WOW. Are you ready for the best Spiderman movie yet, even better than one of my fave superhero movies of all time, "Spiderman 2"? Grab the popcorn and settle in for a fun, exciting ride with SPIDERMAN:HOMECOMING.
NO SPOLIERS: Thankfully the filmmakers spare us another Spidey origin story and begin the story several months after the massive alien battle in NYC.
Peter Parker is perfectly played this time by young Tom Holland. Peter loved his experience in the airport Civil War battle on the side of Ironman, reliving the thrill on the shaky phone footage he's captured of the event.
Of course, no one at high school knows he's Spiderman, so its High School as usual.
Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr oozing cool charisma in his best screen role) wants Peter to sit tight and puts Happy (Jon Favreau) in charge of making sure he stays out of trouble.
Meanwhile, contractor Adrian Toomes has been cleaning up the Avenger war damage to the city for years and quietly collecting alien tech and hardware for a burgeoning black market.
Toomes is played by Michael Keaton in a great villain performance. Clearly Keaton's been itching to play the bad guy after watching Jack Nicholson and others knock it out of the park against his own Batman.
What the room full of screenwriters get absolutely right this time is Peter's high school trials with friends, secret crushes and being a science nerd. They also neatly weave the Avengers/high school/Toomes stories together effortlessly, keeping you interested at all times and moving the story along at a fast pace. They also pull off one shocker that I never saw coming.
There are several superb action set pieces, including a sequence at the Washington Monument, a fantastic battle around a weapons buy on the Long Island Ferry and a climactic airborne battle that rivals anything 007's done on the outside of a plane.
There are so many joys watching this film and like the 007 hit "Skyfall", this franchise reboot gets the little details SO right that you just sit there with a giant smile on your face and occasionally some real goosebumps at perfect moments.
Listen for the original SpiderMan theme as the film opens, given the full action orchestral treatment by Michael Giacchino (Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Up, Doctor Strange, Jurassic World) as just part of his wall-to-wall killer action music score.
Watch for Marisa Tomei as the sexiest Aunt May ever, Hannibal Burress as the most disengaged high school coach ever, Zendaya as Michelle the rebel student, Jacob Batalan as Peter's best friend Ned and appearances by plenty of Avengers.
Listen for the incredible sound effects for both Spiderman, Vulture and all the weapons.
I laughed harder at this movie than nearly every comedy I've seen lately. Its smart and witty and filled with great lines. The very last scene nails a big laugh that's the perfect closer for the excellent action film that precedes it.
Tom Holland is a great Spiderman. You knew the kid had chops in "Civil War" but he carries this huge $175 million budget film on his back with ease. Granted he gets near perfect support from Downey, who steals every scene he's in with great delivery and flawless timing.
DAMN is this movie fun. It's without a doubt the most sheer enjoyment I've had at the movies this year and unlike nearly every Spiderman movie before it, I'd watch it again today.
Homecoming indeed, Spiderman's back and maybe for the first time, at full potential. It gets an A+.
Marvel movie fans, make sure and stick through the credits for one interesting scene with Keaton and a final clip at the very end of the film with a certain Avenger delivering a special message just for you. Like the film before it, pitch perfect.
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