I must admit I am not a big Spiderman fan. He is a little blah to me. Maybe it was just Tobey Maguire, who I have always found to be a little cold or Andrew Garfield, who is umm…..kinda forgettable? Whatever the reason, I was pretty ambivalent about this latest incarnation of the character.
However, one of my offspring is a bit of a Marvel/DC/Superhero nerd and assured me I would enjoy this Spiderman as it was establishing him in the Marvel universe and ….. my son then talked very passionately and for a very long time about Spiderman and Marvel and Sony and my mind drifted off and ohhhh I am such a bad mother! … sooooooo off to the movies we went.
Our new Spiderman/Peter Parker (Holland) was introduced to the world towards the end of Captain America: Civil War and this movie picks up from there. Peter has been away working as an ‘intern’ for Stark Industries. The opening scenes with Stark (Downey Jr), Happy (Favreau) and Peter’s home movies are so captivating and funny, they alone are worth the price of a ticket!
So at this point, let me adjust my opening sentence to say ….. I must admit, I am now a bit of a Spiderman fan.
Peter is now back home with his Aunt May (Tomei) and trying to adjust to his old life. He doesn’t want to be there, he wants to be an Avenger and with all the tenacity of a pesky teenager, texts Stark daily reminding him of the fact. But it is when his best friend Ned (Batalon) discovers he is indeed Spiderman that the movie takes off.
After the alien showdown in the first Avengers movie, some bad guys have gotten hold of alien technology and, as bad guys tend to do, have used this for evil. Adrian Toomes/Vulture (Keaton) is their nasty leader who keeps control of his men through a combination of intimidation and violence and when his guys land on Peter’s radar, Spiderman and Vulture are destined to meet.
Throw into this mix a potential love interest, the team debate team who are gunning for a national title, teen angst, a best mate who is funny, supportive and a hilarious pain in the butt, school, parties, a more than a smattering of Avengers cameos and you have a sure fire winner!
This Spiderman is refreshed and revitalised and a most welcome addition to the Marvel universe.
4 stars
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier
Running Time: 133 minutes
Release Date: In Cinemas Now
