Author Topic: Spider-Man: Homecoming  (Read 1238 times)

MattDrufke

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Spider-Man: Homecoming
« on: July 12, 2017, 09:58:09 PM »
First things first, I really liked this movie. I mean, I REALLY liked this movie a whole lot. Holland and Keaton are really great in it, and I think they make some really fun decisions with the writing and how Peter Parker is portrayed that I am all about.

That being said, I'm about to make the case that maybe this movie shouldn't have been in the Marvel canon.

I understand that it was a big deal to Sony/Columbia and Marvel/Disney allowed Spider-Man to be in Civil War and the upcoming Infinity Saga and that it was cool to see Robert Downey, Jr. in this movie (he's not given a ton to do here, but he doesn't really need to, and I was happy about that). But so many elements of this film had to do with previous Marvel works: you had to know about the giant alien battle at the end of the first Avengers, and you had to know about everything that happened in that stellar battle in Civil War and you have to know what kind of person Stark is. If you didn't, your enjoyment of the film suffers because you're not totally aware of what is fully going on.

To me, this is a shame because this film has a life and a drive and a heart all of it's own. This is the Spider-Man film we wanted; something that jumps right in with the literal smallest amount of backstory you're going to see. Holland is SO GOOD as Peter Parker, playing his as a kid trying to find his place among the kid he's supposed to be and the superheroes he looks up to. And if you kept him out of the heart of the MCU with this film, maybe this film would do even better at the box office than I imagine it's gonna. Because it would be a stand-alone great film, and not a movie where you say, "Well, before you see this, you should really see these other 2 films first."

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Re: Spider-Man: Homecoming
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2017, 12:52:39 AM »
With most films there are small nods to the existence of previous stories, which you get here with those funny Captain America videos, the Avenger masks in the bank robbery and lines like when Hoppy is trying to pronounce Thor's belt. I loved that this movie didn't contain it to meta touches. Addressing the destruction of NYC is like the one good thing about Batman vs. Superman, where we see Bruce Wayne on the ground during the finale of Man of Steel. Such an interesting way to develop Keaton's character and give him and his crew the kind of advance technology that make them a true threat to Spider-Man.

What you need to know that happened in Civil War you can get by watching any trailer from Civil War, and again it gives the scene new perspective by exploring the process of what it took to get Peter Parker into that epic battle. Something I also loved.

What is your take on the symbiotic relationship between Star Wars: A New Hope and Rouge One? Can you enjoy one without having seen the other? For decades, SW fans would complain about the flaw in the Death Star or talk about the unknown group of rebels that transmitted the plans. Does that make Hope and empty experience because you now need to see Rouge One to have that explained? I think not, and I think the same applies to Homecoming.

In your complain, you made no mention of Hoppy and Pepper Potts. Wouldn't you say in your argument that a person needs to see Iron Man to understand their dynamic, and Hoppy's line about the ring in his pocket?

DarkeningHumour

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Re: Spider-Man: Homecoming
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2017, 10:24:57 AM »
Those things are true of all the Marvel movies that referrence the rest of the universe. You're basically complaining about the very existence of a franchise. Yes, watching all the other MCU movies provides greater context and perhaps better understanding too. That is also true of any movie that has a sequel.

I believe that the MCU makes SM a better movie. The MCU provides a context of a world that already has superheros, so a fifteen year old going about saving the day becomes less cuckoomamy and more something that makes sense in that universe. It also gives a unique explanation for the existence of comic book technology that should not exist on Earth. Now every other person does not need to be a super genius to create super weapons and killer suits. There is alien technology going around and bad guys are getting their hands on it. Not to mention the fact that now there is a good reason the NSA is not trying to find SM.
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MattDrufke

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Re: Spider-Man: Homecoming
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2017, 10:10:12 AM »
I think you both make good points. And again, this is a movie I really, REALLY liked. It's probably in my top ten right now, and my second favorite comic-book movie of 2017 behind Lego Batman. I guess here is where I'm coming from:

Last year(or was it 2 years ago? Everything goes by so fast), one of my favorite films was Captain America: Civil War, and I loved it and told everyone I knew to see it. And for most people, they also loved it, because they have seen most of the other MCU films. However, I work with a mechanic who watched the film with his two kids. He had only seen the first Iron Man but was trying to get back into the MCU because he had heard such wonderful things about Civil War. And he had a bumpy time following a lot of what was going on. So, I was thinking a lot about him as I was watching this film.

I think if you could've added a few lines here and there just to fill out a little more context, it could've stood out as a movie for people who have never seen anything in the MCU to hop into the MCU. Like, seriously, 5 lines of dialogue. Now, you can argue about if that's what the film really needs, and clearly a lot of people don't think that. And, if we're being 100% honest with ourselves, I'm not sure I fully believe what I'm pitching.

I have a son. He's 13. He's seen everything in the MCU (with the exception of the 2nd Thor movie). He loves them. We make a big deal of seeing them. He needed a jumping off point where things were explained to him. For him, it was the first Avengers movie. And I think for a lot of kids, Spider-Man could be that, too.
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Re: Spider-Man: Homecoming
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2017, 11:16:44 AM »
Be a good father and don't let your son watch Thor: The Dark World.

I get what you're saying about the five lines, but I would argue the film does do that, but instead of using lines it gives you images, which is better. There are no awkward, shoed-in scenes of exposition to make up for the lack of a « previously in the MCU » intro but the movie works the universe into its art direction. The opening lets you know Parker went somewhere with Iron Man, and so they know each other, and also, IM exists. It is made clear that there was an attack on the city. I am not sure what more is needed.

(Also, you mean Top 10 of the year, right?)
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