BLOOD WORK: SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING (2017)

When Marvel Studios announced the slate for Phase 3 Spider-Man was still a secret or the deal with Sony wasn't finalized yet. Then once Spidey showed up in Captain America: Civil War word was out and Marvel Studios shifted their schedules to accommodate for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel were all pushed back several months and The Inhumans were deleted from the slate altogether. All this for yet another Spider-Man solo film and the third attempt in 15 years to start the franchise. Needless to say I wasn't very happy about this news.

SELF-AWARENESS

Of all of Marvel's characters Spider-Man is easily the most popular and well written of them all. He's one of the most storied and beloved Marvel characters, accessible, and all around "Amazing." He's worthy of all the praise and love heaped upon him. I am well aware of this and feel he is a wonderful character. But for me personally he's not my favorite. He's not on my top ten and he may not even be on my top 25. It's not because I think he's a bad character or that there's something wrong with him. It's just that I tend to gravitate towards different character types. My top three Marvel heroes are Hulk, Ghost Rider, and Silver Surfer (interpret that as you will). But, for the record, I do think Spider-Man is a great character. I think his Rogues Gallery is one of the best of any hero too.

So... what did I think of the sixth solo Spider-Man film, a film I never wanted and was disappointed when I heard it was announced?

I really liked it!

THE PLOT

Peter Parker returns from Berlin after helping Iron Man battle Captain America. Peter is high on the thrill of being a super hero and itching for the next Avengers mission to be a part of. Balancing school life with super heroics proves to be harder than he thought as one aspect suffers and one flourishes. Iron Man is constantly trying to talk Peter down from this super hero aspiration but Peter refuses to listen. When a real threat arises Peter finds himself in a situation that may be too big and deadly for him to handle.

THE WHY?

So, if you're like me you're probably asking "Why should I see yet another reboot of Spider-Man?" What makes this movie worth the money and time?

What makes this Spider-Man special?

WHAT I LIKED

SPOILERS AHEAD

Playing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The sole reason that makes this Spider-Man stand out from all the rest is that it is firmly rooted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a world so vast and unique from almost any other in film. While taking place in New York City it isn't our New York City but the MCU New York City and everything that comes with it. The movie opens days after the events of the first Avengers film. City contractors are working on salvaging the remains of the Chitauri aliens and technology. The Chitauri technology is what enables the criminals to design and create their weapons in the film. Then the movie jumps eight years and we get to see Peter's video diary of going to Germany, fighting in Civil War, and his trip home with Tony Stark, the whole time Happy Hogan is chaperoning.

Iron Man doesn't hog the screen nor does he steal any moments from Spider-Man, which is good because it's Spidey's movie. But having Iron Man and Happy Hogan in the movie was great and I loved every moment they were present. Then, if you saw the trailers, you'll remember that Captain America makes an appearance doing High School PSAs. He only shows up in these PSAs but there are more than one of them, and they are great. To sum it up, the filmmakers do such an amazing job of incorporating the rest of the MCU into this movie that no part of it feels unattached in some way. They even talk about the disaster in Washington DC with the Triskellion. And lastly, the film does a great job of placing Spidey within the MCU, his level of heroism, and where he fits on the playing field with all the other heroes.

Michael Keaton. Let me just say that all the actors in the film do a fantastic job. Tom Holland does a great job once again. But Michael Keaton stole the show for me. He actually made The Vulture into a three dimensional character and a great character at that. He feels real for a change, as opposed to the normally flat two dimensional villains of the MCU. Mainly he paints the picture of a real human being dealing with real problems, a man layered in shades of gray. I feel the Vulture is one of the most well done villains in the entire MCU... never thought I'd ever say that. Michael Keaton, once again, you prove you are the best.

John Hughes 80's Teen Comedies. There are two veins running through this movie: one is that of a super hero film and the other is that of an 80's teen comedy a la the master, John Hughes. I love 80's comedies and most definitely John Hughes' films. As of late I have been growing very fed up with the heavy handed comedy injections into the MCU films, especially in Age of Ultron and Dr. Strange, although I do enjoy those movies quite a bit. Here I couldn't help but enjoy myself. I thought the humor was used well and the fact that it felt like 80's comedies endeared it to me more so. Marvel also employed the humor at the correct moments instead of engaging in their typical Bathos execution.

NITPICKS

I don't really have any. Nothing that bothered me while watching anyway. I really let my critical meter run down and just enjoyed the movie. I will say that some of it did feel like "Spider-Man Moments" and by that I mean it seemed very familiar to the previous Spider-Man films, specifically the action sequences, not all but some. I did find myself zoning out during some of the more familiar Spider-Man moments. I mean, that's gonna happen given this is the seventh film to feature Spidey in about double the number of years. I love action sequences. Like, really love action sequences. These action sequences were very fun but nowhere near Winter Soldier, Dark World, or Civil War intensity (in my opinion).

THE VERDICT

Marvel Studios delivers another fun film and, given that it's yet another take on Spider-Man, that's saying something. They proved that there is still great entertainment left in the Spider-Man franchise. The 80's comedy running through the film was infectious and just plain enjoyable. It worked for Deadpool, why not Spider-Man (they're essentially the same character anyway (one being the rated R version of the other)) ? The acting is great all around and Michael Keaton steals the show. For someone who never wanted this movie to begin with, I am pleased that it exists and will definitely add it to the collection.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10