Spider-Man: Homecoming

Marvel is going a little differently again. Spider-Man draws heavily on teen and high school comedies from the 1980s, and it's in the moments when the lovable Tom Holland tackles the problems of an ordinary teenager that the film is most entertaining. Spider-Man lags a bit in the action, which is unfortunately especially evident in the finale, but it's still a solid above average film. Plus, it can lean on the excellent Michael Keaton, whose villain is more interesting than he first appears. The two actors' scenes together are the strongest moments of the entire film. It's all the more disappointing that Jon Watts overstays his welcome unnecessarily and that he's a little short on the visual effects scenes. Still, it's a very fine Marvel film that tries to embrace the comic book genre a little differently than the previous ones. And I kind of like it that way. (16/08/2017)

The latest Marvel movie delivers a brisk, action-packed story with a likable (and rejuvenated) cast and an unforced amount of humour. Tom Holland does his part as Spider-Man very well, Robert Downey Jr.'s brief appearances are always worthwhile, and Michael Keaton is really charismatic as the main villain (he's good at "winged/flying" characters, by the way – Batman and Birdman). It's quite obvious that the film is very much aimed at a young audience, but thankfully it manages not to slip into infantilism. All in all, a nicely made flick that, while it doesn't work as well as the Avengers team-ups or the second and third Captain America films, still holds up decently above average. (01/09/2017)

From the sympathetic protagonist to one of Marvel's finest protagonists to Giacchino's music, almost ubiquitous but unobtrusive humor and one very mildly unexpected twist... Everything is done right here. I'm not gonna blame Spider-Man for targeting a younger audience when Peter Parker is a teen this time. On the contrary, it is an advantage, because from his age stems the great desire of a boy to be big, to belong somewhere and to be useful, which drives it all forward. The latest addition to this comic book family is, in short, a lively spectacle that does not hold things back with things we've already seen (Spider-Man's origin and so on), but tells something new nicely, clearly and with ease. (06/07/2017)

At last Spider man filmed right! Coming into the Marvel fold brought the desired emphasis on story and the endeavor not to repeat needless fatefulness paid off. Young Parker is a really nice guy and loser, which were the main ingredients that past adaptations were unable to put across with any success. Maguire was a jerk from the outset and Garfield was unnecessarily sullen. Under Stark’s command, it all colors out nicely and his dialogs with the suit lightens everything up a little. Keaton as Toomes is one of Marvel’s best bad guys. On a classic, but dynamic story level, Homecoming gives us an original twist on Parker’s bad luck. The action scenes are handled excellently. The comedy scenes are even better. The scenes with the tubby friend are super. Giacchino’s music outstrips any preceding spider composers with playful melodies and even some variations of old TV themes. P.S: Birdman is back! (09/07/2017)

Spider-man is probably the only comic book that has never quite managed to target the right kind of audience and choose an adequate image. The first attempt was the most mature, and things went downhill from there. At the moment, after a short break, the protagonist has changed and from a fresh adult who can hardly buy alcohol in a shop we have a superhero who has a hot ID. Whether this teen move is good or bad is hard to say, but there is no significant move forward, it just came from somewhere else, and the result is average again. There are highlights, of course. The boat scene (already in the trailer) is impressive and everything about Keaton as the main villain is a treat (the conversation in the car is incredibly tense), but the action, in general, is not so good and there isn’t much of it. And the schoolyard banter and the artificially grafted femme fatale who makes it difficult for the spider-man to make a decision about (not) saving the world is there just to give the story a dramatic arc and the main character a life dilemma. (28/09/2017)