Marvel as Sony attempts to save their film company with one movie. A “gamble” that pays off because it doesn’t matter what anyone says – if you have even the slightest interest in this movie, you’re going to see it. It’s Spider-Man. Even when people didn’t like what the franchise was doing, they still saw it in overwhelming numbers. And that surprises nobody.
Now, I should be upfront – I am super biased. I love Spider-Man; he’s my favorite superhero. This movie was no exception to my love, though I will try to keep it toned down.
Pros:
·The movie is fun. It’s humorous, many of the characters are endearing, it’s bright and colorful. It’s just a very enjoyable experience.
·Tom Holland is delightful and does an excellent job. He’s very believable. I often saw his portrayal post-Civil War as a great Peter Parker and Spider-Man; I fully agree with that sentiment. He delivers the Spider-Man quips very well and he really feels like this adorable 15-year-old who just wants to do good.
·The rest of the cast, who thankfully don’t overshadow the main character. The younger cast do feel like teenagers. They look, talk, and act like teenagers. Shoutout to Jacob Batalon who plays best friend Ned for his performance as well.
·Everything feels grounded: The stakes are important, but they’re not world-ending. It’s a realistic fight that Peter is engaging in. No wars, no beam to the sky, just a simple matter of needing to stop something bad that’s happening. Also, Spider-Man is powerful, but there are things he can’t do. It makes him feel more human.
Cons
·Why are movies so long? Don’t get me wrong, give me a good amount of content, considering movies aren’t cheap, but these runtimes are getting a bit out of hand. Sometimes you’re just aware that you’ve been sitting for a while.
·The score. The music just felt like it wasn’t…enough. I don’t know the best way to fully describe it. It has a superhero movie feel, but not in the way that makes you feel hyped up or interested. It’s as if something is missing; not quite hollow, but on the borderline.
·The opening does nothing for me. I understood the importance of it, and why they put that set up in the beginning, but I still found myself wondering when the real movie would start. Luckily, we get that new, fancy Marvel opening following that, and it restores the excitement.
·Super frustrating double-meaning theme where they keep emphasizing that Peter is inexperienced, yet they don’t communicate with him and act as though he should have known and understood how some things were developing. How about just talking to him?
Those are all just highlights, but there are some other observations that stuck with me. My biggest concern going into this movie was the way they advertised certain characters being in it. Yes, I’m primarily talking about the prominence of Tony Stark. He was in the movie a fair amount, but it didn’t take away from Peter’s story. What I mean is, the Spider-Man movie felt like it was actually about Spider-Man. Some others heavily advertised feel like they’re practically not in the movie.
Some of the jokes felt a little forced; at times Spider-Man would joke around and it felt a little try-hard and almost annoying. But that may have been intentional because of his age. Also, how is it that Peter and his friend, Ned, are deemed as losers for liking Star Wars collectables at a math and technology school? Come on, there’s a big cross-section there.
All in all, good, solid movie. I like what they did with Peter’s story. He’s just trying to figure out his identity and where he fits in with world of heroes. It was fun and interesting and I can’t wait to see what they do with him next.
And yes, there is a post-credits scene and a post-post credits scene.
