Spiderman: Homecoming
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is recruited by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) for the Stark Internship Programme, with a view to him training to become another superhero. Stark encourages him to lay low for a while and resume his studies at his local high school. Meanwhile, a mysterious character known as the Vulture (Michael Keaton) sells alien weaponry on the black market after Stark Industries put his salvage operation out of business several years previously. Him and his associates attract the attention of your friendly local Spiderman despite Stark encouraging him to stay out of trouble.
I was initially concerned about the tone of this film after an opening which features a hyperactive Parker excitedly filming and narrating his exploits at an Avengers training camp with his phone. Fortunately it settled down and I rather enjoyed Holland's take on the character as a 15 year old struggling with the dual challenges of school and being a superhero. It's not explicit but the ethos of "With great power comes great responsibility" lies under the surface here. Parker feels like a kid in a candy store when he first comes to realise how many powers he has at his disposal, but only gradually does he learn the importance of harnessing those abilities and restraining himself from acting impulsively.
Holland is backed up by a strong supporting cast of young actors. A young woman apparently known as Zendaya in the real world brings a dry wit to her role as one of Parker's fellow pupils whilst it's good to see Tony Revolori again after The Grand Budapest Hotel, who entertains as Peter's sneering rival. Jacob Batalon also performs well as Parker's close friend Ned, who struggles to keep the secret he unwittingly stumbles upon and gets some great comedic moments later on in the film.
I've enjoyed a lot of Michael Keaton's output of late and here he plays an understandable if not exactly sympathetic villain. Most of the film's action sequences are distinctive but the climatic battle reminded me a bit of Wonder Woman, a lot of crash bang wallop CGI effects but not a great deal of nuance. You may find yourself having to forgive a couple of major plot contrivances too. But it's a lot of fun spending time with Holland's Spiderman and I have a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr too. Spiderman: Homecoming continues a run of good to excellent superhero outings on the big screen this year.
I was initially concerned about the tone of this film after an opening which features a hyperactive Parker excitedly filming and narrating his exploits at an Avengers training camp with his phone. Fortunately it settled down and I rather enjoyed Holland's take on the character as a 15 year old struggling with the dual challenges of school and being a superhero. It's not explicit but the ethos of "With great power comes great responsibility" lies under the surface here. Parker feels like a kid in a candy store when he first comes to realise how many powers he has at his disposal, but only gradually does he learn the importance of harnessing those abilities and restraining himself from acting impulsively.
Holland is backed up by a strong supporting cast of young actors. A young woman apparently known as Zendaya in the real world brings a dry wit to her role as one of Parker's fellow pupils whilst it's good to see Tony Revolori again after The Grand Budapest Hotel, who entertains as Peter's sneering rival. Jacob Batalon also performs well as Parker's close friend Ned, who struggles to keep the secret he unwittingly stumbles upon and gets some great comedic moments later on in the film.
I've enjoyed a lot of Michael Keaton's output of late and here he plays an understandable if not exactly sympathetic villain. Most of the film's action sequences are distinctive but the climatic battle reminded me a bit of Wonder Woman, a lot of crash bang wallop CGI effects but not a great deal of nuance. You may find yourself having to forgive a couple of major plot contrivances too. But it's a lot of fun spending time with Holland's Spiderman and I have a soft spot for Robert Downey Jr too. Spiderman: Homecoming continues a run of good to excellent superhero outings on the big screen this year.
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