Spider-Man: Homecoming review: How does it impact Infinity War?
By Alex Hodgson
What worked?
Tom Holland
Of course, I have to start by praising Tom Holland’s portrayal of the character. I remember watching the scene in Peter’s bedroom during Civil War and saying to myself, “THIS is Peter Parker.” Thankfully, Spider-Man: Homecoming improves on this, and then some.
One of the criticisms of previous Spider-Man films is the fact that they’ve never quite got the balance right with the character. Whereas Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker was spot on, his Spider-Man lacked the wittiness associated with the character. Andrew Garfield delivered a brilliant Spider-Man, but his Peter Parker was met with a mixed response.
Perhaps due to Marvel’s influence, Holland is able to marry the two parts of the character together perfectly. He demonstrates Peter’s sense of responsibility beautifully and this shines through to his Spider-Man. Take the final battle when even after Toomes has tried to kill him numerous times, Peter still tries to save him when his wing-suit explodes.
Simply put, Holland is the heart and soul of the film.
The villain
If there’s one area the MCU has needed to improve in general, it’s the villains. However, Spider-Man: Homecoming does not suffer from this problem. Michael Keaton’s Vulture is a genuine threat to Peter Parker who also has a sympathetic element.
Straightaway, we see that Toomes is a man who’s trying to provide the best life for his family. When the Department of Damage Control arrived and took over his salvage operation, he was understandably aggrieved. From then on, he built his wing-suit and began scavenging alien artifacts to sell to the highest bidders.
When he crosses paths with Spider-Man, the young hero immediately decides he has to stop the “flying monster guy.” This causes Peter some troubles in his normal life when it’s revealed that Toomes is actually love-interest Liz’s dad.
I certainly didn’t expect this when I saw the film and the twist actually made Toomes more dangerous. It didn’t take him long to figure out that his daughter’s boyfriend was Spider-Man and Keaton played this gleefully. He truly was an excellent villain.
If this be my destiny…!
The defining moment of the film was a direct adaptation of one of the most iconic Spider-Man comic books. After Toomes buries Peter under a pile of rubble, we’re treated to a scene reminiscent of Amazing Spider-Man #33. Any Spider-Man fan worth their salt will have read this issue and seen the impact it has on the character.
Peter finds himself trapped underneath the ruins of the Master Planner’s base and he’s totally exhausted. On the verge of death, he begins to think of his family and friends. The memories encourage him not to give up and give him the strength he needs to free himself.
In the film, it’s Tony Stark’s words that motivate him to free himself, but the impact of the scene is no less amazing. I was overjoyed at one of the most quintessential Spider-Man moments being recreated on screen. It was truly a sight to behold.
Now, we’ll move on to what didn’t work out so well (I won’t lie, this was difficult)…