The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic:
on SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017, 133 minutes, PG-13)
The Quick of It -
Damn you Sony and Marvel.
You made me fall against the grain with this one. I avoided being overexposed to the hype, trusting
in the ‘new product’ they seemed so sure of.
I enjoyed both the Maguire and Garfield Spider-mans… Spider-men…?? I didn’t want to feel cheated with this hasty
decision for a new face. They were
respectable versions of a very well-liked comic book hero and each contributed
to the lore in their own way.
Marvel, in their infinite wisdom, had to say, “We need to re-skin
Spider-man so we can include him in CIVIL WAR.”
I will admit, after the circus in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, dancing between
too many subplots, they seemed almost justified. Still though, it was not a bad film. The idea of having a third Spider-man in such
a short period was not a popular call, a risk for sure. And the hurdles to get two mega-studios to
agree to terms, seemed insurmountable.
Well, we got a young, naïve Parker as a result. His bit part in CIVIL WAR was enough to tease
the potential. In those moments, they focused
on the cleverest of ways to make him shine and get you hungry for more. To their credit, Tom Holland (of THE
IMPOSSIBLE and LOCKE) was a terrific casting choice. He makes you a believer in their vision. But, the piper calls and you must answer with
that solo film.
From the start, HOMECOMING being released in a year filled
with great titles does make things a bit tricky. Let’s see… LOGAN, JOHN WICK 2, GURADIANS 2,
ALIEN: COVENANT, GET OUT (the sleeper of the bunch), PIRATES… Even WONDER WOMAN far surpassed anyone’s
expectations, the naysayers having to eat crow. And this was only the lineup for the first
half of the year.
Unfortunately, when all said and done, HOMECOMING fell short
for me.
The film’s acting highlights surrounded Holland and Michael
Keaton. They carried this film. Love RDJ / Stark, but he took away from
Parker’s intellectual savvy and the chance to truly demonstrate Parker’s cocky,
snide confidence. With that, not having
another origin treatment with the new face, and the powerhouse we have come to know
as ‘The Keaton’, troubled waters were ahead.
From the opening scene, Keaton grabbed at our heartstrings by being the
more likable and relatable character. I
was rooting for the Vulture by the end.
This was best villain treatment from Marvel thus far. HOMECOMING should have been his story.
I am not sure what the writers (there were many) and director
Jon Watts (of COP CAR and CLOWN, not a strong resume) were thinking, but this
should not have been it. HOMECOMING was
lackluster in comparison to the other blockbusters of the year and seemed a
little garbled in plot development and the final action sequence. I believe they got caught up in dropping a
crap ton of Easter Eggs for the future that they forgot they were currently in
the middle of telling a story. The humor
felt more contrived because of the choppiness even though it stands as the
cornerstone of the Parker tradition.
I would agree if you said these are harsh words, but they
needed to be said. People have been
drinking the Marvel juice for years now and need to realize the bar set by the
MU’s stronger films requires more attention to detail and patients as new ones
develop. Although a fun joyride as
people will tell you, don’t be dazzled by the Hollywood tricks while they make
money off mediocre projects. Again,
pro-Vulture… this film was a tragic tale.
Grade: B-
