Spider-Man 2 (2004) Movie Review

   One of the very first cartoon shows I ever watched regularly as a kid was the 90’s Spider-Man series. However, while I enjoyed watching the show back then, I never called myself a fan of Spider-Man. I never read the comics, I didn’t really know any of the characters, and I didn’t even see the first theatrical “Spider-Man” movie when it premiered way back in 2002. Then everything changed in 2004, when I went with my friends to see “Spider-Man 2”.

From that point on, Spider-Man became one of my all time favorite superheroes. I was first drawn to this movie when I saw that Doctor Octopus was going to be the villain, because I remembered him as my favorite from the cartoon show I grew up with. Plus, way before the first theatrical Spider-Man movie, I remember seeing this amazing advertisement for Universal Studios, which was featured on the old VHS tape of “Babe: Pig in the City”. It was a live action add that featured Spider-Man fighting Doctor Octopus on the wing of an airplane, which was really cool, and got me excited for the possibility of seeing them battle in a real theatrical 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. Now 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 sense 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 get’s 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 land lord 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 any more. 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, every day 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 hero’s, 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 really powerful 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. I should also note that “Spider-Man 2” gives us our first taste of "on the nose" Jesus symbolism in a comic book movie. I’m whiling to let it slide here, but I hate how that’s become such an obvious cliché, especially in all those "Superman" movies. Also holding 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. The conflicts between Harry and Peter work very well, but they never overstay their welcome either.

  Now even though “Spider-Man 2” feels less like a typical superhero movie and more like a drama, it’s still not without some great-A comic book material. Case in point, the villain Doctor Octopus is one of my all time favorite super villains I’ve ever seen in a movie. Granted he was already my favorite of Spider-Man’s foes, and it was great to see him brought to life on screen, but the movie makes all the right decisions with how to make an interesting character. Unlike the Green Goblin, this guy isn’t evil just for the sake of being evil. He’s fuelled with rage after the death of his wife and the failure of his experiments, and because of this, the Doctor finds himself dominated by an evil influence to continue his work.

I like that the doctors project is part of his dream to accomplish something meaningful, and it’s not just a dooms day device for the hero to destroy. Alfred Molina nails the role of Doctor Octopus in every respect, he looks the part, and channels the duality of the villain with perfection. With his four mechanical arms, and dark sarcasm, he definitely comes off as both a menacing and dominate threat, but we still feel just the right amount of sympathy for him too. 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. This scene was shot like a horror movie, and echoes back to the directors earlier “Evil Dead” movies. 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.

   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 are on film, it’s some of the best the superhero genera has to offer. This movie even won the Academy Award for best special effects, and it’s always a treat when a film of this sort gets Oscar recognition.

 “Spider-Man 2” also features two of my all time favorite action scenes ever! The first is the battle at the bank, which escalates into an awesome dual on the side of a building. Seeing two super-powered characters fighting on the side of a building is something I’ve only dreamed of, and seeing it come to life here was riveting. The layout, the energy, and a well placed Stan Lee cameo would have been enough to call this my all time favorite Spider-Man fight, if it weren't for what's coming up next. Obviously the 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. Now even though I love this film, I will admit it’s not the most consistently entertaining comic book movie either. It’s definitely a slower passed movie, but that’s not a negative as it all goes to developing the characters. It’s just that I have to be in the right mind set to appreciate this film.

   Now for all my praising the morals, drama and fleshed out characters, this is still a comic book movie, and it still has that cheesy, silly charm you typically get from Spider-Man. There’s some really odd moments with the supporting cast, where they deliver these over the top reactions, and it almost takes me out of the film. The montage set to the song “Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head”, shows just how silly the film can be, but it’s also quiet enjoyable if you can accept it as a directors 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. That reminds me, even when watching the Spider-Man cartoon as a kid, I only paid attention to the hero, and the villains. Because of that, I have “Spider-Man 2” to thank for introducing me to all the human characters like J. Jonah Jameson, Aunt May, and even our heroes girl friend Mary Jane. Now Mary Jane is admittedly one of the weaker merits of the film, as I didn’t think her relation with Peter was always that interesting. They do have their great moments, but only near the end of the film. During the climax, Marry Jane is a damsel in distress again, but this time it’s absolutely warranted. After a thrilling rescue, Marry Jane finally see’s that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and it’s a deeply satisfying revelation. 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 personally is my favorite finale of the whole 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, and it's just so satisfying. Spider-Man then 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, 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.

Once again we hear the 60’s Spider-Man theme song, but this time it’s a modern version performed by current talents, which this theme song really needed. On a side note, just before the premier of “Spider-Man 3”, this movie had an extended cut released on DVD 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. I also like this one scene in which Mary Jane is hanging out with a best friend, who’s concerned if MJ is marrying a guy for the right reasons. While the friend is annoyingly direct, it’s still nice to see that Mary Jane has a social life, and the scene dose add to her arc. 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 that just won’t shut up. Personally, I just ignore all that silly stuff, and still prefer the “2.1” version for its select moments and extended battle scenes.

  It goes without saying that I think “Spider-Man 2” is one of the absolute best film in the web-heads theatrical film series by far, but I’d go further to call it one of the all time greatest super hero movies. It’s one of those rare comic book adaption’s that doesn’t feel like a typical superhero flick, in fact it actually 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, so you just have to be in the right mind set to appreciate it. If you look on any list of greatest movie sequels, you’ll commonly see “Spider-Man 2” among them. This concludes my series of Spider-Man movie reviews for the month, and whether the new Spider-Man films can deliver or not, “Spider-Man 2” still stands as one of my all time favorite comic book adaptations, as well as the template for how to make a near perfect Spider-Man movie.

I give 2004’s “Spider-Man 2” ... a perfect 5 stars out of 5.


The End

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

NOTE: (This 2017 post has been replaced with a review of a 2019 movie just to maintain consistent Spider-Man movies review's through the month)

 

    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.  

   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. However, those are small potatoes when compared to the experience overall. Also, despite once again being set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it still feels like a self-contained Spider-Man series, with cameo’s and references utilized sparingly. Of course, Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury is always a welcome presence, but he never steels the show from the hero. 

    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, I’d honestly place “Spider-Man: Far From Home” among my top three favorite Spider-Man movies, and just a hair above the previous “Spider-Man: Homecoming”. Tom Holland simply knocks 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 let’s remember to support our hero’s outside of the comics.

Up Next a review of "Spider-Man 2"

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

  2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” was intended to be a launching pad 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 I found to be perfectly decent, but everyone else was quick to right-off as the first truly bad Spider-Man movie. It 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 actually got me more excited than either of “The Amazing Spider-Man” movies did. 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 this my favorite Spider-Man I’ve ever seen in a movie. So, things were starting strong, but how would he do in his own film? Well, the following year 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 sense 2004’s “Spider-Man 2”. Many even view this as the absolute best Spider-Man movie, and while I personally don’t think it delivered the same punch as 2004’s “Spider-Man 2”, it’s unmistakably in the same ball-park, and in general one of my favorites from Marvels Cinematic Universe.  

 

  Let’s first do a quick recap of the “Spidey” events of “Captain America: Civil War”, in which 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 genuinely views the young Spider-Man to be a potentially better hero then even himself. Thus, 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 it’s the first in a new Spider-Man series, but the story it’s not 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. After three different film series, this was the first Spider-Man performance that felt absolutely perfect on all grounds, as he was outstanding in equal measure as both Spider-Man and as Peter Parker. While I do still have a lot of love reserved for Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of Peter Parker, I also found him to be a boring superhero. Andrew Garfield on the other hand was very entertaining as Spider-Man, but mediocre when out of the costume. 

Tom Holland shines across the board, 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, as it always felt the model example of a young kid beneath both the costume and his title of “man”. Another element this film got right was the costume, as it both looked great, and even added to the narrative structure of the film. Initially, Spider-Man is given a slick new costume, which has its own A.I, added gadgets, and even power enhancements. However, he lets the novelty 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, which again serves the narrative. 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 heroes 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 loosing 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, A.I with a built-in personality, and I’ve always wanted to see Spider-Man’s web-wings in a live action movie.   

  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, and I couldn’t imagine it working for a second in a live action film. 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 fly’s 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, I initially found it amusing that Michael Keaton, the most famous actor to play Batman would be casted as a Spider-Man villain, but I was not prepared for his performance. Needless to say, Michael Keaton knocked my socks off. 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 atmosphere 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. In fact, my favorite of Spider-Mans TV shows was “The Spectacular Spider-Man” series, which also made his high school setting feel like a character, and as a result, it made “Spider-Man: Homecoming” feel the closest to a live-action adaption of my favorite web-swinging animated series. 

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. Usually in this situation, the person discovering his identity is a big deal to the narrative, yet Ned from beginning to end is just a normal, goofy pal, unlike Harry Osborn of the previous films who was anything but an average person. I really enjoyed Zendaya as the classmate “MJ”, who’s this 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, and I really liked that Liz was just a normal, sweet high-schooler.

   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 in a very special and unique way. This film has no shortage of entertainment, but it takes a different approach from the more traditional fight scenes. My favorite action set-piece of the 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. This happens mid-way in the movie, where in other Spider-Man films we’d see our hero in an exciting fist fight with the main villain.

Yet, I was far more engaged just by watching Spider-Man attempt to scale this tall building in an effort to rescue his friends. It was tense, suspenseful, and still featured all the cool acrobatics and fun you’d expect from the character. Another unique, yet highly entertaining sequence was when Spider-Man chases down this van with the illegal arms dealers. The catch is that this chase is set in an area without any tall buildings for our hero to web-swing through, which was both funny and a unique situation that we’ve never seen him in before. The chase ends with his first encounter with the villain, and while they don’t have much of a fight, it’s still highly satisfying, and I loved that the action leading up to it was akin to something from “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”, right down to a visual reference in the background. 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. Still, seeing our hero use his webbing to try and bring the ship back together was great, and echoed back to the train scene from “Spider-Man 2”, in which he used his powers in an effort to slow down an out of control train.  

  Now 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 super heroes that live among them, and one of my favorite little details was seeing a small group of school girl’s discus 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. I also loved how the film opens with a recap on the events of “Captain America: Civil War”, just from Peter’s perspective of taking in the experience. Another fun detail was seeing those bank robbers dressed as the Avengers, which lead to some funny Spider-Man quips. The film also makes terrific use of a Captain America cameo by having him appear in several amusing little high school PSA’s throughout the film. I also liked this cold opening set just after the battle of New York from "The Avengers", as it set the ground work for our villain, while highlighting how tight the present day story is with the MCU. 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 heroes 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. On that note, I enjoyed seeing some Iron Man alumni like Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts in small, but sufficient roles. Actually, I never thought I’d see Pepper Potts in an MCU movie again, so it was a real treat to see her and Tony tie the knot.  

  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 regards 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. Now I’ve been waiting to see the Scorpion in a live action movie ever sense the first film, as he’s always been one of my all-time favorite Spider-Man villains. So, I really hope that this is a sign that the Scorpion will be appearing in this new series. The film also makes great use of featuring the Shocker as a small B-Villain. Most fans hate when multiple villains are crammed into one film, but this worked very well, as Shocker was never a main villain from the comics, and wasn’t treated any differently in this movie. In fact, he was just an interchangeable henchman that never reached the same A-Villain status of the Vulture, and that little bit of extra evil always adds some nice flavor to a superhero film.

  Even the climax is very unique, as it progressively builds, and covers a range of different locations. It all starts 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 where our hero and villain have another exciting exchange, and the action just keeps building from there. The most impactful moment of all is when this finale re-creates one of the most iconic moments from all the Spider-Man comics. Said moment being when our hero is trapped under fallen rubble, he’s in pain, exposes his vulnerable side, yet reflects on what his true strength is, and finally emerges as the hero he always was on the inside. It was a short, yet very powerful moment that really captured the spirit of the source material. Spider-Man and the Vulture then have their 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 one distracting little detail is that the backdrop is a theme park, which neither of our players touch. Personally, I’ve always wanted to see a superhero battle in a theme park setting, and this would have been a perfect opportunity to do something there. Still, despite not taking advantage of a theme park setting, 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 “Spider-Man 2”, but I still find it to be 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. 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 over time, I could see this becoming my favorite of Spider-Mans individual film series. Lets just hope the sequels can maintain the same spirit and charm that makes “Homecoming” a winning 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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