regarding this franchise. Very well put.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Little late, but just wanted to say that this is a great post. We don't agree on every small thing, but we're pretty much on the same page regarding this franchise. Very well put.

Thanks. Click on my signature in desktop mode to listen to my podcast's spoiler discussion on HOMECOMING if you are so inclined.

 

[Mike Murdock]

We had those at my school so, for me, it helped make that high school atmosphere authentic.

Lies. All lies.

I should be clear that I loved both things. But they were there to add to the movie's levity, just like Zendaya was. I'm certainly not complaining that they were in the movie, but I don't understand the complaints about Michelle's humor either. Both were small little touches that were just fun.

 

[Vartha]

Just got back from Homecoming. I DID tear up when I saw the Marvel Studios logo WITH Spierman but other than that, I've always assumed Avengers took place in 2012 not 2009. NOW it's like IM2 and Avengers are right on top of each other, that is one of my issues.
The other is, I STILL don't like Stark making Pete's suit, even tho he and Ned hacked the Safeguards

 

[BrollySupersj]

I saw it last night and loved it. Tom Holland and Keaton nailed their roles perfectly, and the humor worked every time.

10/10.

 

[weezerspider]

This wasn't bad, but it was still no where near Raimi's first two films. This has the best Peter/Spider-Man, but I feel Raimi handled the overall mythos way better. The cast is good and the film is fun for the most part. This could easily have been an 8 or 8.5 for me, but the set pieces are all pretty awful. The climax was incredibly boring. I'd give it a 7/7.5 out of 10.

 

[Schlosser85]

This wasn't bad, but it was still no where near Raimi's first two films. This has the best Peter/Spider-Man, but I feel Raimi handled the overall mythos way better. The cast is good and the film is fun for the most part. This could easily have been an 8 or 8.5 for me, but the set pieces are all pretty awful. The climax was incredibly boring. I'd give it a 7/7.5 out of 10.

I'm inclined to agree.

 

[Hypestyle]

Loved the movie.
Loved the ending. Hot Aunt May is the best. Time to try out new things.
Liz! Laura Harrier is a gem. I’m guessing we won’t see her in the sequel, however. Maybe in another film, perhaps.
Michelle! Ah. The “new” MJ is peachy keen. I’m sure they’ll see more of her in future installments. And of course it leaves room for "Mary Jane Watson" to eventually show up. Nobody has been 'erased'.
Vulture: Liz’s dad? Of course! Heh-heh. Great twist. Who knows, maybe her mom’s maiden name is Allen, or maybe they change it due to witness protection, and so on…

I'm not sure if I should be pleased or disturbed that I was able to predict Ned's "I was watching p_rn" line.. lol..

 

[JB33]

Thanks. Click on my signature in desktop mode to listen to my podcast's spoiler discussion on HOMECOMING if you are so inclined.

Thanks for your review, KRYPTON. That was a genuinely enjoyable read.

 

[JB33]

I agree with those whose gripes include the high tech, Stark-made Spidey suit. I've accepted a lot of changes to the material in this movie, an even embrace them, but I can't reconcile this aspect.

 

[Mysteryman]

Saw it yesterday.

So much fun! Holland absolutely NAILS it as both Peter Parker struggling with high school life AND Spidey, understanding what it is to be a hero. He blasts Garfield away although he is not as good as Maguire in Spider-Man 2. The classic Spidey quips are also top notch and the best on film so far. The suit was incredible in action!

The supporting characters were also good and Ned especially was very funny and had great chemistry with Holland. Humour was very good! Tony is in the film for very little and I was glad that his presence wasn't overblown as shown in trailers.

Keaton was one of Marvel's better villains and he is very intense in certain scenes. Nice showcase of a smaller, middle social class villain.

Some surprises here and there (not everything was spoiled in the trailers), a very good first mid-credit scene and a very disappointing second one (I was very surprised Marvel decided to do that to audiences that stayed, everyone in my audience sighed in disappointment).

Overall, one of the MCU's best, but most importantly, Spidey is finally where he belongs!

Everybody in my audience laughed at the second post credit scene.

 

[Mysteryman]

I was really disappointed. This is Marvel's worst film, and by far the worst Spider-man film ever made. It's adapation of Spider-man's supporting characters and world is so bad that if this was made by anyone other than Marvel it would be the FFINO.

As a movie it's just okay. Performances are good. I really liked Holland and Keaton. I don't know if it's something I'll watch ever again, which is saying something because I watch Spider-man 3 and The Amazing Spider-man 2 not infrequently.

If Wonder Woman and Logan showed what can happen when filmmakers embrace and understand a character and their world, Spider-man: Homecoming shows what happens when they don't.

5.5/10.

There is no way that SMH is worse thanTDW and IM2.