So let's be realistic here, they killed Spider-man on the big screen. They squashed him. Sony Pictures took a big newspaper and no amount of precognitive senses could save him. I feel like I'm over stating things, but without getting bogged down with even more analogies about bugs circling drains ... let's just say it was not looking good. News of yet another reboot to try and clear up the big mess they made was pretty absurd. But of course then the Civil War movie came along, Electro and his wacky scheme was promptly brushed under the carpet, and things started to feel vaguely promising. So here we are with a big flashy inter-connected film full of tie-ins and cameos, and even Star Wars products. But as it turns out this is pretty good after all, and nobody was more surprised than me.
There are a lot of familiar elements here as you'd expect. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is a high-school kid who discovers that he has great powers... and well, you know. He wears red tights and swings around, there are girlfriend troubles, daddy issues and worried aunts. However in a move that comes off as something approaching actual creativity, that whole responsibility dialogue is cut and we're allowed time to see it play out as part of the story instead. That's the whole plot in a nutshell, Peter is an immature teenager who wants fame and glory instead of just doing what he's good at in both his term time and on the streets of New York. However unlike past attempts to make him reckless and edgy this feels more age appropriate. A lighter touch goes a long way, and it's all far more likeable because of it.
Beyond the fresh faced protagonist lending this all a new sense of charm, the supporting cast also do a great job. Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. are back in their respective Marvel Studios roles, offering the same kind of chemistry they brought to past adventures. However the other additional characters are the ones who get the most screen time, with newcomers like Peter's best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) making sure that the tone is set. They're a pair of total dorks, they have science classes and Spanish lessons together. They play with Lego and have inane lunch table discussions. It really sells it as a coming of age comedy first, rather than just another rehashed origin tale.
This sense of the mundane pushes the story forward as Peter skips important school events to try and escape and fight crime, with less than impressive results. It provides a great sense of scale in terms of both the city locations, and also thematically as he often bites off more than he can chew. There are no doomsday plots, and instead we get a series of badly planned rescues that are often a result of his own poor judgement. Best of all we get a relatable but intimidating villain with Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) becoming The Vulture when his ousted construction company decides to steal alien technology from the first Avengers outing. They're both small time guys looking to become something bigger, and their interactions are some of the best this mega franchise has seen for a while.
In between all the exploding ferries and crashing elevators, this is at the core just a character piece full of drama and jokes. There are still deadly flying machines and web shooters, both of which are bigger and crazier than before. But the mix of smaller set pieces and lower level thugs gives it variety and keeps the humour going. While the John Hughes comparisons seem a little unwarranted, they still try and aim for that whole high school crisis idea in some ways. Characters like Flash (Tony Revolori) and Michelle (Zendaya) add a few of those Breakfast Club type of interactions which are brief but fun. The one direct reference to another Hughes movie in the movie feels unnecessary to say the least, when a simple music cue would have fit the visual gag and let us fill in the blanks ourselves.
Less would have been more just like the forced (sorry) Empire Strikes Back line from Holland's first appearance as Spidey. There aren't many of these type of awkward writing moments in the script, but some inclusions are weaker than others - particularly a last minute reference to characters that were not actually used here. It's always a concern when there are so many writers credited, with so many failed sequels casting a shadow on the project. But overall it's fun just to be able to enjoy this kind of adventure again and see them avoid the usual pitfalls. Despite many of the same character arcs and archetypes still being here, there's a certain level of levity and a lot of obvious mistakes are avoided.
This is a story where Spider-man gets stuck in the suburbs and screws up many of his attempts at heroism. The combination of new and familiar works wonders, and it's great to see some real efforts made at long last without it feeling like just another embarrassing toy commercial. Which is kind of amazing (at long last) when you consider the third reboot string pulling and all the corporate deals that were brokered to make this happen. It lacks the overall style of a Sam Raimi film, and can sometimes feel a little bland, but there's enough elsewhere that keeps this all moving in terms of gags, action and best of all personality.
4/5
