Spider-Man: Homecoming opens in theaters next weekend and early reviews peg it as another hit for Marvel in a world filled to the brim with Marvel hits.
Whenever I say to someone that I don’t like Marvel, they immediately call me out for being a hater. But the layers upon layers of unwavering predictability are so overwrought with this franchise, I fall asleep as soon as someone can even finish saying Iron Man. You either feel really, really invested in these characters or you just love yourself a cool superhero flick that looks like all the rest.
So it comes as no surprise that critics can’t resist the charm of Tom Holland and this third iteration of Spider-Man. Even as someone who tries to avoid Marvel as much as possible, I can agree that Holland is beyond charismatic and perfect for the role. Along with Robert Downey Jr. and what is sure to be an impressive performance from Michael Keaton as the Vulture, it’s safe to say that Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s John Hughes-esque story will be a surefire hit for audiences.
Now that many critics have seen the film, it currently holds a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Further, the consensus seems to be that:
"Spider-Man: Homecoming does whatever a second reboot can, delivering a colorful, fun adventure that fits snugly in the sprawling MCU without getting bogged down in franchise-building."
Sounds about right for a Marvel and Sony hybrid that spun itself into existence from the sheer willpower of Marvel head Kevin Feige.
The Rotten Tomatoes score alone puts Spider-Man: Homecoming in the same web as Wonder Woman, another superhero hit of the summer. However, both fall short of Baby Driver‘s current 97 percent score.
As far as what exactly the critics are saying, I love what Peter Travers at Rolling Stone said the most, because I feel like he may be speaking directly to people like me:
"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."
While Marvel certainly makes me feel a little bitter about the current state of cinema, Spider-Man: Homecoming may be the film that draws me back in.
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Spider-Man: Homecoming opens in theaters on July 7.