Reel Recap: April-August 2019

In case you didn't catch my review of Doctor Sleep, I'm starting a new review format called "Reel Recap." This will enable me to write brief thoughts on everything I watch monthly going forward. In this first Reel Recap, I'm going to cover every 2019 release I watched from April to August. This includes Pet Sematary, Child's Play, Good Boys, The Art of Self Defense, Guava Island, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Reel Recap: April-August 2019

Pet Sematary (2019) - Watched April 4, 2019

Synopsis: Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home.
Runtime: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for horror violence, bloody images, and some language)
Who should see it? Adult fans of Stephen King.

In the recent flurry of Stephen King adaptations, horror fans found themselves faced with a new iteration of Pet Sematary. Thirty years after the first attempted feature, directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer chose to take another stab at King's source material. Though it boasts solid performances from a cast of known actors and a few compelling moments of tension, the film's never genuinely gripping. There's plenty to be mined from King's thematic ground, but this remake hardly offers more than a surface level examination. As the title suggests, Pet Sematary is as devoid of life as an empty graveyard and serves as an unfortunate reminder that sometimes, staying home is better.

Film Assessment: C+ 

Child's Play (2019) - Watched June 22, 2019

Synopsis: A mother gives her 13-year-old son a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature.
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for bloody horror violence, and language throughout)
Who should see it? Adult fans of Chucky and the Child's Play franchise.

Lars Klevberg's Child's Play reboot hints at sentimentality but fails to find a convincing connection between a boy and his AI doll. The film never amounts to much more than ninety minutes of a rampant doll on a killing spree with superficial messaging against consumerism. There are some creative kills, and Mark Hamill's voice work is fantastic, but CGI-Chucky was very off-putting, and it all felt a bit too over-the-top for my taste. Though slasher fans may enjoy it.

Film Assessment: C+

Good Boys - Watched July 10, 2019

Synopsis: Three 6th grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.
Runtime: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for strong crude sexual content, drug/alcohol material, and language throughout involving tweens)
Who should see it? Fans of R-rated comedies.

The premise of Good Boys is simple, it's an R-rated comedy starring 6th graders. That aspect of it can be highly amusing at first. Still, just when the gimmick begins to feel worn out, the film surprises with an endearing message about the value of friendship. Holding it all together are the three lead child actors Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon. They each sell the naivety of their characters as inappropriate, over-the-top hilarity soon ensues.

Film Assessment: B-

The Art of Self-Defense - Watched July 19, 2019

Synopsis: After being attacked on the street, a young man enlists at a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious sensei, in an effort to learn how to defend himself from future threats.
Runtime: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: R (for violence, sexual content, graphic nudity, and language)
Who should see it? Adults who like dry, off-beat humor.

Written and directed by Riley Stearns, The Art of Self Defense employs biting satire to karate chop the hell out of toxic masculinity. Operating as a quirky, off-kilter comedy, The Art of Self Defense is hilarious and pretty profound. Channeling his trademark awkward energy, Jesse Eisenberg's well-suited to play a down-on-his-luck protagonist and makes the most of the role. Amongst the supporting cast, Alessandro Nivola and Imogen Poots are notable stand-outs.

Film Assessment: B+

Guava Island - Watched August 3, 2019 (Prime Video)

Synopsis: A young musician seeks to hold a festival to liberate the oppressed people of Guava Island.
Runtime: 55 minutes
MPAA Rating: TV-MA
Who should see it? Fans of Donald Glover and Rihanna.

Serving as the streaming equivalent of a tropical vacation, Guava Island relaxes viewers with an eye-catching aesthetic and laidback approach. Coming in just under an hour, you'll be left wishing you could stay longer when it's all over.

Film Assessment: B

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Watched August 14, 2019

Synopsis: On Halloween 1968, reclusive Stella and her friends uncover a sinister notebook of stories.
Runtime: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for terror/violence, disturbing images, thematic elements, language, and brief sexual references)
Who should see it? Fans of PG-13 horror.

Translated from Alvin Schwartz's bestselling series of books, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark strings together a collection of short anthology stories into one cohesive narrative. The characters are mostly thinly sketched archetypes realized by subpar actors, and the plot's not particularly strong or compelling in the slightest. Convincing practical effects enhance the scares, but also draw more attention to the hit-or-miss nature of the computer-generated imagery.

Film Assessment: C+

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Watched August 16, 2019

Synopsis: A loving mom becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of devotion to her family. Her leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to a triumphant rediscovery.
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some strong language and drug material)
Who should see it? Fans of Cate Blanchett, Richard Linklater, and the novel.

Cate Blanchett shines in Richard Linklater's latest feature Where'd You Go, Bernadette adapted from Maria Semple's novel. Otherwise, the film's fairly pleasant but rarely scratches beneath the surface to reach its full potential. The core family relationships are endearing, and there's some amusing banter, but there's unfortunately little else of interest.

Film Assessment: C+

'The Lion King' (2019) Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

Synopsis: In the African savanna, a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father and takes his royal destiny to heart. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, former heir to the throne, has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy, and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must mature and take back what is rightfully his.

Runtime: 118 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements)

Who should see it? Families and fans of Disney's live-action remakes.

Adapted from the iconic 1994 animated incarnation, The Lion King is directed by Jon Favreau as Disney's latest "live-action" retelling. Considering the 2019 version was rendered from scratch, it's challenging to categorize The Lion King as animated or live-action since it's the first of its kind. Favreau and Disney classified this uncharted territory as "live-action filmmaking techniques with photorealistic computer-generated-imagery" which is essentially jargon for a CG-production. Utilizing the groundbreaking technology that was employed in the making of Avatar and The Jungle Book (2016), animators meticulously recreated much of the original film's classic iconography to appear alarmingly photorealistic. Though certainly a remarkable technical achievement, this innovation comes at a steep cost. 

The Lion King is undeniably an impressive two-hour visual effects demonstration, but it sorely lacks the personality and energy of the original. This is largely because Favreau set parameters for his team of animators and vfx artists, which only allowed the animals to express emotion as they would in real life. As a result, the disembodied voices of an A-list ensemble are solely responsible for conveying their characters' emotional responses. Yet, vocal performances from veteran actors also fell flat. I'm unsure if this stemmed from Favreau's direction or the acting talent themselves, but the voice-over was mostly monotonous delivery of familiar dialogue. Jeff Nathanson adapted Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton's screenplay while Brenda Chapman received story credit as the animated film's story supervisor. However, none of the other twenty-five writers or credited crew involved with the first film were recognized. I'm aware that Timon and Pumbaa's trademark motto "Hakuna Matata" means "no worries," but I have several.

For a remake so beholden to the original, I'm baffled to learn this is the case on account of semantics concerning protections and residuals from Writer's Guild and the Animation Guild. Credit logistics aside, The Lion King retains approximately 80-85% of the first film's dialogue and replicates almost the entirety of its predecessor's visuals. A few additional scenes serve as supplemental story material to overtly explain the story's subtleties, which didn't really need to be shown. Otherwise, it's basically a shot-for-shot recreation with minor tweaks. Worst among these changes is the replacement of Hans Zimmer's score with Beyoncé's original song "Spirit" in the scene where Simba decides to return to Pride Rock. The scene, which is supposed to be a profound moment with an epic accompaniment, is instantly cheapened by a typical Beyoncé song that is hysterically out-of-place. Not to mention, Mufasa reappears to Simba as a generic cloud that only resembles a lion during instantaneous flashes of lighting. Favreau's insistence on grounding this tale in realism increasingly grew more and more absurd when I realized singing animals were part of the equation.

Chief among my complaints, The Lion King's larger-than-life musical numbers were staged in literally the least exciting way imaginable. The photorealistic approach naturally confined Favreau's creativity in this regard, but animals simply walked or ran around their environment while singing. It was rather dull to watch, and the lyric annunciation and syncopated rhythms of the songs are changed to better suit the actors I suppose. Without the heightened exaggeration and vibrant colors front-and-center in the 1994 animation, these songs are hardly any fun. The cast's singing ability is there for the most part, though there are some glaring exceptions such as Seth Rogan's Pumbaa. It's mercifully brief, but nobody involved bother trying to mask it via auto-tuning as Disney did earlier this year in Aladdin (2019).

Maybe, I'm being a bit harsh in actively comparing this reimagining to the first film. However, it's nearly impossible to avoid doing so since it borrows so much and is a downgrade in almost every respect. I've attested to the emotional disconnect intentionally inserted by Jon Favreau, and that decision alone seems to have stifled the possibilities that accompany bringing this story to life. Even standing entirely on its own, this iteration lacks the emotional vitality necessary to tell this story. The effects are incredible, but everything is a soulless rendering. Young Simba is admittedly a cute cub, but he's hardly capable of emoting. When Mufasa was trampled by a stampede of wildebeests (spoiler alert?), Simba's vacant expressions matched my own. Otherwise, Hans Zimmer probably earned the easiest paycheck of his life as his score is virtually identical aside from a couple new refrains and slight occasional re-arrangements.

I briefly addressed the ensemble, but I was amazed to see such high-profile talent lend performances devoid of personality when they seemed like ideal casting choices. JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright, Donald Glover, and Beyoncé portray Simba and Nala respectively at varying stages of life. The quartet's voices shine in the musical numbers but are otherwise serviceable. The legendary James Earl Jones reprises the role of Mufasa, and even he failed to spark life into a character which he'd already made iconic. Perhaps, it's due to his age, but that doesn't explain the other's inconspicuous contributions. Amongst the supporting cast, John Oliver's Zazu and John Kani's Rafiki are unusually restrained when compared to their animated counterparts while Afre Woodard's Sarabi practically serves as set decor. 

Not all is lost, though. Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan were sure-fire stand-outs as Timon and Pumbaa and the sole source of successful comic relief. The rapport between Eichner and Rogan is unique, but true to the spirit of Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella's dynamic from the original. The duo breaks the fourth wall in fun and exciting new ways, but it occurred a little too often and risked veering towards being Deadpool-esque at times. However, I will admit to breaking out in a fit of laughter at the subversive and abrupt ending to their amusing remix of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

Chiwetel Ejiofor's Scar speaks with a hushed intensity that sets him in the shadow of Jeremy Irons' eccentric take. The cunning and manipulative tendencies remain, but the larger-than-life malevolence is stripped away. Florence Kasumba, Keegan-Michael Key, and Eric André portray the prominent trio of hyenas and are equally subdued.

Given the enormous success of Disney's other live-action re-imaginings, a remake of The Lion King was inevitable. After seeing The Jungle Book, I'll admit that I was also interested in seeing Jon Favreau take a stab at it. I now deeply regret that request as in the theater I often sang to myself, "Oh, I just can't wait for this to be over."

Film Assessment: D+

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story chronicles the early escapades of a young Han Solo as he winds up deep in the dark, dangerous criminal underworld and joins a crew of smugglers looking to pull off a huge heist for a notorious crime lord.

Now it's no secret that Solo: A Star Wars went through some significant behind-the-scenes drama, as reports of the director shake-up and extensive reshoots were highly publicized and it was all slung around by the press as though this film might be Lucasfilm's first flop. For those curious what I'm referring to, directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller were taken off the project mid-way through production last summer due to creative differences only to be replaced by the Academy Award winning director Ron Howard. We recently saw something similar happen to Justice League, so I'm sure many have feared the worst since the news broke, but I've gotta say that the change-up is not noticeable in the slightest within the context of the film itself. You can tell this is a film guided by a singular vision at the helm of it all. It's not a hodgepodge of conflicting voices strung together by a committee purely to sell more merchandise.  

Howard's actually got something else in store for Star Wars fans. Solo is an origin story for Han in the vein of a western/gun-slinger with a youthful exuberance and the added benefit of a heavy criminal element. While Howard certainly deserves credit for the execution of it all (especially considering the amount of time he had), I've gotta hand it to Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan for writing a tight script. Larry Kasdan is quite familiar with Han Solo because he's been writing the character since The Empire Strikes Back, and it really shows in the dialogue and story-framework. The scope of the story is small, but the stakes felt intimate as a result, which is precisely how it should be. It's actually quite refreshing to see a blockbuster with such an adventurous spirit that ironically brought Indiana Jones to mind. 

Howard and the Kasdans also found a nice balance between treating fans to fun nuggets of Han's origin and revealing an excessive, unnecessary amount of Han's backstory. For those angered that the Expanded Universe lore was stricken from canon when Disney purchased Lucasfilm, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised to see quite a bit of Han's Expanded Universe history reintroduced in Solo. Of course, there are many easter eggs to be found as well, but I was really relieved to see none of them take precedence over the story at hand as a cheap wink to the fans. While there are certainly moments of fan-service, none of it felt egregious or unnecessary. Although, there's one surprise cameo that will likely confuse casual fans of the franchise. All I have to say to that is you'll understand it if you go watch the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series (it's on Netflix). Before I move away from the fan discussion, I should also probably mention that Solo bucks many longtime Star Wars traditions so just be prepared for that. 

Technically, Solo is as proficient as any of the Disney era Star Wars films. There's nothing particularly game-changing for the medium of film or the franchise in general, but the costumes, production design, editing, visual effects, sound editing and sound mix are all very well-polished examples of exemplary work from the crew. It's also worth noting that John Powell composed an accomplished score which occasionally incorporated an appropriate use of familiar John Williams musical motifs while the action sequences on display were quite exhilarating. In particular, I most enjoyed the Conveyex train heist sequence in addition to finally watching the infamous Kessel Run unfold. 

If I were to rattle off some nitpicks, I'd have to start by saying I found it difficult to see everything that was going on in certain scenes due to dim lighting. I largely just found this disappointing because Bradford Young was the director of photography on Solo and I loved his work in Arrival. This perhaps could be chocked down to a poor projector in the auditorium I watched the film in (I'll know for sure after a second viewing), but everything just looked very dark and dingy at times. Part of me thinks the projector was operating perfectly fine and the color palette was just grittier to match the backdrop of the criminal underworld as a stylistic choice, but one can never be too certain. 

One of my favorite things about Star Wars is the world-building that accompanies fleshing out a galaxy far, far away. So, naturally, I'm a sucker for introducing new locales and abstract aliens. However, I found myself a little let down by that component of Solo. The production team did very little to differentiate the "new" planets (some are pre-existing in the canon) from anything seen previously. Normally, I find myself so enraptured by the scenery that I unrealistically wish I could venture there. With Solo, that simply wasn't the case despite top-notch production quality... The settings in Star Wars are almost a character of their own, but they just felt like set dressing in this instance.

In regards to its cast, Solo had some big hurdles to overcome. While he may not have had first shot at portraying the character, Alden Ehrenreich brings new life to Han Solo as a younger, inexperienced version of the beloved scoundrel. Ehrenreich delivers the essence of the character we all know and love while taking ownership of his own version. I'm sure many are skeptical about the idea of anyone else in the role of Han Solo other than Harrison Ford, but I can speak for myself in saying I was assuaged from the get-go. Opposite Ehrenreich is an actor who really doesn't get enough credit... Since The Force Awakens, Joonas Suotamo has put on the big furry suit and chortled onscreen as the big fuzzball we affectionally refer to as Chewie. However, this time, Suotamo gets to shine in ways the previous films simply didn't allow time for since the burgeoning bromance between Han and Chewbacca is a focal part of the film. The chemistry between Ehrenreich and Suotamo makes the companionship between these classic characters completely convincing and it's quite amusing to see their friendship flourish over the course of the film. 

The other familiar face to be found in Solo is Lando Calrissian, who's portrayed perfectly by Donald Glover. Like Alden, Glover brings his own spin to the role that's already been previously popularized by another actor. Glover's take feels like it's entirely his own, yet is also remarkably in line with the precedent previously set by Billy Dee Williams. Glover just oozes the eccentric ol' smoothie charisma required for the role and will charm your socks off. Phoebe Waller-Bridge plugs into the affairs as L3-37, Lando's navigator droid who's a vocal droids-rights activist. Waller-Bridge steals many scenes with some well-timed quips and certainly stood out as one of the funnier characters in the crowded cast.

 

Rounding out the cast, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Jon Favreau, and Paul Bettany all do a fine job playing a host of characters with mysterious, ever-changing motivations. These are Qi'ra, Tobias Beckett, Val, Rio Durant, and Dryden Vos respectively, but I'm going to stay out of specifics to avoid spoiling anything. 

Lastly, a reoccurring threat for Solo and his band of smugglers is the marauder and leader of the Cloud-Rider gang, Enfys Nest. I found this character to be very cool along with her devoted group of followers and liked how they played into things, but I'll leave it at that since the character's masked and this is a spoiler-free review.

Really, Solo had everything I could ever want from a standalone Han Solo story. In spite of a troubled production, Solo: A Star Wars Story tells a fun, fairly risk-free adventure that I can't wait to experience again. You better buckle up baby, because Solo: A Star Wars Story is the summer blockbuster you're gonna want to ride over and over at light speed!

Film Assessment: B+

Star Wars Speculation: 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Trailer Talk

Last night a new trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story was released and I immediately debated whether I should bother posting anything about it or not. On one hand, I enjoyed the trailer and I've already made it a habit to discuss new Star Wars content via this Star Wars Speculation series. However, the new footage didn't really "reveal" much in terms of plot worth analyzing so I figured calling this a "Trailer Analysis" would be a little misleading. Ultimately, I've decided to rundown my favorite things from the trailer and add some occasional context to certain scenery.

**Keep in mind that this is all my interpretation of the scenery. I could be way off mark in regards to speculation, but provided I'm correct, potential spoilers lie ahead.**

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Trailer Talk

My favorite things (No particular order):

1. Star Destroyer under construction- I love this shot for many reasons. One, we've never seen a Star Destroyer under construction before and it looks awesome. Two, I think the positioning of the camera communicates a lot about Solo's setting. Like Rogue One, you get the sense that the Empire is a powerful force that looms over everything. With the camera looking upward from a dingy, urban setting, you also get the sense this story will be told inside the criminal underbelly of the galaxy. Something that's rarely been examined in a Star Wars movie before. On top of all that, I'm guessing this takes place on Corellia because that is Han's homeworld which is known for building Imperial starships.

2. Enfys Nest and the Cloud-Riders- In my post about the first Solo teaser, I touched on these characters still unaware of who/what they were. At the time, I wasn't even able to provide any names or information for them whatsoever. Well, since then, details have surfaced that they're a pirate gang called the Cloud-Riders who are lead by Enfys Nest. While there's still no official word on this, Enfys Nest is said to be female and she and her gang will play an important role in the story as antagonists of sorts. Although, they supposedly aren't the main villains.

I included them to update my readers with more information and because I think Enfys Nest looks awesome.

I think they may also be trying to retrieve whatever the focal point of Han's heist is as there are numerous speeders in this sequence and I spotted Nest onboard the Conveyex (the train) in the last trailer. 

3. Sabacc- I've already touched on this in a previous post as well, but I believe this will be the game of Sabacc where Han wins the Falcon from Lando. Aside from that, we get another look at the cool crustacean Therm Scissorpunch (who may just have the greatest Star Wars name of all time) and the other aliens who will be present in the scene. I'm spotlighting this because I'm excited to see this sequence play out, I'm excited to hopefully learn the mechanics of Sabacc, and I really like the creature design as they reminds me of all the aliens found in the Mos Eisley cantina. 

4. Chewie's family?- Many have pointed out this shot as possibly introducing Chewbacca's wife Malla and son Lumpy from the Star Wars Holiday Special into canon. However, it's worth mentioning that these characters have already been made canon by the recent Aftermath trilogy of Star Wars novels and this doesn't mean that the Holiday Special itself is canon. Just the existence of the characters. Anyways, this looks like it may be what Chewbacca presumes to be a final farewell as he escapes captivity thanks to Han. I presume he's promising to return one day to free the other Wookies, which we already know happens in the events of Aftermath: Life Debt after Return Of The Jedi.

5. Chewie and Han- Just seeing Han and Chewie together puts a smile on my face, and I'm getting the sense Ron Howard's captured the delightful dynamic between the two based on the banter showcased in the trailer. 

5. "You might want to buckle up, baby."- I love this line because it's classic Lando. I'd say Donald Glover seems to have captured the charming spirit of the ol' smoothie and will be a standout for sure!

6. Chewie slamming someone into the ground- Chewbacca doesn't have on his bandolier here so I presume this will be some sort of slave revolt on the spice mines of Kessel. We'll probably see how Han helps free Chewie before learning the exact circumstances behind Chewbacca's pledged Life Debt to Han. Putting all that aside, seeing Chewbacca running rampant will probably be pretty cool if this shot from the trailer is any indication.

7. Origin of Han's DL-44 blaster- Looks like the film will show us that Han's classic blaster was given to him by Beckett. I'm curious to see if there's any particular reason Han holds the blaster in high esteem. Otherwise, I hope the film doesn't go overboard in explaining the origin of all of Han's things to the point it overtakes the story. 

8. Dryden Vos- Dryden Vos is described in the trailer as big shot gangster who's putting together a crew, so it's only natural that we can assume this crew pertains to the Conveyex heist. What he's after remains to be seen, but it's worth noting that his face is visibly scarred so it may be something that could help heal his face.

This weapon he's wielding is also quite cool and I think it may be a vibroblade of some sort. 

9. Range Troopers- It's always cool to see new Stormtrooper variants introduced in every Star Wars film. I like the look of these range troopers a lot and think it's awesome that they seem to have magnetic boots as they all remained balanced on the moving Conveyex train at various angles.

10. Beckett's advice- I really like what Beckett tells Han when he says "Let me give you some advice: expect that everyone will betray you, and you will never be disappointed." I think it sets up the idea that Han will in-fact be betrayed by someone or multiple people over the course of the film and that will drastically alter his ability to trust others.

General Thoughts: Like Han said in the trailer, I've got a good feeling about this. I'm obviously excited for Solo while others still seem skeptical. I realize the production problems are troubling, but I think Ron Howard seems to have come in and course-corrected things. I'm liking the Western-gunslinger vibe because it suits Han's introduction to a life of smuggling perfectly. I've gotten good impressions from the cast so far and I think the film will be visually impressive regardless of anything else. All I'm hoping for is a fun space adventure and I remain optimistic that Solo will deliver.

-As always, May the Force be with you!

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming is set two months after Peter Parker's exciting encounter with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War. Parker's returned to his humble home of Queens, New York so that he may balance his life as an average high school student and the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man under the watchful eye of Tony Stark. Trouble emerges when Parker discovers salvaged alien tech exchanging hands on a black market to be utilized in a series of heists and Peter realizes it's the opportunity of a lifetime to garner Stark's praise and prove he's deserving of joining the Avengers.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is drastically different from any of the wall-crawler's previous outings for a number of reasons. One, it's the first time the web-head's had a chance to swing around the greater Marvel Universe and I felt the MCU references and tie-ins were handled rather tastefully. Two, none of the other Spider-Man movies have really dealt with Peter Parker's time in high school and Homecoming hits that ball out of the park, not to mention how refreshing it was to see a Spider-Man movie that wasn't bogged down with the long-established origin story.

Jon Watts directs Homecoming in the vein of a John Hughes teen comedy, going as far to give one of those memorable movies a shout-out. From beginning-to-end, Watts is able to place viewers on the ground level of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while in the headspace of a teenager facing difficult dilemmas. Watts maintains the upbeat attitude well into the two hour thirteen minute runtime considering Homecoming is one of Marvel's funniest ventures yet!

Most of the humor is situational, derived from practical occurrences Spidey's never really found himself in before, and the screenplay penned by Watts, Johnathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers makes great use of these moments as strategic sources of comedic relief. The writers find inventive ways to playfully prod at the web-slinger as circumstantial comedy continually comes to the surface and the fresh take on Spidey is oddly the most faithful swing from source material audiences have ever seen. 

Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite superheroes so I can't express how delighted I was to finally see him realized to his fullest potential. I've never really been a fan of Tobey Maguire's take on the web-head and Andrew Garfield's portrayal of Peter Parker just didn't seem nerdy or awkward enough. I was hopeful Holland would deliver both sides of the troubled teen based on the glimpse we got in Civil War and boy was I right (more on that in a moment)! Almost everything about this iteration reminded me of the classic comics and hearing Michael Giacchino's orchestral arrangement of the trademark theme as a backdrop to the Marvel Studios intro gave me chills.

Homecoming's action doesn't slouch either with some satisfactory sequences interspersed amidst the high school drama. While there's not anything that will hold a candle to the airport battle in Civil War (something I'm unsure will be surpassed till Avengers: Infinity War at the very earliest), I was earnestly entertained from start-to-finish. Among other technical components, there's competent costuming, proficient production design, and the visual effects made Spidey's web-slinging, swinging, and wall-crawling appear to be incredibly authentic. 

Despite my overwhelming enthusiasm, I had a few concerns about Homecoming based on the marketing material and am relived to see none of my worries translated to the big screen. For starters, the trailers relied so heavily on Tony Stark that I was slightly concerned the movie might as well. I was never in the mindset this would be Iron Man 4 but I did feel the movie might lean a little too heavily on that crutch or RDJ would take over all the scenes he shared with Holland. Just so you don't walk into this movie thinking it's the Stark show, I'll inform you that a majority of his scenes have been prominently featured in the trailers but there's enough under the table that you won't feel cheated.

I also thought the trailers seemed to reveal some pressing plot points but rest assured, there are some terrific twists left in store. If you haven't seen any trailers though, I would avoid them if at all possible. Oh, and that image included above that's been prominently displayed in nearly every trailer IS NOT featured in the movie in any capacity so I'll let you know that now rather than be disappointed while watching the flick.

The final source of unease materialized when I saw the suit Stark fabricated for Peter had a seemingly infinite number of convenient features. However, they serve a story purpose and weren't nearly as excessive as I thought they would be instead coming off as a couple bells and whistles to top things off. 

One thing that definitely won't let you down though is Tom Holland's turn swinging around New York. Holland expertly embodies the crucial characteristics necessary to portray the dual identities Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Holland exhibits an authentic awkwardness and excitability to his Peter Parker that's never as over-exaggerated as Maguire or unbelievable as Garfield. Not to discredit the actors who came earlier but Holland brings a youthfulness the predecessors were never able to.

His Spidey has a energetic exuberance about him that any teenager with those powers would display, he's more enthusiastic than Maguire but he doesn't get too quippy like Garfield. To make matters even better, Holland is the youngest actor to portray the web-head to date. Despite being 20 years of age, Holland sells the youthful nature of Parker and you'll buy into the fact he's in high school. He also demonstrates some extraordinary acting chops opposite more experienced actors, never getting overshadowed by RDJ, Marisa Tomei, or Michael Keaton but challenging them all to play ball. 

Surrounding Holland are an excellent assortment of adolescent actors who each offer eccentric personas around Midtown High including the likes of Jason Batalon, Laura Harrier, Zendaya, Tony Revolori, Abraham Attah, and Angourie Rice as the nerdy Ned Leeds, lively Liz Allen, madcap Michelle, brash Flash Thompson, aloof Abe, and bratty Betty. Batalon in particular stood out as not only a fantastic friend but an endearing presence. Laura Harrier's Liz locates a tricky balance between being the popular senior and Peter's down-to-earth captivating crush while Zendaya doesn't have much to do but snap snide, sarcastic remarks. 

Donald Glover also has a minuscule supporting role outside the high schoolers, worth noting simply because of the actor's profile right now. Especially when you compare his screentime to all the speculation surrounding his casting. However when onscreen, he showcased trademark charm that I can't wait to see him wield as Lando Calrissian in the untitled Han Solo spin-off. 

In the adult camp, Marisa Tomei reprises her role as a youthful iteration of Aunt May and I've gotta say Tomei's May makes her mark. She's unique when compared to the precursors based on age alone, which factors not only into some humorous gags but also weaves its way into the narrative. This May is looking out for Peter not only as a maternal figure but also in trying to help Peter with his social life and I liked how she factored into Peter's story.

Along his journey, Peter receives muddled mentorship from Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Stark's assistant Happy Hogan, played by Jon Favreau. RDJ puts forth a cool disposition, exhibiting the confidence that gravitated audiences towards Iron Man in the first place while Favreau's Happy is as charming as ever. Oddly enough, I think Favreau may have had more screen time than RDJ but both are excellent in the capacities utilized. 

Meanwhile, Parker finds himself up against the villainous Vulture portrayed by none other than Batman himself, Michael Keaton. Keaton's a high caliber actor so the gravitas he carries onscreen enables Vulture to be menacing and his alter-ego Adrian Toomes to come across as a relatable everyman. Keaton flies Marvel forward in terms of their universe's villains by depicting a multifaceted malevolent force. He's not quite up to the heinous heights of Loki but don't discount the Vulture on his status as a B-level member of Spidey's rogues gallery. 

Spider-Man: Homecoming won't be in theaters till July 7th but you'll definitely want to conserve your web-fluid so you can swing into theaters for this one. In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out Baby Driver if you're searching for something to see this weekend (you can read my review by clicking on the blue hyperlink). To spin all my thoughts into one contrived cobweb, Spider-Man: Homecoming is easily the most entertaining incarnation of the web-head since Spider-Man 2. Glad you finally made it home Spidey!

Film Assessment: A-