On July 7, 2017, the world was taken by storm by yet another Spider-Man movie. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” tells the story of 15-year-old Peter Parker and how he navigates life as a new superhero. Under the leadership of Tony Stark, Peter struggles with restrictions in his daily life, believing he should be doing more for the community. Tired of being treated like a kid, Peter embarks on a mission to stop the “Vulture” and prove his worth to the Avengers. He defeats the villain, but still gets treated like a child. I am sorry if the summary has bored you; it is not an interesting tale to tell, but rather one of extraordinary normalness.
Many know the origin story of the great Spider-Man, a struggling teen who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and receives unique powers. He chooses to use these powers for good and becomes a superhero for the city of New York, traveling the vast city by swinging on webs. While many expect Spidey’s abilities to allow him to make the web in his body, this version of the hero cannot. It is quite disappointing to find that the powers given to Peter do not include creating webs, which is the most prominent ability spiders possess. The creation of the web fluid does show Peter’s intelligence, but it’s nothing miraculous. There is no “wow factor.” There is nothing more than what is expected of him, and that is disappointing.
The villain in the movie, known as the Vulture, is one of the most unimaginative characters out there. The predictable plot shows that the normal guy with electronic wings actually happens to be the father of Peter’s love interest. The design of the Vulture is a discounted Green Goblin without any of the fantastic gimmicks. The typical father is illegally selling weapons produced from an alien power source to support his family. He begins to figure out who Peter is and wants Spidey away from his daughter. It does not take a genius storyteller to write this sort of plot, it only takes someone literate.
While there isn’t much good about the movie, the highlight is clearly the casting. Tom Holland put on a wonderful performance as the new Spidey and swooped in to steal the hearts of many. The actor brought a youthful energy to the character, giving a sense of lightness to the impending dooms brought about by the MCU plot. Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon, showed true friendship and devotion to Peter. Famous star Zendaya also put on an incredible performance in her role as MJ. Zendaya brought mystery to the character, highlighting the uniqueness and intelligence of the girl who was meant to steal Spidey’s heart.
While the introduction of Spidey into the Marvel universe was an important event, the movie just didn’t make sense. It was very unimportant to the overall plot of the MCU and provides no significant changes other than the introduction of new characters. The plot to defeat the Vulture is comparable to when a teacher assigns busy work: it serves no purpose. The Marvel franchise is supposed to be above the creation of useless movies for expecting viewers. But after this movie, it is not clear that they are.
Overall, the movie was sub-par. There was nothing spectacular about it, and it simply doesn’t stand out in comparison to other MCU movies. It was an underwhelming introduction of new characters into the universe, but it served that purpose all the same. After careful consideration and review, “Spider-Man: Homecoming” has been rated 2.5 stars. 🆅
The opinions expressed within this piece are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of North Mecklenburg High School or the Viking Voice.