Spider-man: Homecoming
4 stars
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr.
Duration: 133 mins
Class: 12
KRS Releasing Ltd

It pains me to report that I really enjoyed Spider-Man: Homecoming. As I believe I have already had occasion to state, I loved Andrew Garfield in the role, and was rather miffed when he was dumped in favour of Tom Holland for yet another (cue eye-roll) reboot of the franchise. But a friend wisely (and rather irritably) told me that since Garfield has clearly moved on, maybe I should too.

Holland, of course, first appear­ed in the role in last year’s Captain America: Civil War, where he joined Iron Man’s faction in that film’s epic airport showdown. His first solo outing in Homecoming neatly segues from that piece of action as a nifty new Marvel Studios animated logo heralds… “a Peter Parker film”. For the action that introduces this Spider-Man is a home video made by Parker himself of his adventures in Berlin in the aforementioned film; a home video Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr in one of his brief but integral appearances in the film) warns him to keep private. Tony needs to temper Peter’s enthusiasm and keenness to be officially added to the Avengers’ line-up, asking him to go to school and be normal, and just be a friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man for a while.

The film delivers the Marvel hallmarks of mixing superhero action with layered characterisation and a good narrative

Of course, Peter will have none of that and, when he stumbles on salvage company owner Adrian Toomes’ (Michael Keaton) illegal uses of alien technology (salvaged from the battle of New York that took place at the end of The Avengers), which he uses to create his own alter-ego named the Vulture (what is it about Keaton and bird-men?) Peter does all he can to stop him; all the while dealing with the trials and tribulations of high school.

That this Spider-Man movie covers much similar ground as its predecessors is niggling. On the outset, this may feel like a cynical attempt by Marvel Studios to cash in further on the success of its Cinematic Universe by linking Peter/Spider-Man to the Aven­gers. Yet as the final credits rolled, I couldn’t help but admit that it is actually an ingenious way of achieving this without losing any of the characteristics that make the character so endearing.

One of his charms is that this is a rather young, awkward, geeky and inexperienced boy with little idea of the ways of the world, for example, how to handle his school crush (the bright and beautiful Liz played by Laura Harrier), or the old chestnut of dealing with the great responsibility that comes with great power. He can’t absorb the advice being given to him by Tony Stark because he is too busy gushing in cringeworthy boy fan fashion in his presence. He is imperfect, that’s why we like him so much.

And Holland ticks off all the boxes in his interpretation of the character, adding pathos and humour as necessary when re­quired while being suitably gung-ho in his dealings with the baddies. He is equally chagrined when things do not quite go according to plan, which is often, given he hasn’t quite mastered his web-slinging abilities yet.

True to form, the film delivers the Marvel hallmarks of mixing superhero action with layered characterisation and a good narrative. By reminding us briefly of the aforementioned airport se­quence, director Jon Watts sets the action bar high and, for the most part, clears it. Special mention goes to a sequence set on, and in, the Washington Monument – Spidey’s first major rescue attempt which succeeds – and one aboard a river ferry, which doesn’t quite.

Holland works alongside an impressive ensemble. Keaton makes for a good villain, one who, refreshingly, is not intent on world domination, but rather someone who thinks he is righting a wrong. Marisa Tomei is funny, smart and tender as Peter’s Aunt May; while Jacob Batalon as Peter’s best friend Ned is a scream – his reaction to finding out Peter’s secret identity is priceless.

Stark isn’t the only MCU character to make an appearance. Stark’s personal bodyguard and friend Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) is assigned to babysit Peter and provides some rather droll lines; while another Aven­gers favourite pops up in a serially funny cameo to make this homecoming a welcome one.