Diamond Braxton

By: David Meija

                                               *This review contains spoilers*

At first glimpse, Spider-Man: Homecoming could be expected to be a corny movie that is too childish for anyone older than twelve. However after watching it, the only part that was annoying was Parker’s friend in the chair, Ned. Aside from Ned, this film was very impressive. The antagonist, Vulture (played by Michael Keaton), was one of the few villains whose opinions and motives were well-grounded compared to other antagonists in Marvel films. The Vulture’s self-awareness lead to an interesting contrast between him and Spider-man. He is also much older and gives off the feeling that he has been through it all, and in contrast, Peter Parker is just an eager kid who wants to be a super super-hero. There are many moments throughout the film that clearly show Peter Parker is a kid, but one in particular stands out.

In the third act of the film, The Vulture destroys the pillars of a building while battling Spider-man, leaving the hero crushed under the building’s rubble. In the next shot, he’s crying and screaming for help. Simultaneously, Parker and the audience realize that Spiderman is just a kid and by no means is he the strongest person in the world. On the other hand, there’s the Vulture who lost his job and is only trying to fend for himself and his family. It’s not so black and white which is depictive of real life. The Vulture’s actions had to be somewhat far-fetched (because it is a superhero movie after all), yet this film doesn’t do what other Marvel films do. Take a look at the “Avenger’s Formula”: bad guy tries to destroy the world, Avengers save the day. In this film, Michael Keaton has a business dealing weapons, but in no way is he trying to destroy the world nor is he trying to destroy New York City; his goals are somewhat reasonable for a villain. His motives make the film interesting because you can identify with his reasonings just as much as Peter Parker’s.

            This film is a breath of fresh air, but there are some flawed moments. Ned being the overly annoying friend asking all these questions and then touching the Spider-man suit, reminds me all too much of the kid who can’t keep his hands to himself. There are also the trailers which made moviegoers expect a larger and more central part from Zendaya, MJ. It seemed though that her purpose was only for witty remarks and a reveal that promises the performance we all expected to come in later films.

            Despite the few flaws, this film made me feel like a kid again. It sparked something inside of me because the picture was so fun. I remember thinking to myself, “this is why I want to be a filmmaker.” It was the camera movements, Spider-man swinging across the screen, it was a fun experience despite its flaws (which there were very few). It is worth a watch if you want to have a good time, and if you have any bad expectations then just go to prove yourself wrong. It seems that the director knew what story he wanted to tell and he made sure that it was told every minute. This film wasn’t distracted even on its small scale, and it’s definitely worth a trip to the theater.