Review: ‘SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING’

Being a teenager is hard, but being a teenage superhero is harder as we learn from the sensational new Spider-Man: Homecoming, the first Sony/Marvel partnership film after Spidey’s wildly praised inclusion in last year’s Captain America: Civil War. For fans, Marvel’s most popular superhero being back under the direction of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, the architect of the MCU, is about as exciting as the film itself and the newly found partnership has wielded it’s might right out of the gate with a fresh, intelligent and entertaining film that resets the Spider-Man franchise and gives die-hard fans a look at the character the way he is meant to be seen.

Tom Holland takes over the role of Peter Parker, a high school sophomore thrust into the world of superheros after a radioactive spider gives him super powers. Returning home after his brief stint with the Avengers, waiting for his next mission is making young Peter inpatient for action as he struggles with a normal life. Every aspect of his life pails in comparison to the thrill of being Spider-Man and swinging above the ground and being a high school student just doesn’t seem to be his destiny. All that changes when some mysterious alien artifacts start popping up on the street which thrusts the young superhero into action.

Too small a task for the Avengers is just how Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) likes it as he runs his underground illegal alien arms racket. Staying just ahead of the FBI and off the radar of Earth’s mighty heroes has allowed Toomes and his crew to make a lot of money off of stolen alien artifacts, but when Spider-Man begins peeking his nose into their business, well that’s just not something this crew will stand for. As Peter begins to snoop, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) begins to wonder if his young protege is able to handle the pressure of his powers. Tony assigns Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) to watch over Peter as a liaison, but when Peter decides he can no longer stand by and watch as criminals are threatening his city, he goes against everything Stark asks of him and dissolves the trust between the two. As a war wages on in his mind, Peter must face his destiny and embrace his present self to find the answers he is searching for and become the hero he is destined to be.

Director Jon Watts (Cop Car) brings a perfect mix of action and humor to his John Hughes-esque take on the Spider-Man story. Unlike previous incarnations of the character, where we’ve had to rehash the origin story, Spider-Man: Homecoming hits the ground running and allows for the story to shape organically around Peter and his life as a high school student. Tom Holland is the perfect embodiment of Peter Parker. Awkward, genius high school student with a knack for bad timing, check! Over hyper superhero with a knack for sarcasm, check! The kid is outstanding in his portrayal of the popular webslinger. Michael Keaton is the best comic book villain on film since Heath Ledger’s Joker. Keaton brings a calm, menacing demeanor to his role as the Vulture character, who is given an upgrade and a slightly altered backstory in this film.

The supporting cast around Holland enables the young actor to flesh out his character and bring out the emotional elements in the film. Jacob Batalon is wonderfully lovable as Peter’s best friend Ned and Marisa Tomei brings Aunt May into a whole new light with a younger, more self reliant take on the character which may come as a shock to comic fans. MCU alums Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr., pros to the superhero game, act as the “ole wise men” to young Holland and his character and help usher in the newest member to the MCU family with limited, yet crucial, screen time. Stand out kudos go out to Zendaya and Tony Revolori for their humor and sass as Michelle and Flash respectively.

Overall, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a grand slam and a huge boost to future Marvel collaborations. Sony took a chance and it paid off beyond expectations and the winners are the comic fans and audiences around the world. Superhero movies were kicked in the butt by Deadpool last year, but this year belongs to Spider-Man. Welcome home web-head.

Stars:

4 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene(s)?

Yes. One mid credit and one post credit

Trailer:

New on Bluray/DVD – Kevin Bacon is both charming & smarmy in ‘Cop Car’

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A corrupt small-town sheriff is on the hunt for two runaway kids who took his car on a joy ride in Cop Car, an unnervingly funny thriller now available on Digital HD and On Demand, and debuting on Blu-rayTM and DVD on September 29, 2015, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

When a pair of 10-year-olds find an abandoned cop car in a field and take it for a joyride, it seems like they could kill themselves at any moment. But things only get worse when the small-town sheriff goes looking for his missing car—and the illicit cargo he left in the trunk—and the kids find themselves at the center of a deadly game of cat and mouse they don’t understand. The only way out is to go as fast as their cop car can take them.

Last month, Liz reviewed Cop Car, and had this to say about Kevin Bacon.

Bacon never disappoints me with his uncanny ability to be both charming and smarmy all in one.

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Liz’s Review: Kevin Bacon brings the unexpected in ‘COP CAR’.

Cop Car posterAs a kid, curiosity probably should have gotten me killed a slew of times. Running away wasn’t really my thing, but playing with the boys in the woods, rough housing and climbing things I probably shouldn’t have went hand in hand with ballet lessons and dressing up as Princess Leia. In the new film COP CAR, two young boys come upon what appears to be an abandoned sheriff’s vehicle in the middle of nowhere. Coming to the naive conclusion that no one is coming back for the car, they take it upon themselves to claim the vehicle as their own and go on one hell of a joyride. Unbeknownst to them, it’s shady owner has secrets hiding within the vehicle. An innocent coming of age tale spins wildly out of control as the boys decide between right and wrong and the threats of grownups with their own agenda.Cop Car-00005Kevin Bacon gives an outstanding performance as the infamous Sheriff Kretzer. This man is a master as manipulation. Watching his character get in and out of dangerous scenarios is fascinating and frightening. Bacon never disappoints me with his uncanny ability to be both charming and smarmy all in one. (He was totally booked for sit down interviews this time. I was disappointed as I dream of being able to say that “I am 0 degrees from Kevin Bacon.” Next time, sir. Next time.) Cop Car-00008The young boys that we want so desperately to get away are played heroically by James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford. Both performances should be lauded as total success stories. These two young boys have careers ahead of them, for sure. Freedson-Jackson plays the more dominant of the pair  with gusto and complete ownership. Wellford, as the meeker young man, is heartfelt and thoughtful. It makes me wonder the amount of time these kids spent  together prior to and during filming. Their chemistry is organic and beyond solid. Camryn Manheim plays a concerned local woman, putting the boys on blast to the authorities. I love Manheim in everything from Ghost Whisperer to her innumerable guest appearances on what feels like every television series since the mid-90’s. Shea Whigman, one of my favorite actors from Boardwalk Empire, makes a phenomenal appearance in this film. Setting the bar high is the name of his game and he blows us away.Cop Car-00007The film’s pace starts out free and easy, throwing you into a false sense of stability. Ramping up and never stopping until the final frame, Cop Car really took me by surprise. It was a purely intriguing script and I was never bored. Fare warning: it is quite violent but totally worth it. Great performances, fantastic story, completely unexpected, I really dug this film. It is crystal clear why director Jon Watts was brought on to helm the UNTITLED SPIDER-MAN REBOOT for 2017. This gives me so much hope for the franchise. Beyond looking forward to more from this talented man.Cop Car-00009COP CAR opens in theaters today, August 7th.

Kevin Bacon (THE FOLLOWING, HBO’s TAKING CHANCE, MYSTIC RIVER) stars in director Jon Watts’ delightful throwback thriller COP CAR.   When two good-natured but rebellious young boys (Hays Wellford of INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE and James Freedson-Jackson) stumble across an abandoned cop car hidden in a secluded glade they decide to take it for a quick joyride.  Their bad decision unleashes the ire of the county sheriff (Kevin Bacon) and leads to brutal consequences.  COP CAR  firmly establishes Jon Watts as a master of minimalist suspense and a directing force that will soon extend well beyond the independent landscape—Watts has just signed on to helm the UNTITLED SPIDER-MAN REBOOT for 2017.

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Find Their “SPIDER-MAN” Star and Director

who-do-you-really-think-should-play-spider-manSony Pictures and Marvel Studios are proud to announce that after a full worldwide casting search, Tom Holland will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the next Spider-Man film, in theaters in IMAX and 3D on July 28, 2017.  The film will be directed by Jon Watts, director of Cop Car, the upcoming thriller that made its debut earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Marvel and Sony Pictures, and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal conducted an extensive search for both the actor and the director.  The studios and producers were impressed by Holland’s performances in The Impossible, “Wolf Hall,” and the upcoming In the Heart of the Sea, and by a series of complex screen tests.  Following Marvel’s tradition of working with the brightest next wave of directors, Watts also went through multiple meetings with Feige, Pascal, and the studio, before winning the job.

Commenting on the announcement, Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group Chairman, “It’s a big day here at Sony. Kevin, Amy and their teams have done an incredible job.  The Marvel process is very thorough, and that’s why their results are so outstanding.  I’m confident Spider-Man will be no exception.  I’ve worked with a number of up-and-coming directors who have gone on to be superstars and believe that Jon is just such an outstanding talent.  For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actors, but Tom’s screen tests were special.   All in all, we are off to a roaring start.”

Feige commented, “As with James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and the Russo brothers, we love finding new and exciting voices to bring these characters to life.  We spent a lot of time with Jon and find his take and work inspiring.”

Pascal added, “Sony, Marvel, Kevin and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world.  With Tom, we’ve found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man’s story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

Sony Pictures will finance and release worldwide the next installment of the $4 billion Spider-Man franchise on July 28, 2017, in a film co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the Web-Slinger.

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

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