Spider-Man 2 (2004) Movie Review

  When it came to my initial childhood upbringing on the character Spider-Man, I was a very passive fan and didn't really form any attachment to him the same way I did with other iconic superheroes I grew up with. I certainly appreciated his iconic status, his cool presence and I even watched the fondly remembered 90's cartoon series, but I never viewed myself as a true "fan boy" of the character. 

Even when Sam Rami's classic 2002 "Spider-Man" movie first came out, I didn't see it in the theater and wasn't immediately drawn to it. All that changed in 2004 when my cousins and I saw the theatrical sequel to Sam Rami's hit ... "Spider-Man 2". From that point on, Spider-Man became one of my all-time favorite superheroes. My first draw to this movie was the villain Doctor Octopus, who was my favorite foe from the cartoon show, and he even stared in this awesome little advertisement for Universal Studios, in which he and Spider-Man battled on the wing of an airplane (and featured on the old VHS of “Babe: Pig in the City”). It was great and got me excited to see them battle in a real movie. Needless to say, both the villain and the action lived up to my expectations, but it was the emotional focus on the characters, and the themes of the film that went above and beyond anything I had expected.

  The movie begins with a gorgeous opening credit sequence, featuring hand drawn paintings that recap all the events of the first movie. Again, I personally saw this movie before the first film, and this opening helped clue me in on everything I needed to know. A year has passed since Spider-Man defeated the sinister Green Goblin in the first movie, and now the city is safer than ever. Unfortunately, while the city prospers, Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker gets noting for it in return.

Actually, it’s worse than that, Peter Parker gets shunned for it. He can’t hold onto a job, he’s failing classes, and all of his family, friends, co-workers and even his landlord see him as just a plain lazy bum. It’s not for a lack of trying ... he just can’t be everywhere at once. It’s just a tragic thing that’s happening to our hero, and it’s a very human situation I’ve never really seen before in a superhero film. With all the internal stress and conflict building up inside, Spider-Man suddenly starts losing his powers periodically. I really like that his failing powers are psychosomatic, as it makes this a story about the person behind the mask. With his life getting more and more complicated, Peter Parker throws away his costume and refuses to be Spider-Man anymore. As a result, Peters life finally starts shaping up again, but now it’s the city that’s suffering for it. I feel that the classic line of “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” is showcased better here than in any other incarnation of Spider-Man, as we do see his struggle between his life, and the safety of his city. Eventually the movie gives us a side plot involving a super villain with a dooms day machine, which fits just fine in a comic book adaption of this sort, but the focus is still on the human condition of our hero.

 The first Spider-Man movie was all about building the superpowers, but the sequel is all about the struggle of a regular, everyday guy with those powers. The arching theme of “Spider-Man 2” is sacrifice ... it’s about giving up what matters to us in-order to accomplish something meaningful to the world at large. 

There’s a beautiful scene in which Aunt May gives this heartfelt speech on what characterizes regular everyday people as heroes, and it really gets to me every time I hear it. While the themes and morals of the movie are all very inspiring, and the film also boasts a great deal of drama that makes me feel for the characters. There’s a touching moment in which Peter has this inner dream sequence of him talking with his late Uncle and stating that he’s never going to be Spider-Man again. Moments like this get me more invested than any amount of flashy spectacle can achieve. We also have Peter Parker finally confessing to his aunt that he’s responsible for the death of his Uncle Ben from the last film, which was like an Oscar worthy moment that didn’t rely on obviously sad music, and just stuck with the solid performances from our two actors. Also carrying over from the first film is the death of the wicked Green Goblin, who was revealed to be the father of Peters best friend Harry Osborn. Now Peter has to deal with the guilt of taking his father away from his best friend. Harry himself is desperate to take his vengeance on Spider-Man, which lays the foundation for more intriguing character conflict. 

 While this movie achieves honors for its dramatic moments, it's thoughtful character beats and mature themes ... it’s still a campy comic book movie at the end of the day, but those elements are done great too. Case in point, I was set to like the villain Doctor Octopus, but I left the film viewing him as one of my new, all-time favorite super villains I’ve seen in a comic book movie. Unlike the Green Goblin, the Doctor finds himself dominated by an evil influence to continue his work and see his dream to fruition.

In fact, the doctor aims to accomplish something meaningful, he just can't see past his machine as a failure. Because of this, it not just a random dooms day device for the hero to destroy. Alfred Molina nails the role of Doctor Octopus in every respect, as he looks the part, and channels the duality of the villain with perfection. Even with his sympathetic merits, the foe still has an exciting presence with his four mechanical arms, a sense of menace and dark sarcasm. One of his best moments is the hospital scene, in which his monstrous side really takes over, and the poor doctors feel the extent of his wrath. I also love the practical effects of his mechanical arms, as in many shots those arms are real props, and the CGI is only used when needed. Even the relationship between the hero and the villain was handled perfectly. I liked how the doctor was Peters professional mentor, which gave them just enough of a connection before they slip into their costumes.

  On a side note, this movie was nominated for both Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and even won the Academy Award for Best Special Effects, which is great. It’s always a treat when a film of this sort gets Oscar recognition. While the effects dazzle, they don't overstay their spectacle either, as it's just the right amount. I really admire the filmmakers for taking a step back from all the special effects and giving us a more character focused film. 

Both the action and special effects are used sparingly, but when they're on screen, it’s some of the best action the superhero genre had to offer for its time and still looks great today. Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus's first clash at the bank and escalating to the side of a building still looks awesome and gets me thrilled. However, the films greatest action scene of all is the deeply thrilling battle on the train. After all these years, this fight still gets me pumped, and I just love how creative this whole sequence gets. We have Spider-Man getting dragged on the road, balancing himself while hanging onto the side, and ducking oncoming trains and bridges. It’s just one big feast for the eyes, and definitely one of the all-time greatest battle scenes from any superhero movie. I also love when his mask gets damaged, and he just pulls it off regardless of his identity. The scene ends on a high note as Spider-Man practically sacrifices his body to stop the out-of-control train. 

 I will say, for all this film strengths ... it certainly has its corny elements, which may be acquired taste for some viewers. Many of the extras have over the top reactions or mannerisms, and the comedy can be hit or miss. The music montage set to the song “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” is very silly, but it’s also quite enjoyable if you can accept it as a director's quirky style.

 Some of the comedy dose work, and I especially love the opening Pizza delivery scene. The absolute best comedy comes from the newspaper manager J. Jonah Jameson, who hates Spider-Man. He’s the kind of jerk I just love to hate, and J. K. Simmons is extraordinary in the role. To be honest, I think it’s one of the all-time greatest casting choices for any comic book movie ever. Let's finally talk girlfriend ... as I feel Mary Jane is one of the more mixed elements of the film. I felt their "will they, wont they" conflicts got a little repetitive, but they do have some great moments. During the climax, Marry Jane is a damsel in distress again, but this is the only time it felt warranted because of the revelation that follows. After a thrilling rescue, Marry Jane finally see’s that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and it’s a deeply satisfying moment to see that both her rescuer and her lover are the same person. The past two movies have built to this moment beautifully, and it’s like this great wait has been lifted when she sees the man she loves for the hero he really is.

 On that note, let’s talk about the climax, which is still my favorite finale of the whole "Spider-Man" series. Doctor Octopuses machine goes into meltdown, causing serious damage to the city, and our hero swings in for one final showdown with the villain. While the fight itself is riveting, I love that Spider-Man doesn’t defeat the bad guy though physical force. Instead, he takes off his mask, revealing his identity and has a very deep back and forth talk with his enemy, even relaying the very same morals of sacrifice that his aunt May previously told him. This helps the Doc to regain control of his arms, and in one final move, he sacrifices both his dream and his very life to destroy the machine. It’s awesome to see Doctor Octopuses, one of Spider-Mans most lethal foes make a full reformation, and I love how just before he sacrifices his life he exchanges one silent look with our hero. With zero dialogue, every “I’m sorry for what I’ve done”, and “Thank you for bringing me back” is captured perfectly in that one look, and it’s just brilliant film-making.

 Even when all the action is said and done, the movie continues to thrill as Harry gets a ghostly visit from his late father and discovers the Green Goblins lair of weapons. It’s a great scene that upon my first viewing got me thrilled for a sequel, even though I still hadn’t seen the first film yet. Now days, cliff hangers like this only exist for the sake of setting up more sequels, but this was a natural progression of the story and didn’t feel like added fluff. Once we get to the epilogue, it leads into the first, and only happy ending of the Spider-Man series thus far. Mary Jane refuses to go through with her marriage and chooses Peter Parker. Then our hero has one last epic swing through the city, and just before we cut to black, we get one last knowing look from Marry Jane that things aren’t going to be easy for them, which is a perfect book end to how the movie started ... with a close up of her face on the billboard.

  Much like its predecessor, “Spider-Man 2” has a soundtrack that’s very much a product of its time, with the main selling song being “Ordinary” performed by Train. 

Its average, but I do genuinely love the song “Vindicated” performed by Dashboard Confessional. Something about this song captures a feeling of tragedy and heroism, which fits right along with the films tone. As final note, this movie had an extended cut released called “Spider-Man 2.1”. For the common viewer, I’d just recommend sticking with the original theatrical cut, but I personally enjoy the “2.1” version a little more. The action sequences are longer, and I really like some select conversations added in. Peter and Harry have a much deeper conversation regarding how Harry wants Spider-Man dead the same way Peter wanted his Uncle Bens killer dead. Mary Jane is also given more scenes to expand her character, which is very welcome. I will say that the new comedic and silly moments added in are really bad. There’s a shockingly goofy moment with J. K. Simmons playing around in a Spider-Man costume, and the once funny scene with Spider-Man in the elevator is now replaced with an annoying fan boy who just won’t shut up. Personally, I simply ignore all that silly stuff, and still prefer the “2.1” version for it's select moments and extended battle scenes.

 It goes without saying that I think “Spider-Man 2” is one of the absolute best films in the web-heads theatrical film series by far, and it still holds ground as one of my favorite superhero movies. It’s one of the rare comic book adaptions that feels like, well ... a real movie, one that just happens to have a superhero in it.

Now of course “Spider-Man 2” still has cheesy moments to make fun of, and it’s admittedly not the most consistently entertaining superhero film, but I feel the quality elements of the film surpass any faults. It's a solid sequel that properly builds on the groundwork of its classic predecessor. While it can be debated if “Spider-Man 2” really is the best of the web-heads films ... it's certainly the instalment I look back on with the most fondness, as it's the film that really sparked my love for the character. It's one of my favorite comic book adaptations, as well as the template for how to make a near perfect Spider-Man movie.

Thanks for reading my review of the 2004 sequel “Spider-Man 2” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love! 


The End

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) (Movie Review)

  With “Avengers: Endgame” bringing a long running cinematic story-arc to an effective close, you’d think things would start winding down for the MCU … well, not for Spider-Man … he still has new adventures for use fans to experience. After experiencing the high that was Marvel’s “Endgame” arc, as well as 2018’s “Into the Spider-Verse”, I almost had to force myself to get excited for a new stand-alone Spider-Man film. Yet, I still have great fondness for the previous “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, and I was obviously open to see where Tom Holland took the hero next. Much to my delight, the 2019 sequel titled “Spider-Man: Far From Home” reminded me why I love this new live-action Spider-Man series and gave me hope that more terrific superhero movies can still come in a post “Endgame” world. Really quickly, I loved the opening shot of the Columbia Logo dissolving into a statue, as details like that always get me hooked … although I’d still like an opening credit sequence ... is that really so hard to ask for?  

  Anyway, following after the events of “Avengers: Endgame”, all who were blipped out of existence have now returned, and have to adjust to being away for six years, while also lamenting The Avengers for their sacrifice. Most notable of all is the death of Iron Man, who’s demise are putting pressure on our favorite web-swinger. 

In a clever bit of writing, Iron Man has become the figurative Uncle Ben for this version of Spider-Man. Now, our hero feels he isn’t ready to fill the void left behind by his great mentor. As such, Peter feels it’s finally time to take a break from being a hero, and go on a vacation across Europe with his class ... and possibly confess his feelings to his high-school crush MJ. Right off the bat, I love the concept of taking Spider-Man away from his home turf, and giving him a different adventure outside of New York. These are the simple change-up’s the web-head needs to feel fresh with new sequels. The trip starts a little rocky for Peter, as Nick Furry appears out of the blue, lending Spider-Man special glasses left behind by Tony Stark, which give our young hero control over weaponized drones orbiting the planet. As if there weren’t enough surprises, Spider-Man finds himself facing various elemental monsters, who continue to put his classmates in danger wherever they go. New on the scene is an apparent superhero calling himself Mysterio, who forms a partnership with the wall-crawler to stop these new monsters. However, is this new hero really a friend, or is this just one big scheme to win Spider-Man’s trust … or more specifically, a ruse to get those new weapon controlling glasses.      

 Just like with the pervious “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, the appeal of the film comes from the overall feel and tone of Peter’s school world. I love these side characters, most of the comedy works, and it’s just the overall feel of a teen series with superhero elements that gives this new series it’s charm. It’s just cool to be engaged by these films without relying on action, as I’m content just being in this world with these people. Then when the exciting spectacle goes down it’s like … “Oh yeah, I forgot this was a superhero movie”. A comic-book movie is absolutely doing something special when I’m not waiting around for the battle scenes, and they take me by surprise. I will admit that some of the filler in the first half could have been trimmed down, and there were some cringe jokes that didn’t always land. One especially forced joke involving Peter Parker taking off his pants killed the moment for me Fortunately, the film was slowly able to recover after that face palming moment. Of course, Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury is always a welcome presence, and while he functions in the plot, a part of me wishes he set this adventure out.  

  Another thing I love about this new Spider-Man series is the consistency with the villains. Instead of victims of random Science Projects, these foes are regular blue-collar workers who all drew the short stick in their careers and are now adapting to the larger-than-life comic-book world around them to accomplish their goals. For this venture it comes in the form of Mysterio, who’s using some of Tony Starks technology to parade himself as a new hero. It makes for a fitting parallel to Spider-Man, who’s trying to honor the legacy of Iron Man without replacing him, whereas Mysterio really is trying to be the next Iron Man saving the world from high-level threats. Jake Gyllenhaal is effectively charismatic in the role, and his relation with Peter Parker works. Despite being a facade, you get the sense he has a reserved sense of respect for the web-head, and the two have an engaging dynamic. While I’ve personally never been the biggest fan of the Mysterio character from the comics, it was still exciting to see his classic design on screen, and his story arc was fitting for the character, just presented on a larger scale.    

 Tom Holland once again shines as my favorite live-action Spider-Man to date, even though I still have fondness for the previous two portrayals. Each series brings something special to the character, but Tom Holland just has this infectious charm that wins me over every time. It’s also different to see multiple Spider-Man costumes utilized in one film. It once again keeps things feeling fresh when each set-piece features our hero in a different outfit. All the returning performers from “Spider-Man: Homecoming” are once again delightful, with the most pleasant surprise being Zendaya as MJ. I must admit, following after the last movie, I didn’t know if she’d work for me as a love-interest, but she has her own distinct charm that separates her from other girl-friend characters, and the two share some genuinely sweet scenes. I love that this MJ is clever enough to call Peter out on his secret of being Spider-Man, and even her reaction to getting that right is priceless.  

 The action scenes are all fine and keep the film entertaining for us comic-book fans, but like I said, this isn’t a film that requires too much action for me to be satisfied. Good thing too, as Mysterio doesn’t lend himself to thrilling physical action like his other enemies do. 

Regardless, Mysterio has his own exciting means to battle Spider-Man, which leads me to one of my favorite sequences of any Spider-Man movie … Mysterio’s illusion battle with Spider-Man. Once our hero discovers that Mysterio is a fraud, he goes on the offensive, unaware that his enemy has an ace up his sleeve, and traps our hero in an illusion nightmare sequence. This whole scene is extortionary, and one of those rare special moments in which I felt I was watching something new in a Spider-Man movie. Not only is the scene pivotal to the plot, and bursting with stunning imagery, but all the visuals have subtext that ties into the hero’s journey, and it elevates this confrontation as more then just a flashy spectacle. We have the corps of Iron Man rising from the grave, Spider-Man battling an army of himself, and even the image of him trapped in a snow-globe of New York can be interpreted as our hero being confined to his responsibilities to his city. I love the way this battle is staged, he tries to punch an enemy only to hit a wall, and leaps what he believes is a short drop only to fall down a building. It’s just a great sequence, and easily my favorite scene of the movie.  

 Of course, it takes a simple heart to heart with Happy Hogan to get Spider-Man back on his feet, and I love this little moment when Peter is building his suit, and Happy shoots this emotional look that he's just like a young Tony. Afterword, we get a climax that's smaller scale, yet still worthy of the web-swinger. Mysterio set’s-up one last grand illusion in London, saving the world from an Avengers level disaster, while he dispatches his drones to kill Peter’s classmates, as they too know his secrets. Our hero soon arrives on seen to bring down the illusion, and battles waves of lethal drones in the process. Again, the stakes are refreshingly simple, but the battle still feels grand and exciting. Plus, it’s great to finally have a climax in which Spider-Man is battling robots for once, as opposed to yet another physical fight to the death with the main villain. Also, I love seeing Peter’s classmates get involved in the action, as they all work together to fight off the attacking drones. As a side note, it’s great to have MJ in danger, without making her a damsel again. As the battle winds down, Mysterio realizes there’s no chance of winning, so he stages both his death and the attack to look like it was orchestrated by Spider-Man himself. Now that’s what I call a smart villain … who even in death manages to ruin our hero.

 Peter’s identity is revealed to the world, we get an amazing cameo from J. K. Simmons in his signature role as J. Jonah Jameson, and the movie effectively closes on the absolute greatest cliffhanger of the whole franchise thus far. As for that final post credit scene with Nick Fury being an alien the whole time … I think that was added as a safety-net incase fans would complain about Fury getting duped so easily. One last thing I need to mention was an extended cut of the movie that was released theatrically for a limited time. I regrettably didn’t see it, and it has yet to be released on any kind of home media. Is it too much to ask for some kind of video release for the extended cut of “Spider-Man: Far From Home”? I mean, I know what scenes were added in, and they don’t affect the movie too much … but I’d still like to see it.     

 In the end, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is probably the "least best" of Tom Hollands excellent series, as some of the comedic details do try my patience, but it's still firmly among the hero's positive outings. Tom Holland simply knocked it out of the park again with another winning Spider-Man film, and he’s still easily my favorite live-action portrayal of the character to date. Again, it was just refreshing to see our hero out of his element, swinging in different locations, and facing some deceptive new threats. Also, this series once again proves to have my favorite ensemble of supporting characters, and my favorite tone/feel of any live-action Spider-Man incarnation. Throw in a terrific villain, a nail-biting cliffhanger, and I haven’t been this excited for another live-action Spider-Man sequel sense back in 2004.

Thanks for reading my review of the 2019 sequel “Spider-Man: Far From Home” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!

Up Next a review of "Spider-Man 2"

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) (Movie Review)

 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” was intended as a starting point for a new live action films series centered around our favorite web-headed hero, and truthfully, I was on board with it. Unfortunately, it didn’t amount to more than one sequel, which got mixed reviews and made less money at the box office then any of its predecessors. Thus, the damage was done, the series was canceled, and it meant rebooting the franchise once again, which really annoyed me at first. I hated the thought of starting the hero’s story over again from scratch, for a third round, and in a very small-time span. 

The one difference between this third Spider-Man and his two predecessors is that he would be part of Marvels Cinematic Universe, and the thought of seeing him alongside the likes of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and The Hulk seemed promising. Tom Holland then made his triumphant debut as the wall crawler in the 2016 movie “Captain America: Civil War”, and even though he was only a side character, I immediately fell in love with this portrayal and instantly declared him my new favorite Spider-Man. The following year of 2017 saw the debut of “Spider-Man: Homecoming”, the first of the web-heads new series, and strait to the point … this was his best movie since 2004’s “Spider-Man 2”. While I wouldn't call this the absolute best Spider-Man movie, but it was a welcomed change-up for the character, with a fresh personality, and has its own distinct fun-factor different from previous outings. 

 

 Back in “Captain America: Civil War”, the young Peter Parker was recruited by Iron Man to go on a mission. However, he wasn’t just selected for his amazing powers, as Tony Stark saw a truly selfless young man who’s just trying to do whatever good he can, even if it’s only in small measures. Now eight months later, Iron Man wants to keep some distance from the web-head, not out of disappointment, or lack of caring, but because he views the young Spider-Man to be a potentially better hero then even himself. As such, he wants him to just keep looking out for the little guys and help those that the Avengers can’t always be there for. On the opposite side of this coin, the larger-than-life events of “Civil War” have left Spider-Man wanting to do more, go on bigger missions, and finally prove himself a worthy Avenger. Thus, when he discovers a small band of thieves selling illegal weapons laced with alien technology, he takes it upon himself to put a stop to their enterprise, but in doing so, he ends up causing more problems than he solves. To make matters worse, his actions against the weapons dealings lead to our hero confronting his first real enemy, a deadly winged scavenger called The Vulture. Caught in the middle is his High-school life, best friend, and a girl named Liz, whom he has a crush on. The first thing I loved about this premise is that while it’s the first in a new Spider-Man series, the story isn't a re-tread of the same formulaic origin tale.

 Before I get lost in the many wonderful details of the film, lets first look at the hero himself, Tom Holland as Spider-Man. While I do still have a lot of love reserved for Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of Peter Parker, and Andrew Garfield's entertaining presence as Spider-Man, Tom Holland shines across the board and is perfect as both aspects of the character. He’s full of energy, full of heart, and is brimming with personality. His age also plays a big part in bringing the character to life. 

Even the new costume, beyond looking great, added some structure to the narrative, he lets the novelty and features of this new suit go to his head, and he ends up becoming a little reckless. We eventually get to a point where Iron Man takes the suit away from him, which forces our hero to go back to this pathetic old costume that isn’t as flashy. Typically, the big moral for Spider-Man is “With great power comes great responsibility”, but this film conveys something completely original ... “If you're nothing without the suit, then you shouldn't have it”. That was so refreshing, and poignant to the narrative of our hero's story. What I love most about this film is the simplicity, yet relevance of Spider-Mans story. “Spider-Man 2” was all about the sacrifices a hero has to make, while “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is about never losing sight of what made you a good man to begin with. On a side note, I absolutely loved all the added details of Spider-Mans suit, including the stealth drone, taser webs, web-wind and A.I voice with a built-in personality, curtesy of the always welcomed Jennifer Connelly.    

  Naturally one of my favorite things to talk about in a Spider-Man review is the villain, and this time it comes in the form of The Vulture played by Michael Keaton. I was initially skeptical about The Vulture as a villain, because the concept of an old man flying around in a bird costume always came off as silly to me. Much to my surprise, not only did The Vulture surpass my low expectations, but he also added something to the film that was very refreshing and unique. 

Whenever he flies off into the night, he doesn’t really act like a super-villain, he doesn’t have any evil goals, he thankfully isn’t another victim of a science experiment, he’s just a normal guy trying to make ends meet, and by scavenging weapons, he makes some coin to provide for his family. That was such a welcome concept for a villain, and while it didn’t excuse his actions, it did make me identify, and even sympathies with him on some level. The Vulture costume itself was a terrific upgrade from the comics, but it still kept the same feel of the character. There were also some striking visuals, especially seeing him perched on the roof of a building like a predator ready to swoop down and strike at his prey. Of course, Michael Keaton of Batman and Birman fame knocked my socks off in this role. He was menacing, intimidating, but also kind of witty, and theatrical. This is one case in which the villain didn’t need to rely on a cool costume design to come off as exciting, because every second Michael Keaton was on screen, he just owned the spotlight. I loved his energy, I loved how he just threw himself into this performance, and very naturally he fit the role.

  My personal favorite addition to this movie was the care and development of Peter Parkers High School world. I absolutely loved this setting, I loved the personality of it, I loved all the different students, teachers and how they played off each other. In essence, Peters high school setting became a living, breathing character in of itself, and it gave the movie its own special identity. Even the setting of Queens felt like a character, and I enjoyed all the little details, like Peter being a close friend with the manager of a small corner store. Speaking of friends, let’s talk about Peter’s high school buddies, who all add something special to the experience. 

Peter’s best friend Ned was a great addition, as he was charming, and I liked that he was the only one to know his secret identity. I really enjoyed Zendaya as the classmate “MJ”, who’s a socially awkward kid that no-one can figure out, and she’s always popping up at the most random places. At last, we have Peters high-school crush named Liz, and I really admired the simplicity of their relationship. I always felt that the previous movies shoved the romance in my face, while this relationship was still relevant, but kept to the side lines, and it just made me care more. There was something sweet about their brief interactions that made me genuinely want to see them get together. 

  Of course, one of the key ingredients to any Spider-Man film are the action scenes, and once again, this is where “Homecoming” stands apart from the other films in series. This time the action is framed more around desperate situations as opposed to straightforward fights with a villain. 

My favorite action set-piece of this movie is when Peter’s friends are trapped in an elevator at the top of the Washington monument, and we see Spider-Man desperately racing to the top to save them before the elevator supports give way. Truthfully, I was far more engaged just by watching Spider-Man attempt to scale this tall building in an effort to rescue his friends then most of his traditional battles. It was tense, suspenseful, and still featured all the cool acrobatics and fun you’d expect from the character. There's also a fun chase in which our hero is stuck in an area without any tall buildings to web-swing through, which was both funny and a unique situation that we’ve never seen him in before. The closest we get to a traditional Spider-Man action set-piece is the battle on the boat, which was cool, but truthfully, I didn’t like it as much as everything else that came before it. 

  While this movie absolutely works as a standalone Spider-Man movie, it also works great as part of Marvels Cinematic Universe. It’s all shown from a unique perspective as The Avengers aren’t the focus, yet we see the impact they made on the world around them. It’s so cool to see how the little people of the world view the superheroes that live among them, and one of my favorite little details was seeing a small group of schoolgirl’s discuses which Avenger they’d want to date. 

It’s a side of this cinematic universe never explored before, and it made this world feel all the more real as a result. The film also makes terrific use of a Captain America cameo by having him appear in several amusing little high school PSAs throughout the film. At last, this film absolutely nailed Tony Starks involvement in the film as a father figure to Peter, without making this an Iron Man crossover. The marketing certainly made it look like Iron Man would play a big part, but he’s thankfully seen sparingly in the film, yet contributes just enough to be relevant to our hero's story. It was almost like a passing of the torch, as Iron Man was the golden child of the MCU, the one who started it all, but Spider-Man was always Marvels mascot in the comics, and now the web-head is ready to be the new poster boy of the series.  

 We also have common Spider-Man movie clichés that are given an effective retooling in this film. For example, we eventually learn that The Vulture is also the father of Liz, the girl Peter Parker is crushing on. While the concept of someone close to Peter also having a tie-in with the villain has been done to death, it was the execution of this revelation that was so effective. 

The scene in which the Vulture gradually discovers Peter’s superhero identity was riveting, and it leads to one of the most unique conversations I’ve ever seen between a hero and villain that I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie. While he threatens Peter the same way any villain would, he also talks to him the way a dad would talk to a young man dating his daughter. I liked that he was grateful to Spider-Man for rescuing his little girl and genuinely wanted him to treat Liz to a nice date, but he also won’t hesitate to kill him if he interferes with his plans again. It’s such an interesting dynamic, and it makes this one of the best hero/villain relations of any Spider-Man movie thus far. 

I also loved how the Vulture keeps us guessing in regard to what he’ll do next knowing Spider-Man’s identity. We see him keep the secret to himself from other criminals, but we don’t know if it’s out of a new formed respect or if he’s got a personal vendetta. By the way, the criminal who approaches him is one Mat Gargan, who we comic fans know as The Scorpion, whose one of my favorite Spider-Man foes, and have been waiting to see in a movie for the longest time ... regretfully, this series made me wait even longer before we actually see him adorn his Scorpion armor. The Shocker is also present as a small B-Villain, which is okay, but not very memorable. 

 Even the climax is very unique, as it progressively builds, and covers a range of different locations. Things kick-off at the high school Homecoming dance, then escalates into a scuffle in the parking lot with Shocker, then a car chase to the Vultures base and the action just keeps building from there. This finale also replicates a famous moment from the comics in which Spider-Man is trapped under fallen rubble and emerges triumphantly. It's a well-acted scene but this feels like the wrong movie to replicate such a powerful moment from Spider-Man's legacy. It really should have been saved for a more serious film. Naturally, everything escalates into a big showdown in the sky, with a clocked ship being the main set-piece. It’s absolutely riveting, and it presents our hero with yet another unique challenge, as his powers are severely limited when combating the tense wind conditions. The two then wrap up their battle on the beach of Coney Island, which is effective enough, but personally, I’d have preferred the theme park itself as the setting as opposed to the beach. Still, this was still a riveting final battle that stands apart as a great one in the Spider-Man series.    

    

 In the end, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” doesn’t reach the same emotional highs, or even subtext present in other Superhero or Spider-Man offerings, but I still find it to be one of the most “fun” of the web-heads movies to date. It’s colorful, funny, exciting and effectively fits within Marvels Cinematic Universe, while never losing its identity as a standalone Spider-Man movie. Truthfully, Spider-Man was always the superhero of my childhood, and I don’t think any other Spider-Man movie has made me feel more like a kid again then this film did. Despite being limited on memorable battle scenes, it’s still a lot of fun, and just a real delight to experience. The cast is great, the villain is memorable, and it's a winning start to a new series. Let's just hope the sequels can maintain the same spirit and charm that makes “Homecoming” a strong entry in this lone running franchise.

Thanks for reading my review of “Spider-Man: Homecoming” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!   

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