Spider-Man: Homecoming

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)

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)

I am slightly shocked. A director, who has so far shot only a couple of B-rated horror movies, suddenly elevated his movie career with a film that is probably the most entertaining Spider-Man story ever. It is true that they played around a bit with the character of Spider-Man so it would be best if you immediately forgot about Sam Raimi’s original trilogy. They turned him into this poor superhero who can’t do anything, who sucks, and is literally a pain in the butt of the famous Stark Industries. Michael Keaton is also no two-dimensional villain but surprisingly a rather real person who really surprised me with his role. A precisely targeted humor that makes out Spider-Man to be a poor thing is surprisingly very nice and the high-school setting is very beneficial. Surprisingly, a very well-done Marvel movie. (12/03/2018)

Quite a surprise. Before the screening, I would have said that the thematic chest around the spider hero had been emptied by the completion of the Raimi trilogy, but Kevin Feige at Marvel proves time and time again that he knows exactly what he wants to do and how to do it. Homecoming's weaknesses, though, are precisely that it doesn't bring anything too original to the general Spidey themes around the dream girl or his loserism, and that it is a bit skeletal in its attempts to connect the overarching Avenger level to its own story, but it remains a highly entertaining and light-hearted piece that Marvel has been missing from its mosaic – that of the boy within the superhero, a boy who, in addition to the bad guys, has to deal primarily with himself and his teenage problems. One of those comics films that is not so visually imaginative, but definitely the most thoughtful, which benefits a lot from the characterful and unconventionally human villain performed by Michael Keaton. Nowhere near as rushed and forced towards the impending massive team-up as I feared. (01/01/2018)