No one ever really expected Spider-Man: Homecoming to fail and no one expected it to be a hit.
It was more of a neutral situation when it comes to the topic of Spiderman's newest film, starring Tom Holland, as the fresh face of our friendly neighbor Spiderman.
Fans have been quiet when it comes to giving their opinion on the newest adaptation. Films such as Doctor Strange and Ant Man could also be on the underdog superhero side, but when it came to Spidey- a guy who's already had two previous incarnations and five films in the last 15 years- things were different. Not only was it pretty much vague whether anyone wanted yet another Peter Parker reboot, it was also unknown if a Marvel movie made by Sony (aka Not Disney) could bring the same charm. As it turns out though, Spider-Man had no intention of swinging by unnoticed. Instead, he blew away expectations, webbing up $117 million at the US box office.
To put that figure in a wider perspective, it is actually the third-largest opening weekend so far this year-just above Wonder Woman and just below Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Beauty and the Beast. It's also the biggest opening weekend for a single character's introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beating out 2008's original Iron Man. That's very impressive by any measure, but even more so when you consider that audiences have already seen plenty of Spider-Mans this decade, and that other surefire properties- Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean in particular- are underperforming this year.
But the fact that Spider-Man can still make money isn't really the lesson of Homecoming- or, at least, it shouldn't be. What's more impressive is how the director, Jon Watts', movie did it: by staying small. The plot itself is a bit on the lighthearted high-school dramedy (dramatic comedy) rather than a morality play about patriotism and honor.
Vulture, the villain (portrayed by the magnificent Michael Keaton), isn't trying to destroy New York or lift entire European city hundreds of feet into the air. Despite the fact that Tom Holland might be the best onscreen Spidey yet, it's actually an ensemble movie-not in the way that Captain America: Civil War is actually an Avengers movie in a solo movie's clothing, but more that Peter Parker's friends and family and ancillary baddies are just as valuable to the story as he is. (And they're just as diverse as a movie about a kid from Queens ought to be.) It gives the film a more organic approach, adding flavor to the plot itself and adding Robert Downey Jr.'s swagger completed the entire Spiderman: Homecoming experience.
It didn't actually cross our mind that a big Spider-Man movie's teen comedy together with Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man charisma was going to be a dud. And now that Homecoming has swung into success, it's proved that a future of smaller, fun, more diverse, outside-the-Marvel-Studios-box movies seems more possible than ever. There's no telling what could get caught in its web.
