Deconstructing Spider-Man:Homecoming Movie - Good vs Bad

[Mister Mets]

That's been every movie villain except Electro (who isn't entirely unconnected to Peter).

I suppose a further distinction is that it worked for the Vulture, in a way that it hadn't for Sandman (kinda clunky to make him Uncle Ben's killer), the Lizard (it wasn't bad but it seemed to repeat from earlier films), and Webb's Harry Osborn (Did we need two films seven years apart with Harry Osborn as the bad guy, especially when his friendship with Peter wasn't mentioned in the first film?)

[Frontier]

More like he survive the fight, to be honest.

If we want to get into the nitty gritty of it, the reason Vulture's harness blew up is because Peter damaged it by dragging him into the engine.

So in doing that Peter pretty much did beat him.

[Citizen Kane]

While I wasn't amazed by Homecoming, I still enjoyed it for what it was. It just seemed to be lacking the emotional weight that the Raimi movies had going for them. Over the course of the first two Raimi movies, it felt as if Peter was maturing as a character, but, by the end of Homecoming, I felt like nothing really happened. It was akin to watching a series of filler episodes in one of the Spider-Man cartoons or a less interesting version of Sky High (Remember that?). In the end, I still consider Spider-Man 2 to be one of the greatest superhero movies ever made and the best Spider-Man movie. It had impactful action, drama, and just enough Peter Parker dorkiness to make it fun. Homecoming could have had the same clout, but it failed to reach that level.

[Matt Parker]

So, while Homecoming I think has been pretty well received by the fan base, I have noticed some more people who were critical of it coming out in the time since it originally hit theaters and the DVD release. While I loved the film originally, some of the points that the more critical fans were making had begun to make me question my enjoyment of the film, and I decided to pop it into the player this morning, fully expecting to not like it as much as I did initially.

Nope, the movie still completely holds up for me. It ain't perfect. There are some annoying plot contrivances and I think the scene between Peter and Tony from Civil War should have been included to give more context to Peter's character arc, but the movie is still damn awesome IMO. Several scenes are complete perfection to me. The crimefighting montage that was set to Blitzkrieg Bop is probably one of my favorite scenes in any Marvel movie, the entire ferry sequence was tense and exciting, and pretty much the entire third act is perfection (the ASM #33 scene actually made me tear up a bit). I know some fans are bothered by the changes made to the supporting cast, but I don't mind them (mostly), because what is important to me is the essence of Spider-Man. This movie doesn't feature Jameson or the Bugle, does't have any shots of Spider-Man swinging from huge skyscrapers (though that arguably is similar to the more paired down powers in the Ultimate comics), changed Ned Leeds into an in name only character, and didn't ever directly cover the origin, and yet it somehow still perfectly captured the spirit, tone, and heart of the comics that I love so much.

Let's be honest, the last few years have been a rough time to be a Spidey fan. The comics have been at best controversial and at worst downright insulting for almost a decade, the movies had been pretty lackluster after Spider-Man 2, the games (TASM and TASM2) were mediocre at best and the cartoon was more of a Spider-Man team up show or even sometimes a parody than anything else. While Spider-Man was still my favorite character, I had been finding it really hard to feel excited about him. Then Homecoming came along and reminded me why I love this franchise so much (and it made most of my buddies who saw it with me finally understand why I have always been so loyal to this character).

Thankfully, things appear to be turning around for us Spidey-philes. Homecoming was awesome, the new video game looks amazing, and while the new cartoon is far, far from perfect, it has plenty to enjoy. Not a bad time to be a Spider-Man fan.

[Hypestyle]

A lot more Michelle needed in part two.

Get a villain that is not personally connected. The Liz switch was well executed, but I'm weary of the "It's your former teacher, dad's partner, best buddy's dad, uncle's real killer, etc." connection.

More action at high school. See more of Peter's classmates.

No Iron Man this time. Not needed as an introductory angle.

No mentoring of a new hero. Too early.

More Aunt May, but she is not dating. Too early.

No clones, please. I'll repeat. No clones, please.

[Frontier]

No mentoring of a new hero. Too early.

I think we need to get to a point where Spider-Man doesn't need a mentor anymore.

[Tuck]

Watched this again, and I don't know if anyone else put it this way, but I think part of my lukewarm reaction to the movie is that it is a great pilot for a TV series, but only a pretty good movie.

And the Master Planner scene falls completely flat for me at least in part because I know the reference, and it makes this one feel like mimicry without its own substantive context.

Still love everything about Keaton though.

[David Walton]

As a Spider-Man film, Homecoming leaves me cold. I think it's really well done for what it wants to be, it just doesn't line up with my vision of the character at all. It felt like they were plugging a completely different concept into the Spider-Man brand.

[Sighphi]

I liked this video on what Homecoming did well.



Some of the details.

i disagree with everything in this video. It seem like just an excuse to try to push this movie.

1. why would they avoid Spider-man enjoying his powers and showing us why it's like to be him?

2.

The new costume allowed for an in-universe explanation about Spider-Man's abilities,

The movie never explained his abilities. They didnt even showed his spider-senses, right? All the new costume did is lead him around the movie story.

and allowed his eyes to be visually expressive in a way that we've seen in the comics, but not previous films,

The reason you need expressive eyes in the comics is because it's a flat image that doesnt move. To show emotion you have to draw them down. In the movies this is not needed because we hear what he says, we know his tone and we see movements. And taking his mask off has nothing to do with this. All heroes that have masks taken off to show the actor, even masks that show eyes.

3. The film explored the everydau smaller moments of Peter's life (and Spider-Man's), getting something that is a significant part of the episodic comics, but often not adapted into the big summer blockbusters.

This was Ultimate SM? Pete being bored not being able to find crime to stop? That was boring on the movie and i cant think of reading that in the book.

4. The Vulture had a personal connection to Peter Parker.

As stated by several people here, pretty much all of the film's villains had connections which were closer than the dad's girl he met once.

5. meh, all movies tried to copy something from the book.

[WebSlinger1997]

I feel that David Walton has pretty much summed up about how I feel towards Homecoming as a whole. I think Homecoming is ok and that's it; not amazing in the slightest as so many have made it out to be. Of course it's better than Spider-Man 3 and the Amazing series but it's still not of very great quality, just fine. Tom Holland and the Cast were good, especially Keaton of course. But the film leaves so much to be desired. I'm definitely not a fan in excluding Uncle Ben's existence; of course I understand many of us were fed up of the origin story on screen by this point but by ignoring Uncle Ben completely that takes out why he's even Spider-Man in the first place. Peter is more concerned impressing Tony as to actually honouring Uncle Ben which is also why the ASM # 33 homage isn't as effective and emotional as it should have been. I also found the film's pacing to be way too fast; there are hardly any slow emotional character moments which partly made the Raimi films work so well.

Having said all that however, there are still various elements of Homecoming I really dug. I love having our first true teenage Peter Parker on screen and Marvel really nailed Peter's youth as a super-hero. And the Vulture was awesome of course. I think that Homecoming is just acceptable. But as a big Spider-Man I'm not even excited for the sequel.

[David Walton]

I'm definitely not a fan in excluding Uncle Ben's existence; of course I understand many of us were fed up of the origin story on screen by this point but by ignoring Uncle Ben completely that takes out why he's even Spider-Man in the first place.

I kind of wonder if they are passing over Uncle Ben entirely because at this point it's not even believable that Tom Holland's Peter Parker would have ever let the burglar pass by. Maguire and Garfield alternated between charming and spiteful, but Holland's Peter is such a thoroughly sweet and selfless kid that I just can't imagine how the most pivotal scene in Spider-Man's formation would even play out.

[WebSlinger1997]

I kind of wonder if they are passing over Uncle Ben entirely because at this point it's not even believable that Tom Holland's Peter Parker would have ever let the burglar pass by. Maguire and Garfield alternated between charming and spiteful, but Holland's Peter is such a thoroughly sweet and selfless kid that I just can't imagine how the most pivotal scene in Spider-Man's formation would even play out.

Very good point! However, what I do find bizarre at the same time is that Civil War clearly hints that Uncle Ben's death's happened while Peter is talking to Tony in his room. How can such an integral aspect of a character be ignored in his next appearance? Homecoming didn't even bother expanding upon this in the slightest. I suppose this happens when a character is originally only written by one screen writer in his debt to then having SIX screenwriters in his next appearance...

[David Walton]

Very good point! However, what I do find bizarre at the same time is that Civil War clearly hints that Uncle Ben's death's happened while Peter is talking to Tony in his room. How can such an integral aspect of a character be ignored in his next appearance? Homecoming didn't even bother expanding upon this in the slightest. I suppose this happens when a character is originally only written by one screen writer in his debt to then having SIX screenwriters in his next appearance...

It is odd that the vague comment we got in CW ended up being the most substantial reference to Peter's guilt. I assume the CW writers expected HOMECOMING to take the baton and go with it...instead, they ended up running an entirely different race. Neither film would give you any sense of Peter's motivation if you didn't already know it.

[WebSlinger1997]

It is odd that the vague comment we got in CW ended up being the most substantial reference to Peter's guilt. I assume the CW writers expected HOMECOMING to take the baton and go with it...instead, they ended up running an entirely different race. Neither film would give you any sense of Peter's motivation if you didn't already know it.

Exactly. There's literally no emotional core to Peter's character in Homecoming at all. Why is Peter even Spider-Man? What's his purpose? Those are basic elements that a super hero should have. That simple.

[WebSlinger1997]

It is odd that the vague comment we got in CW ended up being the most substantial reference to Peter's guilt. I assume the CW writers expected HOMECOMING to take the baton and go with it...instead, they ended up running an entirely different race. Neither film would give you any sense of Peter's motivation if you didn't already know it.

Exactly. There's literally no emotional core to Peter's character in Homecoming at all. Why is Peter even Spider-Man? What's his purpose? Those are basic elements that a super hero should have. Heck, at least we know why Henry Cavill's Grim Super Man puts up with being Super Man