The Amazing Spider-Man (2012): The Path From Vengeance to Responsibility

I still enjoy the “The Amazing Spider-Man” in the rewatch. This isn’t a good movie but it is a movie that has so much going for it in how it adapts Spider-Man differently. It is in that difference in adaptation that it gets away from Raimi’s Trilogy and is strongest when it is telling a complete story and having a clear voice. It is really in the pacing, setup of future ideas and the final action that it falls apart and isn’t good. Still worth checking out though. It is better than “Spider-Man 3.”

The film was directed by Marc Webb and written by Alvin Sargent, James Vanderbilt and Steve Cloves.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) finds himself bitten by a mutant spider after following up the mystery at Oscorp behind why his parents left.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Cinematography – John Schwartzman’s cinematography is beautiful in this. The darkness sets the theme but the suit still stands out and as the shots become brighter over the course of the film it captures the theme of Peter going from vengeance to responsibility.

The Soundtrack – I loved James Horner’s score in this It has elements of Elfman’s gothic themes which fits how isolated and dark this Peter’s perspective initially is. It shows how the bite wasn’t fun for Peter and he didn’t know what to do after it and we get his wonder when he finally finds his purpose.

The Stan Lee Cameo – Stan Lee is a librarian in Peter’s school who is listening to music as Spider-Man and Lizard fight in the background. I think this might be my favorite of his cameos. It adds such quirky humor to the scene.

The Characters – I liked the majority of the characters in this and the performances help add empathy and nuance to the roles. No standout minor characters like in the Raimi Trilogy but all the supporting cast is strong and if they aren’t a pro it is a fault of the writing.

Uncle Ben and Aunt May – Sally Fields and Martin Sheen are a great Aunt May and Uncle Ben. We spend a lot more time with them in this film and see how close they were to Peter’s parents. They are exasperated with Peter most of the time as he forgets to help around the house but it is there belief in him that helps Peter find balance and hope again.

Captain Stacey – Denis Leary is great as the grumpy cop dad who comes around to respect Peter and Spider-Man. He works as a secondary antagonist turned ally by the end and his telling Peter not to stay with Gwen fit the ghost of Uncle Ben trope in all of Peter’s relationships. He’s got a solid character arc and a great performance by Leary.

Gwen Stacey – Emma Stone is the all-star of this film and continues the trend of being one of the best and one of my favorite Spider-Men characters in film whether it is “Spider-Man 3” or “Into the Spider-Verse.” Emma Stone’s Gwen has her own dreams and goals and works at Oscorp already. She is the one to stop Lizard’s plan by making the cure and she saves Peter from Lizard when he attacks their school. I like that in the end Peter respects her choice of wanting to be with him. It was earned and her dad shouldn’t make her choices for her.

Peter Parker / Spider-Man – I was initially annoyed with this version of Peter as being too much like “Batman Begins” but rewatching years later I’ve come appreciate it. Peter Parker has always had anger issues and Garfield does intensity so well. He also isn’t as secret as Maguire which bests his version apart as he tells Gwen he’s Spider-Man early. I respected that and loved his arc of going from vengeance to responsibility and hope.

The Gwen and Peter Partnership – Gwen and Peter help each other on multiple occasions. She covers for him when he sneaks into Oscorp and later helps him fight the Lizard a few times. She is his partner in the adventure and I love it.

Vengeance to Responsibility – After Uncle Ben’s murder Peter is on a vendetta hunt where he never finds the guy. What changes is his perspective though as Captain Stacey calls out Spider-Man and Peter realizes he helped make the Lizard with his father’s equation to Dr. Connors. After he saves a kid he becomes a protector and stops being a punisher. It is an arc that works.

Uncle Ben’s Last Voicemail – Uncle Ben’s voicemail is powerful and is a much better responsibility speech than the one he gives when he’s alive. It is sad and powerful and motivates Peter to heal and continue his relationship to Gwen.

Okay:

Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard – Rhys Ifans gives a good performance as Peter’s mentor and possible friend and threat as the Lizard. Sadly the Lizard personality is not presented very well. We don’t get the separation done as clearly as with Green Goblin. This keeps him from being good as his Lizard motives are vague and ill-defined and his core relationship with Peter’s dad and in turn Peter is never fully flshed out. The idea of it is good but like the CGI of Lizard, isn’t always good on execution. Still okay due to the performance.

The Cons:

The Pacing – This film drags in a few places. When Peter gets his powers it goes on a little long and could have been cut shorter and same goes for most of the fights though I really liked the sewer fight. They didn’t need to be as long and in the case of the final fight it hurt the overall film.

Uncle Ben’s Death – The scene and writing in the shop where the thief Peter lets go happens is so poorly written. It makes the death hurt too as it feels as clunky as the scene prior and in the end we never see the thief again. Uncle Ben’s death should be the most powerfully written scene and here it failed on every level.

The Final Fight – It is overlong, gas over New York City and a special effect over Oscorp and shows how bad the Lizard looks as a special effect. Wasn’t a fan. The other fights with Lizard were perfectly paced and much better.

The Parker Parents Mystery – A mystery figure says if Dr. Curt Connors told Peter the truth about his parents and Connors says to leave him alone. This is dumb as pulling things back to the parents detracts from everything else. It is just a “mystery box” and it was one that didn’t payoff later.

This was a film that missed the mark on some important moments like Uncle Ben’s death and the final fight but worked in the core relationships and performances. Emma Stone is amazing in this as Gwen Stacey and Garfield’s interpretation of Peter Parker works. I’m not looking forward to reviewing “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” but this film still holds up and I do recommend.

Final Score: 7.6 / 10

Spider-Man 3 (2007): An Overstuffed, Flawed and Enjoyable Mess

“Spider-Man 3” was as film I hated when I first saw it in theaters. I hated how I thought it ruined Spider-Man, wasted the Harry as Goblin plot and “ruined” Venom. In the years since that I have warmed to the film. Some of the issues I have with the film still stand, this isn’t a good film but it is fun and Sam Raimi did his best given all the studio interference that ruined whatever his original vision was. So I appreciate the effort even if the film isn’t good. Before I get into detail, this film is fun if you are willing to give it another chance.

Sam Raimi directed the film and co-wrote it with Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is planning to marry Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) but the arrival of new enemies arrive on the scene as well as a mysterious alien symbiont that begins to change him.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Sandman Transformation – Early on we meet Flint Marko, a low level thief who is transformed into the Sandman. The transformation is powerful as his motivation to help his sick daughter is what motivates him to pull himself together from the grains of sand he has become. Great CGI and such a well directed scene.

The Peter Parker and Eddie Brock Jr. Rivalry – The rivalry between Eddie and Peter for the staff position at the Daily Bugle is great as it throws Peter’s stability into question and Eddie is ruthless. They have a good dynamic and rivalry I wish had been explored more. It ends with Eddie revealed to be a liar and Peter’s cruelty through the dark suit when he humiliates him in front of the staff.

J. Jonah Jameson – J.K. Simmons continues to be the all-star in these films as we see him dealing with his blood pressure and feeding the Peter and Eddie rivalry. He has calmed down some too as he gives Peter the staff job with a raise at one point which he never would have done in the past.

Gwen Stacey – Bryce Dallas Howard is amazing as Gwen. She is the only good person besides Aunt May and I wish she could have got more to do besides being used against Mary Jane. Still, every scene she’s in she steals.

Aunt May – Rosemary Harris is again the rock that Peter finds hope and stability from. After he rejects the dark suit and symbiont it is Aunt May who helps him forgive himself so he can heal things with Mary Jane and Harry.

The Theme of Forgiveness and Redemption – The theme of forgiveness and redemption is done well in this. Peter forgives Flint for killing Uncle Ben and Harry forgives Peter as does Mary Jane. In the end they have each other and things aren’t perfect but there is hope for them all again as Harry dies whole.

Okay:

Venom and Sandman – Venom is just on-note anger at Peter and Sandman is just one-note sadness trying to help his daughter. There is not much here, especially compared to Green Goblin and Doc Ock and they felt so underdeveloped and underwritten. Not bad, but definitely not good.

The Lead Trio – The lead trio are awful. Mary Jane doesn’t communicate with Peter at all and kisses Harry. Peter kisses Gwen for popularity as Spider-Man and humiliates Mary Jane at her work and Harry gets amnesia than forces Mary Jane to breakup with Peter once his memory is back before finally realizing his father killed himself when the Butler finally becomes a character. What keeps them from being bad characters is the performances give them empathy enough but the writing keeps them from being good. They don’t feel as real as the last film.

The Cons:

The Love Triangle is Back – Did you miss the Harry, Peter and Mary Jane love triangle from the first film? Well it’s back and just as awful except more rushed because Harry needs to continue his revenge plot once he gets his memories back. Who thought the triangle was a good idea? It was one of the things that kept the first film being a favorite film for me.

Overstuffed Narrative and Pacing – Peter wants revenge against Sandman for killing Uncle Ben (a retcon this film needless makes), Harry wants to kill Peter and is continuing the Goblin Legacy and we also have the Black Suit and Venom story thrown in too. These are 3 different good to great movies on their own but together they make unlikable characters, ruin pacing and make it so none of the 3 stories are good.

Unlikable Characters – Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson and Gwen Stacey are the only likable characters. This is a problem as the heroes need to be sympathetic but the writing seems intent on making them all awful. This isn’t helped by the underdeveloped villains too.

If the studio had let Sam Raimi do 1 of the 3 stories in this and just that the story would have easily been great. Instead we get Venom shoved in, a retcon for personal beef with Sandman and the awful love triangle from the first film. All these issues keep the film from being good but it is more than okay. Sam Raimi still manages to stick to the themes and his direction is still good in this mess, which saves the film making an enjoyable, flawed completion to his Trilogy.

Final Score: 7 / 10

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – The Best Spider-Man Film

       Sony has made so many crappy films recently. “The Emoji Movie,” the past “Amazing Spider-Man” films just got worse over time and felt like commercials for franchise management. The clips I’ve watched of “Venom” haven’t helped that as the writing I witnessed was just awful so I really don’t want to spend money to even rent that film, it makes “Suicide Squad” look like a work of amazing art. So Sony doesn’t have a good track record with Spider-Man outside of the first 2 Raimi films and their co-operation with Disney with “Homecoming,” until this film. This is my favorite Spider-Man film and easily one of my favorite films of the year, and is likely to end up in my Top 5 Films of 2018.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman who was one of the writers along with Phil Lord. Phil Lord is the writer behind “The Lego Movie” and he brings that same fun and surprising level of depth here.

The story follows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) who is a young kid in Brooklyn is bit by a radioactive spider in an abandoned ally and witnesses Peter Parker facing off against foes. He soon realizes there are many other Spider-Men and must deal with the consequences of their plans as well as coming to terms with becoming Spider-Man himself.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Soundtrack – The soundtrack is on it. It taps into the core emotions of Miles and the other characters and when they reach their highs it soars, and when there is a threat you can feel the tension eating at your skull. Daniel Pemberton did an amazing job. This music explores the full spectrum of what it means to live and is energizing at so many moments in the film. The impact of scenes would not have been the same without the power of this music.

The Animation -They started work on this film back in 2014, and I can see why. “Into the Spider-Verse” combines multiple animation styles (anime for Peni Parker, black and white for Spider-Noir, WB Cartoon for Spider-Ham and real life inspired for Gwen, Peter B. Parker, Peter Parker and Miles) and never stops being beautiful. From the Particle Accelerator being activated and the colliding of multiple dimensions, with the creation of a near black hole at the finale, to a forest with golden leaves contrasted with the red of Peter and Miles and the White of Gwen…this team knew how to use color and styles to make a seamless masterpiece. This film better win best animated when the Oscars role around.

The Villains – This is a film with some well designed and sometimes extremely compelling villains. I’ll cover 3 of them here. There is Liz Octavius who works for Kingpin and invented the Particle Accelerator that brought all the Spider-Men out of their universe in the first place. She is the passionate mad scientist and I love how she is never afraid of Kingpin even when we know he will kill anyone for failure.

Kingpin is the main baddie and his motivation is to bring back his wife Vanessa and their son as they died in a crash when he as about to kill Spider-Man years ago. You get his motivation as he is a man full of guilt who is ready to risk everything for another chance with the people he loves. This is no Netflix’s “Daredevil” Kingpin but he serves his purpose well. I wanted to see more of who he was and know more about his past, so he succeeded at keeping me interested.

Prowler is the best of the villains. Prowler we learn is Miles’s Uncle who has been supporting his art and is in deep with owing his life to the Kingpin. We see the threat of who he is as he helps Kingpin kill the original Peter Parker, but also his empathy as when he is given the choice to kill Miles, he saves him and admits he admires the person Miles is becoming. In the books Prowler is a black-mailing, gas-lighting bastard and inspires Miles to be better by how terrible he is. The complexity is still there, but I enjoyed this version so much more. Mahershala Ali is also one of my favorite actors and him voicing Prowler helped. I loved seeing his dynamic with Miles and that even though he was doing bad, he never stopped loving his nephew.

The Heroes – The heroes are easily the best part of this film and they do more in less time than Marvel’s MCU. Most of the characters of the MCU we love have had at least one film of development. These are character who don’t receive that but accomplish more, largely from the writing, acting and animation that is able to add a level of depth that is wholly unique to the film while still taking inspiration. If the Villains had been on this level chances are this film would be the best film of the year, they were great…but not as great as the heroes and I’m going to explore why.

Miles’s Parents are great in that his dad is a police officer who has so much suppressed masculinity he can’t talk to his own son and is showing him up early on until he is willing to open up after he is afraid he is going to what relationship he has.

Aunt May is the heart of the film as she is the one who is carrying on Peter Parker’s legacy after he is killed by Kingpin. She is the mentor figure for all the different Spider-People and can hold up her own. Lily Tomlin gives so much gravitas and empathy to the role. I loved every scene she was in as each time it revealed something more about whatever Spider-Person she was interacting with.

Peni, Spider-Ham and Spider-Noir are the support characters and play off the core leads of Gwen, Peter B. Parker and Miles really well. You have Peni who is the young sincere anime girl, Spider-Ham as the classic cartoon  pig who jokes but works with cartoon physics so is quite powerful and the grim and gritty Spider-Noir (voiced by Nicolas Cage) who is the edgy private eye who spends his time fighting Nazis in his universe. The way they play off the villains the heroes is a lot of fun and I’d watch films from all of their universes. Spider-Noir I especially found intriguing.

Gwen Stacey / Spider-Woman is one of the core leads of the film as she is one of Miles’s teachers and saves him and Peter B. Parker after they steal from Kingpin in order to stop his plan. I’ve read the first “Spider-Gwen” comic and I like the world. The righting for Volume 0 isn’t the best but I’m willing to read on because I love the character, the art and the world. This version is not quite that Gwen Stacey (this one dances) but takes inspiration from it, just as Miles takes inspiration from the “Ultimate” comics universe he was created in. She is a character alone until her friendships with the other Spider-People and seeing her open up is a really cool arc. Hailee Steinfeld is wonderful in the role. I hope they do some spin-offs in her universe as I think she is the best character in the movie outside of Miles Morales.

Peter B. Parker is from a world where Spider-Man’s personal life falls apart. In his world he buried Aunt May, he ends up getting divorced from Mary Jane and is wholly Spider-Man. He has no life outside the character so is a perpetual child. He takes up the mentor role when the machine pulls him into Miles’s world and it is from this he grows up, discovering that he even wants kids. His arc is really cool as he has a death wish for most of the film because of how miserable his life is and it is only through Miles showing him there is another way that he finds a reason to live again. Jake Johnson does a fantastic job in the role and gives the character a lot of depth.

Peter Parker is voiced by Chris Pine and exists in Miles Morales’s universe (like in the “Ultimate” comics). He rescues Miles but is killed by Kingpin before he can teach Miles how to be Spider-Man. It is a powerful death that you feel through the entire film. Mary Jane makes a speech on how Parker shows anyone can be Spider-Man and Stan Lee as a comic book owner says the same thing. This Spider-Man is very much the Parker from the comics but with inspiration from the Sam Raimi films and it is wonderful how they blend those elements together (Spider-Man has a flashback of him doing the dance from “Spider-Man 3”) and it is because this Peter is at the top of his game and still so young (having married Mary Jane pretty recently it seems) has his life together, only for Kingpin to take it all away. It is a tragedy that matters and he doesn’t come back. Death matters in this world and it means everyone we lose during the film is felt.

Miles Morales is the main character of the film and his arc is taking responsibility for the role that was thrust upon him. He is full of so much fear (new fancy school, new powers by accident) and that is a difficult path for him. What makes things complicated as well is his relationship with his dad, who is a cop who doesn’t let anyone close. It is only in the death of Prowler (when Prowler chooses not to kill Miles) that healing finally happens. Miles was always closest to his Uncle Aaron (Prowler) and his dad regrets the relationship he lost with his brother. This motivates both Miles and his dad to try and make a relationship happen. It is beautiful and organic and I can’t wait to see how things develop further. Miles is also the rookie out of all the Spider-People and none of them take him seriously except for Peter B. Parker so he has to not only prove that he can be a hero to himself, but to those already excelling in their roles as heroes. I loved how it was executed. Miles is one of my favorite characters and I highly recommend Bendis’s “Ultimate Spider-Man” run where Miles is introduced to anyone. This one has more heart than that run (Prowler is handled better) but both are amazing and if you loved Miles in this film, you will love him in the comics. Shameik Moore gives this character so much heart.

This was the perfect film and I hope it at least wins Best Animated Film at the Oscars. There is so much heart in all the characters who are each compelling, there is loss with the deaths our heroes experience and each action has consequences. This is a film that pays tribute to the creators (Ditko, Lee and Bendis) and truly shows that anyone can be a hero. If you enjoy great animation (seriously this is one of the most beautifully animated films I’ve ever watched) and amazing stories you owe it to yourself to see this film. Sony has put out a lot of crap and there hasn’t been a great Spider-Man film since “Spider-Man 2.” As a Spider-Man fan this was everything I could ever want in a film and I can’t wait to see it again.

Final Score: 10 / 10. Can’t wait to see what they do with the Spider-Verse in the future.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – The Power of a Compelling Villain

“Infinity War” is easily in my Top 5 MCU films. This is a film I saw a second time before writing this review, and the only other Superhero films that have been that lucky were “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” As you can tell from those and this film, I enjoy my superhero films depressing or bittersweet. This is a film that hits you over the head with loss, and doesn’t stop until the end. Thanos is the villain, but also the protagonist, as his actions drive the film and force our heroes to make choices that define them before the loss comes. I’ll get into spoilers deeper into the review, but for now, this is a film I highly recommend.

This film was directed by the Russo Brothers, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, while being produced by Kevin Feige.

The story involves the Avengers trying to stop Thanos from getting all the Infinity Stones (cosmically powerful stones born at the Big Bang, and scattered through the Universe), as when he does, he plans to wipe out half the universe.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Universe – It is the Marvel Cinematic Universe… a universe full of aliens, cultures, clashing personalities, heroes, villains and in the end consequences. There is a reason I’ve become so drawn into the comic books. What Marvel and Disney have done is to interpret so much of that beautifully on the screen, and each new film I like returning to this enjoyable and fascinating world.

The Superhero Teams – The driving action of the film is the team-ups between different heroes. Characters clash and have to work out their conflicts in order to take on Thanos to keep him from destroying half the population of the Universe. I’ll cover what I liked about the teams below.

Bruce Banner and the Secret Avengers – The film kicks off with Thanos killing Loki and knocking out the Hulk. The Hulk is saved by Heimdall and sent to Earth where Hulk retreats into Bruce Banner. From here we see Banner reunite with the Avengers, and have to depend on his brains to take on the Black Order, as Hulk is afraid to come out after losing to Thanos. It is wonderful seeing this dynamic in action, with those in Wakanda, as he fights in Tony’s Hulkbuster armor against the alien swarm. Banner has always been the outcast in the Avengers, and now that he’s back he can’t even depend on his power as the Hulk. This forces him to adapt to thinking things through as Banner, as he realizes he has deeper issues to explore with the Hulk. I can’t wait to see where his arc goes with the Hulk and the Avengers in “Avengers 4.”

Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Iron Man – This dynamic is fun. To kick things off, Doctor Strange is the one who doesn’t care about people (he tells Tony and Peter that he will let them die before he gives Thanos the Time Stone). Spidey is full of pop culture references that annoy Tony, and Tony Stark is always trying to take control, which leads to conflict with Doctor Strange because of it. They succeed in taking out a member of the Black Order, but face deadly fallout when they reach Titan, Thanos’ homeworld, to battle the Mad Titan himself.

Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax and Mantis – 3 of this group eventually team up with Spidey, Strange, and Stark against Thanos… which happens after Gamora is kidnapped by Thanos, as she knows the destination of the Soul Stone. She has some powerful scenes with Star-Lord, and some funny scenes with Drax.

Rocket, Groot and Thor – This was my favorite team up, it happens after the Guardians of the Galaxy rescue Thor from his destroyed refugee ship. Thor’s ship was destroyed by Thanos when he picked up the Space Stone from Loki, before Thanos kills Loki. It is the death of Heimdall and Loki, and half of Asgard that have Thor full of anger and broken. This leads to Rocket stepping up to be the Captain and helping Thor through the process of healing, as they head to the legendary location of Nidavellir, so that Thor can create a god killing weapon. Groot is a teenager and full of attitude, but steps up to the plate when he contributes part of himself to making Thor’s new weapon.

The Story Arc of Thanos – Thanos is the protagonist of this film. It is desire for balance in the universe (which he believes can only come about through genocide after his planet is destroyed from running out of resources and overpopulation) that drives his desire for the Infinity Stones. Each stone costs him, as the members of the Black Order are all eventually killed by the Avengers. To get the Soul Stone he has to sacrifice the only one he ever loved (Gamora), and getting the Mind Stone out of Vision nearly costs him his life, when Thor attacks him with the God killing weapon. In the end he wins and wipes out half the universe. Where his story goes from here remains to be seen, as he achieved his goal, and as far as he knows… he is the monster who brought balance to the universe. Josh Brolin truly did a masterful job and is easily one of the best villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Okay:

The Black Order – These 4 look really cool but weren’t as effective as they could have been. I would have liked at least one of them to kill one of the good guys. They might be back now that Thanos has all the Infinity Stones, so they could get more development later on… we’ll just have to wait and see.

The Battle in Wakanda – The Battle in Wakanda is pretty generic compared to most of the other fights in the film. Most of the other fights involve use of the environment and powers to try and stop the Mad Titan, where here it is a bunch of expendable aliens against a group of superheroes and soldiers all lined up. It is like every other “big battle.” It still looked good, but the genericness of it all kept it from being a truly memorable part of the film. It was the kind of action we see in every other MCU film.

Pacing – The first time I saw this film I didn’t notice any pacing issues. The second time I watched I thought the beginning could have been cut down and happened faster, the Battle of Wakanda is too long, and Thanos needed more scenes with people. Each film develops him further, and with better pacing we could have gotten more of that, or least more exploration of his faction, the Black Order.

The team ups, the comedy, the action, the characters and their arcs… there is so much I have to recommend about this film. This is a film that could have been a gigantic mess, given how large the cast was, and all the different parts that are in play. The Russo Brothers managed to pull it off. Once again, showing why they are the ones shaping the story of the MCU. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, do it. This is a film that is well worth your time and shows just how powerful stories can be.

Final Score: 9.8 / 10

 

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – A Solid Return to the Basics of “Spider-Man”

      Sony sharing custody of Spider-Man was the best thing that could have happened to the character. After they tied to go “Dark Knight” with Spidey and failed miserably as they ended up focusing more on franchise management rather than story…it is good that they let the studio who knows story shape their character’s future. This is film that isn’t great, but it is good and it is one I’d highly recommend. The villain and support characters are wonderful and there is a lot of good setup for future films. Before I get into spoilers, if you like the MCU or are a fan of Spider-Man, chances are you will enjoy this film as I did.

The film was directed by Jon Watts, who co-wrote it with 5 other people (hello Sony and Marvel Studios) and produced by Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal.

After the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” Peter Parker is given a new suit by Tony Stark but soon finds himself left behind. As he finds himself pulled into thefts of alien technology around the city he must take on the mysterious Vulture while dealing with Tony Stark wanting him to stay out of it as he tries to juggle being Spider-Man and his complex social life at school and taking on the threat of the Vulture.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros: The World of the MCU – The MCU is a world full of consequences. SHIELD was disbanded, the Avengers fell apart, some characters have died for good (though none of the biggies yet sadly) and each of the films plays into one another while still standing strong on their own. Spider-Man is one of my favorite comic book heroes, along with Batman when I was growing up and I’m glad he is in this Universe that is so rich and full of lore that now his amazing lore can once again be apart of as well.

Vulture – Michael Keaton is one of the best MCU villains to date. This is a guy who wants to look after his family after he loses out on a government contract to clean up New York after the events of the “Avengers.” You can understand his chip on his shoulder and he has a twisted sense of honor as even after he learns Spidey’s identity, he keeps it secret. His character manages to be both empathetic and threatening making him so very human…I’m glad that Marvel didn’t kill him off and can’t wait to see him in future Spidey films.

With Great Power – One of the key traits of Spider-Man is that, “With great power comes great responsibility” and this film illustrates it really well. The main arc is Spidey wanting to join the Avengers but he continues to mess up even as he tries to do good. So many of the problems that he has to fix are ones he created and his arc is the constant struggle with this as his social and super hero life collapse around him and he has to own up for his mistakes. It is his character and what defines him and the main arc that drives the story. Tom Holland really is wonderful in this role. This is a return to the basics of the character, which we needed after all the conspiracy Oscorp crap in the “Amazing Spider-Man” films.

Changes and Avoiding Past Pitfalls – There are things in here that I really liked that exist because the writers avoided doing what had been done before. We don’t have an Uncle Ben origin story death, there is not a Goblin to be seen, Peter doesn’t mope and the finale isn’t Spider-Man saving the love interest from the baddy who wants to destroy the city. These changes were masterful and in doing so let them do knew things like his friends Ned and Michelle, Ned who finds out he is Spider-Man and Michelle who ends up being a wonderful re-imagining of M.J. Seriously, Zendaya is the best part of this film outside of Vulture.

The Cons: The Point of Aunt May – Everybody creeps on Aunt May and I hate it. If the character is a guy he will comment on how hot she is and that is all she exists as. It is objectifying and annoying as she is Peter’s guardian and mentor and they could have done so much more with that. She has one scene where she comforts him but she almost wasn’t needed in this film as Tony Stark functions as a surrogate guardian.

The Uncle Ben Shaped Hole – Aunt May has been through a lot but we never know what happened to Uncle Ben or if he is even still alive in this version of the lore. I’m glad we didn’t get his death again but he should have at least been mentioned or dealt with as he is such a huge essential part of what drives Peter Parker and his becoming Spider-Man.

This is a solidly good film and one that I will probably go back and watch as I am a fan of Spider-Man. I hope we see more done with the characters and villains that are setup throughout the film as Spider-Man has one of the best rogues galleries outside of Batman and I can’t wait to see how the reveals done in this film payoff later as Marvel and Sony further develop one of the best characters to come out of Marvel Comics in the amazing world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Final Score:  8.2 / 10 Solidly good.