Spider-Man: Homecoming brings the hero back down to Earth iterally, to the hallways of a Queens high school. This is Peter Parker as a 15-year-old kid, desperate to prove he’s more than just "the intern" for Tony Stark. He’s battling homework, a high school crush, and a new working-class villain who doesn't want to rule the world, just profit from its scraps. This is the funny, awkward, and perfectly charming Spidey we’ve been waiting for.

Basic Deets

• Title: Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Director: Jon Watts
• Key Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei
• Genre: Superhero, Action, Comedy, Coming-of-Age
• Runtime: 133 minutes
• Release Date: July 7, 2017
• Rating: PG-13

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The Lowdown

Hang on a second, let's set the scene. We’re not rehashing the whole radioactive spider bite thing. Thank god. Seriously, though, my dude Peter Parker is already Spider-Man. He's got his suit, he's met the Avengers, he's had that airport blowout in Germany. He's basking in that, major time. The key concern? Guy is bored. He's back in high school again in Queens, doing homework-and-quiz-bowl stuff, and it's a complete downer after all that Cap-bashing. All he wants is Tony Stark to make him see he's more than friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He wants the big leagues. But all he gets is petty offense and ongoing, soul-crushing FOMO about not being able to go to the superhero equivalent of a dope house party. It's a vibe. A full-on, relatable, "my life is gonna be dope but it ain't yet" vibe.

The Vibe

Okay, real talk. This movie is like slipping on a favorite, well-worn-in hoodie. In response to. say particular. energies of the previous Spider-Man eras, this one just does. It is not an angsty brooding symphony. It is not a groan-fest of organic web-shooters. It's a pop-punk album about a teenager who just so happens to be able to stick to ceilings. The mood is unadulterated happiness, topped with the frantic terror of a 15-year-old trying to keep a secret identity. It's quick, it's funny as shit, and it understands that the best of Spider-Man was never so much the web-slinging. It was the struggling. The rent. The aunt. The crush. The academic decathlon. Homecoming understands that nice, messy entropy exactly right.

Shout-Outs

I don't even know where to start? There is so much of this great stuff in this movie.

First, Tom Holland. Bro. He is Spider-Man. Like, really. He nails the awkward, wordy, endearing dorkiness of Peter Parker without turning it into an act. And his Spider-Man? The way he's still discovering what he can do, the way he squeaks when he gets scared, the way he just won't. shut. up. when he's fighting? Perfection. He really does look like a kid, not a 30-year-old who climbs rocks in a backpack. It's a performance that is just full of this wide-eyed, realistic excitement that's just impossible to hate. You totally believe this kid would rather be rescuing a spaceship than doing his Spanish homework.

And Michael Keaton. Holy crap. The Vulture. Let's just pause for a minute. You know what's insane? They took the Vulture, a guy in a green bird suit from the 60s, and made him one of the most realistic, terrifying, and actually human bad guys in the whole MCU. Keaton is a fuckin' force of nature. He's not an intergalactic threat. He's a working-class dude who got screwed over by the system, by the Tony Starks of the world, and he just wants to be able to put food on the table. He's menacing because he's a rational guy. And that scene. Yo. THAT SCENE. In the car. When he pieces it all together. The gradual dawning, the shift in his eyes, the creepy, low-key ".I'm the shocker." Good lord. I got chills. It's a lesson in how you do a bad guy reveal without a big big fight. It's literally just two guys talking in a car and it's more stressful than any city-annihilating beam of light.

The rest of the supporting cast is lowkey incredible. Jacob Batalon as Ned is basically the best friend we all have. His reaction to learning that Peter is Spider-Man—"I'm looking at… porn?"—is one of the great movie lines of all time. He’s the hype man, the guy in the chair, the source of so much of the film’s heart and humor. Zendaya’s MJ is a weird, dry, observant icon from the moment she appears. And Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May is young and hot, sure, whatever, but she’s also got this wonderful, worried, caring energy that feels real. Her final line in the movie? Chef’s kiss.

Perfect. But wanna hear something crazy? The most triumphant here may be the scale. The film is so smart in being small. It's not the world that's at stake. It's not the universe that's in the balance. It's preventing a man from selling high-tech weapons to goons. It's saving your friends on the Washington Monument. It's preventing a robbery on a Staten Island ferry. By making the stakes personal and, let's be honest, makin' 'em sorta street-level, each victory is fought for and each defeat hits so much harder. That exchange where he's stuck under the wreckage? No swirling music, no monologues. Just this frightened kid, crying out for rescue, who understands he's way too deep. "Come on, Spider-Man… Come on, Spider-Man…" It's real. It's raw.

It's the best Spider-Man moment they've ever done, and I'm going to die on that hill.

The Niggles

Ugh. Alright. Nothing's perfect. I have to complain for a second. The whole Iron Man babysitter thing? Sometimes it's just a bit too much. Like, we get it, he's in the MCU. But having Happy Hogan not answer Peter's calls and then having Tony Stark come and lecture him or save his butt. it takes away from Peter's own growth a bit. I understand that it's the concept—having to learn how to be his own hero and not rely on the high-tech assist of Stark training, but the film does use the Stark-tech crutch a little too much. The instant-kill mode? 500+ web-shooter upgrades? It's awesome, but it also has the feel of Peter winning the superhero lottery rather than crafting his own history.

It's a small quibble, but it's there.

And then the Michelle/MJ reveal at the end? Mild. whatever. Like, afterthought. "Hi, I'm MJ." Okay. cool? We didn't even learn about this version of the character yet at this point, so it's more of a thud than the mic-drop moment they aimed for. It's a setup for a sequel, sure, but in this movie, it's a weird little glitch.

And man, some of the product placement is blatant. I half-expected Peter to turn around and speak to the camera and say, "This essay was brought to you by Boredom and also the new Audi A7."

Verdict

So, What's the Score?

8.5/10. Easy.

It's a new, web-slinging wind. It's serious, it's goofy, it's boasts an amazing villain, and it actually, finally, gets the feel of what makes Spider-Man so universally beloved. It's not the best superhero movie of all time, but it might be one of the most purely delightful ones.

Who's This For?

If you're so sick of grimdark superhero fare and want something with actual joy and humor, this is the jam. It's perfect for teenagers, for families, for anyone who likes a good coming-of-age story with some great action. And if you ever caught yourself thinking that you were meant for greatness but trapped in the dull hell of everyday existence, bro, this movie is for you. It's a love letter to the underdog.

Last Word

Just go check it out. Or check it out again. It doesn't get old. Spider-Man: Homecoming is the movie equivalent of an awesome pop single: it's catchy, it's smart, it puts you in a good mood, and you'll be stuck playing it repeatedly. Trust me.