Well… um… insert joke about not posting in a while here… anyways, Spider-Man: Homecoming!

Yes, the webslinger sure has been through a lot lately hasn’t he. I mean two hits on the full reset button in the span of not even a decade? That’s insane. But that newest reset did result in him finally coming home(I can’t decide if that should be considered a pun or not.) to the MCU. And now hopefully, Sony has gotten their act together and will pursue the Spidey franchise in a sensible and careful manne…

(Beats head against wall repeatedly and groans) How Sony hasn’t burned down their own building at this point is beyond me.

Okay, Okay. I will admit I’ll give these spin-offs a chance and I am actually pretty excited about the Venom movie coming next year. But I’m getting off track. Despite all the drama, we have here what might just be my favorite Spider-Man movie to date. Don’t get me wrong. I love all the films, even The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as convoluted as it is. Maybe it’s just because I’m so tired of the repetition in previous films, but what I love about this movie is just how unique it is compared to previous films, particularly in tone. None of the films have ever really been Dark Knight or Logan level dark but looking back, at times they did take themselves a little too seriously, at least in my opinion. This movie definitely has a few more serious moments than others,  but for the most part, it’s a very lighthearted and heartfelt movie. Let’s begin with the cast.

Lets of course start with Spidey himself, Tom Holland. This guy(I’d say kid, but we’re the same age) continues to knock it out of the park. As I mentioned in my Captain America: Civil War review, he manages to find the perfect balance between Peter Parker’s nerdy side and Spider-Man’s quippyness(is that a word). They mesh perfectly and transition into each other perfectly naturally. Both sides at times shine into each other but not enough to compromise the other, if that makes sense.

Next up we have Ned, played by Jacob Batalon. This character was hysterical and had some of the funniest moments in the movie. And his chemistry with Tom Holland was fantastic. Here’s hoping we get plenty more of him in future movies. What’s that? He’s rumored to show up in Infinity War? Sweet.

Now let’s talk about Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture. If there’s one thing even hardcore fans of the MCU can agree is a big issue with the MCU, it’s that their villains are usually pretty weak with only a few exceptions. And Vulture is one of those exceptions. Michael Keaton is phenomenal in this movie. He has such a menacing presence on screen and yet at the same time, you do kind of sympathize with him and understand why he does what he does. You don’t condone it but you at least understand why he thinks the way he thinks. And the twist! Holy crap! I think my heart stopped for half a second when it happened. It was so good. And hey, if you’ve ever wanted to see Spider-Man vs. Batman… watch this fan trailer. https://youtu.be/F9dhGwOjEg4 Man that’s awesome.

One aspect I really enjoyed, despite the small amount of time devoted to it, was the dynamic between Peter and Tony. It’s interesting seeing Tony act the way he does i this movie because it is like a direct reaction to the events of Captain America: Civil War. https://youtu.be/L_20kj2FiZQ What I especially love is the line about wanting Peter to be better than him. You can see it in his eyes what he’s referring to and it’s great moment of acting from RDJ.

I will admit, I was disappointed we never got an actual teamup between the two in the movie. Yeah, this epic shot from the first trailer?

Not in the movie? This LEGO set that depicts a showdown with the two fighting Vulture?

Never happens. What the heck LEGO?

So apart from that and some very tiny gripes that I can’t even remember, there’s not much wrong with this movie. I recall thinking the pacing felt off the first time I watched it, but the second time I watched it, that feeling was gone. The story and writing are great, the cast is great, the action is great, the humor and tone are great. Once again, this might just be my favorite Spider-Man movie and it’s definitely one of the most fun times I’ve had at the movies this year. I hesitate to call it perfect but I will still give it a high score of 4.75/5 Webs.

Okay, so I will be trying to get back into writing more reviews soon. We’re just about a month away from The Last Jedi so that means it’ll soon be time for another Star Wars Retrospective, for which I have something special planned for one part. I also had an idea recently for a new segment called Directors Showcase, where I look at a film from the director of a recent/soon to come blockbuster and look at the film or films they are/were previously best known for. Ones I’m considering doing are Taika Waititi’s(Thor: Ragnorak) film What We Do In The Shadows and Rian Johnson’s(Star Wars: The Last Jedi) Looper. Let me know what you think. See you next time.