"Spider-man: Homecoming" - SPOILER ALERT

The first time I watched this movie was many months ago before I entered the Marvel Universe. I wanted to watch all of the Spider-man movies that had already been released on DVD or Blu-ray. While "Spider-man: Homecoming" is not my favorite Spider-man movie (I'm not sure which one is, but I prefer Tobey Maguire's portrayal of the arachnid), I liked it a lot more this time around than I did the first time I watched it. I thought it fit well into the MCU. In "Homecoming", Peter Parker was clearly younger (though not necessarily less mature) than in previous portrayals of this character. Although he was under the watchful eyes of Happy Hogan and Tony Stark (well, until he wasn't...), the movie was like a self-taught training program - one in which Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-man, prevailed.

This time around, I was able to enjoy and appreciate the references to previous movies in the Marvel Universe. While I didn't realize Thor had a magic belt (thank you, Happy Hogan, for enlightening me), the reference caught my attention. Also, now having the background knowledge to understand the joke, the reference to Vision not liking doors made me laugh. Admittedly, I felt profoundly proud of my newfound awareness.

To tell you how unaware I was when I watched "Homecoming" many months ago, I thought the woman who came out of the conference room at the end of the movie was Mary Jane - Peter's love interest in previous Spidey movies. I now know that is not the case! (Fun fact: It turns out Gwyneth Paltrow herself didn't realize she was ever in a Spidey movie. In a 2019 interview, she said she had never acted in a Spider-man movie. To her credit, she did only have a very small role in it, which was at the end, and the brief scene did not include Spider-man himself. She thought it was considered an Avengers movie. I guess that can be confusing even for the cast.

Did anyone else notice in "Homecoming" Peter Parker simply calls his aunt "May" instead of "Aunt May"? While that may speak more to culture than to maturity, it caught my attention. I always refer to my aunts as "Auntie [insert name here]". As far as I'm concerned, Auntie is their first name! Oh, and speaking of May, her character was another noticeable difference in this movie. She was much younger than previous portrayals. I wasn't crazy about her character in "Homecoming", but it didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the movie. And of course, she gave Tony Stark someone to comment on. (Cue eye roll.)

Micheal Keaton was an interesting choice to play the role of Adrian Toomes. As you may recall, he played Batman. In "Spider-man: Homecoming", he took on an entirely different role as a villain, and he played the part well. I thought his character as Toomes had a lot of depth. Despite his evil intentions, I actually felt bad for him. He made some very poor choices which I don't support, but I can't say I'd be happy with what happened and the way it happened either. How can you just suddenly barge in on someone's business and announce that you're taking over their company? He was wrong to do what he did, but I believe his frustration was justified.

The fact that he was looking out for his family showed that, in some ways, his heart was in the right place. In that way, I found myself rooting for him - to find a healthy way to deal with what he was experiencing. But then again, this is a Marvel movie, so we need an epic villain. It's interesting to note, at the end of the movie he did not want his family around during his trial. I think he was trying to protect them - something he had been doing all along, just in all the wrong ways. And how did I not connect the dots about the plot twist - Toomes being Liz's dad? During my third viewing of the movie, I noticed the subtle and indirect hints (the frequent references to his family and the fact that Liz played such a prominent role in the movie).

On the other hand, in a mid-credits scene, Toomes lied about knowing who Spider-man is. It's unclear why he lied, but my guess is that it wasn't to protect Spidey as a thank you for saving his life. I think he may want to go after him himself to get revenge. Time will tell. (Ssshhh...don't tell me what happens in future movies, please!)

Jon Favreau - I love him! He directed the first two Iron Man movies, which, in my opinion, were so much better than the third. The first Iron Man got the ball rolling for what would become an epic series of Marvel movies and it's the one that really got me excited to see what came next. I also like Favreau playing the role of Happy Hogan. I'll add that Favreau guest starred in one of my favorite shows, Friends, in a few episodes. It's always nice to see a familiar face nailing a different role.

I have to comment on the humor in this movie because it's one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, aspect of the Marvel movies. The inclusion of humor in an otherwise intense, action-packed movie is most welcome. There was no shortage of laughs in "Spider-man: Homecoming". The "Avengers" robbing the bank - how clever! "Karen" being obsessed with the instant kill feature in Spidey's suit and Spidey making it clear he didn't want that option activated (which also speaks to his character) - that was some welcome comic relief. The Cap lectures - interesting choice for a pep talk! Even one of the teachers alluded to the oddity of this. Ned - I thought his personality was too over the top at times (settle down, my friend!), but for the most part, I liked that he toned down the seriousness of the movie. He reminded me of Luis in "Ant-Man", only I found Luis a bit more entertaining to listen to. They both certainly have an admirable enthusiasm for life, though!

One of my favorite quotes in the movie was said by Tony Stark to Peter Parker - "If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it." (I wonder if Tony Stark believes that about himself and his Iron Man gear.) This quote came full circle in the movie, when Peter declined the offer to take the suit (which he ended up receiving anyway...and his poor AUNT May possibly now knows the truth). His declining the suit offer shows that he now believes he is something even without it. It will be interesting to see how he carries on in future MCU movies. While not my favorite Spidey or MCU movie, it definitely held my interest with landmarks I'm familiar with, an easy-to-follow, but attention-holding plot, signature MCU humor, and a stellar cast. "Spider-man: Homecoming" had me feeling satisfied, yet wanting more.