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For several years now, Marvel’s Avengers have battled bad guys and dominated at the box office—but they’ve been missing a pretty high-profile member of their team. Finally, though, after way too many ho-hum adventures in his own separate world, Spider-Man is finally where he belongs—in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Spider-Man: Homecoming catches up with Peter Parker (Tom Holland) months after making his official superhero debut. Though he’s anxiously awaiting his next mission, the call never comes, so he passes the time by attempting to fight petty crime while waiting for something bigger. One evening, while patrolling the neighborhood, he encounters men using strange weapons—and, as he investigates deeper, it leads him to the Vulture (Michael Keaton), who’s been stealing alien technology to build weapons for the black market. And bringing the Vulture to justice seems like the perfect way for Peter to prove himself.
Each hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has his own style—a style that makes his films stand out from the others. They can be grand and epic or hip and flashy or quirky and comical. And Spider-Man: Homecoming once again feels completely different—while still fitting neatly into the Universe. It’s action-packed and fun-filled, it’s young and geeky, and it’s absolutely bursting at the seams with teenage exuberance and enthusiasm.
And that’s exactly as it should be. After all, Peter Parker isn’t an alien deity, a cocky billionaire, or a war hero; he’s a 15-year-old kid who lives in an apartment with his aunt. He has a lovably nerdy best friend (Jacob Batalon), he has a crush on a girl from school (Laura Harrier), and he’s in way over his head. He’s a teenager with grown-up abilities—and that causes him to believe that he can handle way more than he really can. Of course, it also leads to plenty of conflict as he constantly ignores the advice of Tony Stark and Happy Hogan (Robert Downey, Jr. and Jon Favreau), getting himself deeper and deeper into trouble.
The film is filled with likable characters—from adorably earnest Peter and his excitable side-kick to unlikely father figure Tony Stark and lovably long-suffering Happy. Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes makes an interesting villain, too: a diligent, working class guy whose determination to provide for his family and do the right thing for his employees eventually leads him down a dangerous path.
The story, meanwhile, has a different size and scope. It isn’t as big and bold and explosive as other Avengers movies, and it doesn’t have as many over-the-top action sequences—because Peter is still growing as a superhero. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not still thrilling. Peter’s story is dynamic and exciting in its own unique way. He saves his classmates from certain death in the Washington Monument instead of saving New York City from a massive alien invasion. And its somewhat smaller scale gives the film a more personal, intimate feel that will endear audiences to the character for what we can only hope will be many more MCU adventures to come.
With its lovably naive young hero, its easy-going sense of humor, and its often nerve-wracking action, Spider-Man: Homecoming is everything it should be. Fans of Spider-Man, Marvel superheroes, or popcorn blockbusters in general won’t be disappointed.
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