Spider-Man Homecoming 3D Movie Review

Review Written By: Adolph Vega

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3D

The 3D for this movie is not spectacular or amazing but it is good. It can be fun to watch this movie as Spider-Man travels around New York and objects fly from the background to the foreground. One early scene with a bank robbery was very interesting to watch in 3D because many dollar bills were floating around and popping out of the screen. The 3D visuals looked nice but it didn’t blow me away or really capture my imagination.

Final Verdict: Good 3D

Movie

This is the sixth overall Spider-Man movie but the first within the Marvel cinematic universe. This movie feels new and different and makes sense within the grander marvel cinematic universe.

The main plot of this movie is simple yet effective. This movie showcases Peter Parker / Spider-Man after the events of "Captain America Civil War”. Peter Parker / Spider-Man wants to have another big adventure, but is stuck in high school. Eventually Spider-Man discovers that local criminals are buying and selling some powerful weapons and he attempts to stop them. Peter Parker has to balance his school related priorities, being a superhero and his personal relationships all at the same time. Secret identities are not a big aspect within the marvel cinematic universe, but it works perfectly within this movie. Tom Holland's portray of Spider-Man / Peter Parker is very charming and funny. The movie has a fantastic supporting cast that work well together. This cast has a wonderful chemistry together and they play off each other’s lines in a realistic and enjoyable fashion. I never doubted that these actors felt right in a high school setting, and they did a fine job of showcasing “the high school experience" without falling for all the typical clichés and usual tropes. The movie works well as both a superhero movie and a high school friendship movie.

The main villain of this movie is that of the Vulture. The Vulture is an interesting character, and the movie does a wonderful job of setting up his backstory. As the viewer you can clearly understand his motivations and you can easily sympathize with this character. This villain is fleshed out and is not a one-dimensional archetype. The great Michael Keaton expertly portrays the Vulture. I found him to be threatening yet grounded in reality, and I really enjoyed his performance on screen. The Vulture is easily one the best marvel cinematic villains. The vulture is not interested in world domination or conquering the universe, he just cares about himself and his family. I find this simplicity to be very refreshing. The Vulture is an excellent addition to this movie and is a well-developed villain.

This movie is set in the grander Marvel Cinematic Universe and generally it works well for this story. You will see several mentions of the previous Marvel movie stories and marvel characters within this movie. The movie has many Marvel superhero cameos. Sadly we don't see any cameos or mentions from the current Marvel TV shows. I understand that the Netflix TV shows have adult content (Dare Devil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist) and are a different demographic from typical Spider-man movies, but the fact remains that this movie and those TV shows are all set within the same New York City. It seems bizarre to why Marvel refuses to connect these TV shows with the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe and why this movie refuses to acknowledge those Marvel TV shows. At times the movie feels overstuffed with Marvel cameos so why they couldn’t include a quick Dare Devil line or something small like that is beyond my understanding. At times it seems like Spider-Man can simply phone a friend for assistance at any time, and it can become jarring when some characters enter the scene at the most convenient moment. The marvel cinematic universe references work well to fill in the details of the story, but at times it can be a little too cute.

I do have some minor issues with this movie. I have a problem with how it changes a key aspect of the character of Spider-Man. It just doesn’t feel right to exclude this distinctive Spider-Man attribute within this movie. Another negative aspect is how clumsy Spider-Man is portrayed within this movie. Spider-Man looked more agile and seasoned in "Captain America Civil War" (which happens before the events of this movie) than within this movie. It seems like a blatant continuity error and it seems very odd. Some of his sloppiness can be explained by the story elements within this movie, and how his suit is more advanced because of the technological engineering of Tony Stark (Iron man). This sloppiness makes Spider-Man more relatable but at the cost of cheapening his character’s abilities . I also had a problem with how the movie rushed many story elements. The movie refuses to allow Peter Parker to enjoy many scenes with his school friends. The movie never allows Peter Parker to enjoy his life, even for a little bit. I understand that the character has to make sacrifices to be a superhero, but it seems rushed for the sake of revealing the next action scene and is not totally natural to the story. I also had a problem with a specific action scene toward the end of the movie. This action scene feels anticlimactic and slopped together with cheap special effects. The problems I have with this movie are relatively minor but are worth mentioning.

The movie is extremely entertaining and has a wonderful sense of humor. The movie tells its story seamlessly and it hits all the right tones with the cast. I have seen all the previous Spider-Man movies but I have never seen one exactly like this one. This movie feels fresh and new and works well for what it is. I enjoyed the different locations the movie visits and how creative it is with the new Spider-Man suit. The movie has a wonderful villain and many enjoyable action scenes. The movie flows well, is fast paced and is tightly edited. The movie does have some problems but they don’t substantially ruin the movie. Overall this movie succeeds more than it disappoints and delivers a fun enjoyable movie. Tom Holland is an excellent Spider-Man and I look forward to seeing more of his web slinging antics in the future.