Spider-Man Homecoming - July 7, 2017 (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

The Dark Tower trailer played before my screening too. There was no reaction one way or the other but that's pretty typical at a matinee with maybe a dozen people.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Forgive this tangent but did the Dark Tower trailer play in front of this? This is the primo opportunity for Sony to promote the film and I pray they are taking advantage of it. If it did, how did audiences react? Thanks.

It played in front of my showing. Can't really say much about audience reaction as the remodeled Cinemark XD theater has much more space between rows with walls above sear level between each row as well. Does a good job of isolating you from the lower key murmurs in front and behind.

They don't play the Ragnarok trailer or the full Blank Panther trailers though. Just an abbreviated BP trailer for XD.

 

[Sean Bryan]

About Michelle, Kevin Feige clarified something which I honestly think is a bit of an odd choice.

Spoiler

Kevin Feige: "“We never even looked at it as a big reveal necessarily but more of just a fun homage to his past adventures and his past love. She's not Mary-Jane Watson. She never was Mary-Jane Watson. She was always this new high school character, Michelle"

So, apparently the above spoiler tag isn't even really necessary. Just a new character that they're playing with a bit as an homage. Honestly, I think that just adds a little unnecessary confusion about that. I think she'd be fine if she was. She's gorgeous.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Delivers $117M Opening Domestically, Over $250M Worldwide
That's about $3 million short of yesterday's estimates, but still the second-best opening weekend for a Spider-Man movie; Spider-Man 3 opened with a massive $151 million opening weekend back in May 2007.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

We contributed to that total yesterday.
The wife and I thought the movie was both funny and exciting – just what you want from the genre. (And they send you out laughing – Twice!!)

I, personally, would still put Spider-Man 2 ahead of it. And isn’t it about time for another Doc Ock movie?

 

[Lou Sytsma]

We contributed to that total yesterday.
The wife and I thought the movie was both funny and exciting – just what you want from the genre. (And they send you out laughing – Twice!!)

I, personally, would still put Spider-Man 2 ahead of it. And isn’t it about time for another Doc Ock movie?

Much rather see Kraven or Mysterio first.

 

[Hanson]

I wanted to like Spider-Man: Homecoming way more than I did, but watching a kid screwing the pooch for over two hours was more exhausting than entertaining. They skipped over the part about, “with great power comes great responsibility”, because Peter Parker verges on being the least responsible, most reckless and undisciplined hero in the MCU, possibly only matched by Rocket Raccoon, who, in his defense, always has a plan at least. Huge swaths of property damage and likely bodily harm seem to be glossed over for the most part. Unlike the other MCU movies, the mayhem was not a result of fighting off a enemy hell bent on destruction -- instead, almost all of the havoc was caused by Peter's bumbling attempts at heroics. Instead of the up and coming hero from Civil War, Spider-Man is his own worst enemy in Homecoming.

Add to it the lack of any dazzling set piece and an almost complete waste of Marisa Tomei, who, I get it already, is hot. It's weird that they were so progressive in casting his classmates only to turn around and make the sole adult female nothing more than a sex object. I don't get it.

I'm not really a huge fan of any of the Spider-Man films, so as to where Homecoming ranks is moot. It has enjoyable moments, has a breezy sense of humor, and the casting is great. I'll probably watch it again when it hits Bluray, but all in all, Homecoming is the biggest disappointment of the year.

 

[Joel Fontenot]

I totally failed to make that connection. Nice callback to the early days of Marvel's heroes onscreen, with the Ang Lee Hulk film.

Let's not forget that Connelly is also Paul Bettany's (Vision, previously voice of JARVIS) wife.

 

[Malcolm R]

Seems like some in this thread are expecting quite a lot from a 15-year-old boy with newfound superpowers.

 

[Tim Glover]

Didn't care for the first Spider Man but LOVED Spidey 2. Among the greatest super hero comic book movies of all time.

Never saw the Amazing series as I just scratched my head in wonder why the need for another round of these after a short time frame.

I have some ambivalence seeing this. I may go. I may wait to rent. The marvel films are wearing on me a bit other than the excellent Cap America entries.

Just not sure about this...

 

[Tino]

Can't believe I'm about to write this but....I didn't like it.

I was hugely disappointed. It may be my least favorite Spider-Man film.

I thought it was dull, had annoying characters, a weak story and was too aloof. I didn't hate it but I was shocked at how much I disliked it. I even nodded off a few times.

I think Tom Holland is a great actor and I fully expected to love him in this but instead I was annoyed. He played the part too goofy for me I guess. Couldn't stand his dopey friend too.

The Vulture character was poorly written and unbelievable. Marisa Tomei was wasted.
My biggest disappointment of the year so far.

Ooof.

️️1/2 out of ️️️️

 

[Tino]

Gonna go back and read everyone else's thought now. I'm sure I'm in the minority.

 

[Tino]

As I thought I'm in the minority...except for my pal Hanson!

 

[Hanson]

As I thought I'm in the minority...except for my pal Hanson!

Will wonders ever cease?

I think it's more shocking that you didn't like it than my dissatisfaction with the movie.

 

[Tino]

Yeah. I usually like these films universally. Shocking indeed.

 

[Bob_S.]

As I thought I'm in the minority...except for my pal Hanson!

I'm number 3!

 

[Lou Sytsma]

Yeah. I usually like these films universally. Shocking indeed.

Indeed!

 

[KevinGress]

Didn't care for the first Spider Man but LOVED Spidey 2. Among the greatest super hero comic book movies of all time.

Never saw the Amazing series as I just scratched my head in wonder why the need for another round of these after a short time frame.

I have some ambivalence seeing this. I may go. I may wait to rent. The marvel films are wearing on me a bit other than the excellent Cap America entries.

Just not sure about this...

Agree about Spider-Man 2 - still at the top of superhero movies. I've liked all Spider-Man movies to one degree or another and while I wasn't waiting with baited breath for this one, I think it's a nice addition.

The 'Iron Spider' suit was a mixed bag for me. With how the MCU has developed, it makes logical sense, but as a fan of the comics during the 80s, I don't like how they've diminished Spider-Man while raising Iron Man up. There's a reason why Spider-Man is one of the cornerstones of Marvel. I kept fearing that they'd have Iron Man show up all the time to 'bail' Spidey out (the boat scene was bad enough). I hope that the MCU can continue to make Spider-Man movies and include him in their other movies, but they to have him stand on his own more. And they do need to reconnect more with what makes Spider-Man, Spider-Man.

I also didn't care for the 'MJ' reveal; thought it was dumb and unnecessary.

I didn't think I was going to like the Vulture, but I think they handled him fine; his motivations were clear and understandable and I'm just glad we didn't get another retread of the Green Goblin or the Lizard.

 

[Lou Sytsma]

A fantastic and fantastically funny coming of age story. Had a blast.

 

[Sean Bryan]

SPOILERS BELOW. So if you haven't seen the film, please skip this post.


After watching it again this weekend, I'd place Spider-Man: Homecoming easily above Rami's Spider-Man 3 and Webb's two "Amazing" movies. But it doesn't surpass Spider-Man 2 for me. I'd put it roughly at the level of Rami's first Spider-Man. Probably above it, but close either way. Though it is kind of hard to rank them against each other since they really are going for different things. I still think Tom Holland is the best portrayal of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man (although his Spider-Man is inexperienced and basically figuring things out, his tone is just right).

Where Spider-Man 2 really pulls away is in the kinetic action set pieces. Homecoming definitely has some fun and cool action set pieces (the Ferry and the Quinjet), but none of it really stands out to me as "impressive Spider-Man action" like the way Spidey's battles with Doc Ock did in Spider-Man 2 (particularly the train sequence). This was likely tied into the narrative choice to have Spidey being inexperienced and struggling to find his way to being a big time hero, and it's fine for the tone of the narrative they were going for here. But this is definitely the area that has the most potential for improvement in 2019's sequel.

Yeah, it doesn't delve deeply into the melodramatics of Spider-Man 2 and I do really enjoy that when done well (like SM2). But again, that's just not the tone Marvel wants to go for with this Spider-Man. One certainly could critique the Rami movies for maybe sometimes getting a bit too melodramatic. There's plenty of running internet memes of Tobey crying (and crying, and crying). So they are going for a lighter tone focusing more on what it's like to be a teenager in high school while also trying to be a superhero and less on Peter being completely miserable amidst an "epic romance". And that works well in Homecoming . It's just very different in tone from the previous incarnations, and that is the intention.

SPOILERS BELOW!!!

Homecoming still has some nice dramatic touches though. The standouts for me are Stark admonishing Peter and taking away his suit with Peter pleading that he is "nothing" without it followed by Peter having to tell May that he lost the "internship", the car ride with Toomes and Peter's triumphant transformation under the rubble from a boy playing at being a hero who is in way over his head to "Spider-Man". That scene was excellent, and Holland nailed it. "Come on Peter! COME ON SPIDER-MAN!" This incarnation isn't revisiting the origin since it's been done on film twice before, but this moment here was the moment when Peter actually becomes "Spider-Man", imo.

And the surprise reveal with Toomes was really cool. A great play on picking up your date and fearing her father. The whole sequence of Toomes realizing that Peter was Spider-Man was really well done. Great performances by Keaton and Holland.

I think maybe the pacing of the second act could have used some tightening up, but the whole third act just flowed really well. Starting with Toomes opening the door at his house all the way through to May's "WTF!!" there was a nice flow of action and story.

The over all movie just had an enjoyable tone to it. Some of the humorous moments that stuck with me were:

"You deserve that, you're a criminal. Sorry. Criminal."
"I was....looking at....porn."
Donald Glover thinking Spidey was a girl because of his voice. "I'm not a girl, I'm a boy. I mean I'm a man!"
Cap's PSA videos
Spidey getting yelled at by everyone after stoping the would be car thief.
Ned's questions.
Betty Brandt's robotic delivery of "Thank you Spider-Man" on the school news.
Michelle's drawing of the gym teacher "in crisis" at detention.
Peter and Happy's awkward conversation in the bathroom.


Things I's like to see in the sequel:

Up the intensity and complexity of the action set pieces.

Achnowledge Uncle Ben. In Civil War, Peter's conversation with Tony clearly (but indirectly) indicated Peter's sense of responsibility to act as Spider-Man was tied to Ben's death, though his name and that specific event was not mentioned. In Homecoming, Peter's comment to Ned about not telling May about his secret because of "everything that has happened with her" also is referring to how raw her emotions are after this loss, but again his name and the specific event are not mentioned. They need to bring the memory of the loss of Ben directly into the movie. I think May knowing about Peter now puts them in a position where it would be an insanely wasted opportunity to not have at least one scene with a dramatic conversation about all that.

More Aunt May. Feige said that they wanted to have May find out Peter's secret early because that allows them to tread new ground with the character. So hopefully that indicates she'll be used more in the next one. The previous films have had bits where they indicate that May possibly knows or suspects, but it has never been a definitive thing. Now with her knowing, they have a great opportunity for exploring some new dynamics. And they damn well better have at least one scene that digs into Peter's guilt over Ben's death, his responsibility to use his gifts to help people, and May's fear about Peter dying. Keep with the overall ligher and fun tone for the film, but they really need to explore some of this dramatic stuff in the second one. It would be an absolute shame if they didn't.

I'd like to see JJ Jameson. Maybe they don't want to revisit the character yet, but I think enough time has passed from JK Simmons for a new incarnation.

Get Spidey into Manhattan. That environment is simply what you need for more traditional Spidey action. And it adds the beauty of seeing Spidey swinging from the skyscrapers. As a teenager in high school living in Queens, I'm sure they are still going to have Spidey operating out there, but hopefully the story will give him a reason to start operating in the big city.