My wife Eileen and I saw the above titled movie this past weekend, and quite enjoyed the experience. I’m doing a full review, so if you’re concerned about spoilers, stop reading now.
If you’re still reading, either you’ve seen it, or you don’t care. Here we go. Avengers: Endgame was a tough act to follow, so Spidey needed to bring his A Game. And he did. This movie was fun, poignant, exciting, and did I mention fun?
Things moved a bit slowly in the First Act, but necessary groundwork was being laid. Once the action started, this movie did not let up. Jake Gyllenhal was amazing as Quentin Beck/Mysterio, Samuel L Jackson and Cobie Smuthers were Samuel L Jackson and Cobie Smuthers, but Tom Holland shined as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. This was the best portrayal of Spidey to date. Forget Maguire’s Crybaby Nerd, or Garfield’s Brooding Outcast. This Spider-Man hit all the marks; Brilliant, angsty, guilt-ridden, and driven.
The plot was typical Spidey; Peter is leaving for Europe on a class trip and wants to find a romantic place where he can declare his love for MJ. Trouble is, there’s a World Threatening Menace that only Spider-Man can deal with, and SHIELD needs his help.
The Second Act is largely comedic, as Peter tries to balance his desires regarding his personal life with his obligations as a superhero/Avenger. The threat increases and he makes a huge mistake by giving the EDITH tech to Beck, but Ultimately, he realizes his errors a sets out to correct them. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Happy Hogan sets Peter loose in one of Tony Stark’s workshops, starts playing some of Stark’s favorite music, and lets him go. It’s a perfect Proud Papa moment.
The Third Act is unrelenting. Everyone has their moment and the Spider-Sense is shown to it’s full effect. Full marks. The mid-credits scene featuring JK Simmons reprising his role as J. Jonah Jameson was nothing short of awesome. See this movie. 7/10