Pun intended.
Several days ago, a bunch of Hollywood press people were invited to a critics screening for the much-awaited Spider-Man: Homecoming and a majority of their social media reactions were nothing short of positive. And now, following last night’s premiere that featured an impostor Hannibal Burress, the embargos for the official written reviews has been lifted and they are crazy stellar!
Heads up though, as some of them are a bit spoilery!!
Homecoming, as directed by Jon Watts (Cop Car), makes plenty of room for fun. Sixteen movies deep into the MCU, this one feels fresh, relentlessly fun and with a plucky, upbeat vigor none of the others have had. (Ant-Man, perhaps, came closest.) And it’s funny, not just in the ways you chuckle intermittently throughout a summer blockbuster, but with genuine laugh out loud comedy. (Credit to the extensive list of writers on this, who have hailed from the likes of Community, Horrible Bosses and The LEGO Batman Movie.)
John Boone, ET Online
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a franchise reboot done right. Thanks to an extraordinary performance from Tom Holland, an authentic portrayal of high school life that would make John Hughes proud, some surprises that have thankfully been kept secret for the most part, and a larger sandbox for Spidey to crawl around in and some impressive action, Spider-Man is amazing once again.
Ethan Anderton, Slashfilm
With its very diverse cast, great performances, humorous plot and a very strong antagonist, Spider-Man: Homecoming finds a way to make to make you laugh and have a really good time at the theater. Homecoming has become my personal favorite Spider-Man film and I’m very anxious to see it again. It finds a way to differentiate itself from previous Spider-Man films and somehow become the best Spider-Man film ever. Go watch it and take the kids. This is something that they need to see.
Nate Braill, Heroic Hollywood
This film leans hard into its MCU connections, which is probably smart from a marketing standpoint since it’s the most obvious thing separating this Spider-Man from the previous versions. But it does so by simply folding the Avengers into the fabric of everyday life. Spider-Man: Homecoming doesn’t frame the MCU as some alternate universe where superheroes walk among us. It brings Spidey home by showing us that he, and we, have been living in it all along.
Angie Han, Mashable
Spider-Man: Homecoming is so joyously entertaining that it’s enough to temporarily cure any superhero fatigue. There’s wit, smarts and a nifty, inventive plot that serves as a reminder of what buoyant fun such films can bring. It might have taken three attempts but Spider-Man has finally spun gold.
Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
The magic of Homecoming is that it belongs more to the John Hughes cinematic universe than the Avengers’. It cleverly references other Marvel films and even iconic scenes from previous Spider-jams, and right when it needs to, the story tosses out a big twist that ups the emotional stakes for Peter and brings his student and superhero lives crashing down on him.
Brian Truitt, USA Today
All things considered, Spider-Man: Homecoming is the most fun you will have at the movies this summer. Rooting for Peter Parker becomes an absolute blast as Holland and his supporting cast of Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Laura Harrier — none of them older than 25 — convey their passion to be involved with the film throughout. Not to mention, a few scenes with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark help guide the film, always steering clear of becoming Iron Man-centric, as the veteran Avenger serves as a mentor for the young Parker and integral thread for the movie.
Brandon Davis, Comicbook.com
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a movie that not only grows on you, it practically grows up in front of you. Watching a superhero movie on this scale that’s about a teenage kid at first feels odd, because it’s so unusual. But for everything Marvel Studios’ first Spider-Man movie accomplishes, including that distinction, it deserves to be discussed among the better films in the MCU.
Germain Lussier, io9
News Flash: Tom Holland is the best movie Spider-Man ever. He finds the kid inside the famous red onesie and brings out the kid in even the most hardened filmgoer. The last two Spidey epics had “Amazing” in the title, but let’s face it – both films stirred more apathy than amazement. The only suspense came in wondering how long and hard a franchise could be milked. It may be a problem winning back the comic-book fans, but after that extended cameo in Captain America: Civil War and this new solo outing, you finally feel that your friendly neighborhood web-slinger deserves to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Pete Travers, Rolling Stone
So, yes, after 13 long years, we have ourselves another great Spider-Man movie – arguably the best Spider-Man movie. This is a Peter Parker who just loves being Spider-Man. And, frankly, it’s really hard not to love watching this Peter love being Spider-Man. It’s the kind of movie you leave and you’re just in the best mood – and still will be days later.
Mike Ryan, Uproxx
However as with most movies, not all reviews have been stellar. Some have mixed feelings for the film.
If only this could have been a John Hughes movie that was bit by a radioactive spider, and not a superhero story written by people who happen to be fans of “Pretty in Pink.” Still, the fact that “Homecoming” even tries to think outside of its shrink-wrapped box — even acknowledges that it’s in a box, and that there might be something worth seeing beyond its plastic walls — is a landmark moment for the MCU and its competitors. “Things are never gonna be the same now,” Toomes says in the film’s very first line. Here’s hoping he’s a man of his word.
Dave Erlich, Indiewire
In “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Peter Parker is a superhero-in-training whose alter ego is just being discovered on YouTube clips, and it’s fun to see him try to gain control over his capabilities. In place of the usual Tarzan swings through the gargantuan urban canyons, he operates in more compact spaces, shooting out his web in small targeted bursts. His suit, designed by Tony Stark, is equipped with gimmicks he’s just learning about. Yet the way the movie deals with all this stuff is more rote than ingenious. It’s hard to even tell where the suit’s powers leave off and Peter’s begin — or, judging strictly from “Homecoming,” if he even has powers of his own. We all know the spider-bite basics of Spidey’s origin story, but too much rebooting has now resulted in a certain vagueness, as if the film couldn’t be bothered to fill in the logistics. That said, the flying action has a casual flip buoyancy, and the movie does get you rooting for Peter. The appeal of this particular Spider-Boy is all too basic: In his lunge for valor, he keeps falling, and he keeps getting up.
Own Gleiberman, Variety
Regardless, it appears that Marvel Studios have broken ground creating a universally acclaimed film while collaborating with a competing studio! We cannot wait to see it and what this studio tandem could lead up to in the film industry! What do you think of the reviews? Let us know in the comments below!
