I know what you’re thinking. Haven’t we been here before? How many times do we have to go through a Spider-Man remake only to be hit with the same ‘that was good but not GREAT’ feeling? I have one word that will change any naysayer’s mind when it comes to watching the latest reboot, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and that word is HULK.
There were many predecessors before Mark Ruffalo did the character justice under the guidance of Joss Whedon in the Avengers (still waiting for his stand alone debut though *side-eye*).
Needless to say, it’s appreciated that the die-hard Marvel fans may take their seats with much scepticism in their heart, or worse, might decide to give it a miss all together. Here are five reasons why that would be a tragic mistake…
1. Homecoming is not your typical origin story
Enough with the origin story already. We get it, poor orphaned Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider before tragically losing one of his guardians (Uncle Ben). It was a confusing time for the boy who only had his loving yet grieving Aunt May to rely on. Thank goodness he had the words of his uncle to fall back on when tough life decisions arose, after all ‘with great power, comes great responsibility’…that about right? The whole introduction of his initiation into hero academy covered in a nutshell? Thankfully director Jon Watts nixed the tired storyline from Homecoming, having covered the basis of that in Captain America: Civil War. What does that mean for you, the viewer? It means more screen time devoted to a brand new, layered story, that’s what.
2. The Sidekick
Peter Parker is a loner no more. He has a life, social activities and friends. Mainly Jacob Batalon aka Ned the sidekick. A first for the high schooler, at least the first real friend that didn’t spend half the time trying to kill him (referring to Harry Osborn played by James Franco in the 2002 version of Spider-Man). Batalon is the unexpected nerdy confidant we never knew we wanted Peter to have.
3. It’s part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe…need I say more?
On the verge of sounding like a Marvels Cinematic super-fan but the evidence speaks for itself. Name one Marvels Cinematic Universe film that sucked…It’s impossible. Even the weaker produce of the franchise, aka Thor and Thor: The Dark World (sorry), at their worst were still good. We got to see a sneak preview of what the new Spider-Man would be like when he made an appearance in Civil War and it was a promising debut.
4. It’s a laugh
As mentioned earlier, Mr Parker has a heart-breaking past. AKA a director’s dream. With all that raw emotion his character must be feeling, there is the temptation to dwell heavily on that and delve deep into his crushing experiences to make us identify with his plight. Not Watts. He favours humour, placing Parker in many serious situations and letting his desperate attempt to prove himself worthy of being an Avenger unravel in to a hilariously catastrophic mess. Watts, however, is smart. While humour may be peppered throughout the film, it’s in a charming yet relatable way; he understands there is a place for true heart. Woven into the crux of Homecoming is real emotion.
5. Tom Holland
Andrew Garfield and Tobey McGuire may have donned the skin-tight red and blue suit and swung from the rafters in the past but its Holland who really owns the Spidey costume. Hands down the right guy for the job, Holland embodies the charismatic nature of the superhero to a T. In the past Spider-Man has quickly come into his own taking on the responsibility of his powers with grace and dignity. Even when he was unsure of how to walk the noble path, he did so with maturity. Cool. That’s one way to approach it but there’s something relatable and enchanting about the way Holland’s energetically green interpretation of Spider-Man, bumbles through superhero-hood with no clue of what he’s doing (a little like many of us ‘adulting’ our way through life and making a hash of it). Holland commits to the role, embodying the youthful essence of the comic book hero we’ve been waiting for.
There are honestly many more reasons to watch the film. Not least how Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) fits into things, the villain Vulture (Michael Keaton) and the new MJ, who is a loveable twist on the slightly plain-Jane version we’re used to. Watts looks at Spider-Man’s universe with fresh new eyes, injecting much needed life into the storyline. Twisting things up until what’s left is something darn entertaining. If you’re still not convinced, you’re dead inside and it is advisable that you re-jolt your existence with a trailer or two.