7/27/2017 0 Comments 'Baby Driver' Movie Review
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The biggest question that spider-fans are asking is, how does Tom Holland's portrayal of the web-slinger compare to his predecessors? I've heard him called the best depiction yet, and while I need to see the film again to verify that for myself, the fact that I really want to is a very strong sign. Whereas the phenomenal Tobey Maguire captured the balance between loveable dork Peter Parker and his freeing and liberating escape into Spider-Man, Holland's spin on things is less about balance, and more about embracing the energy that characterized comic book Peter. He's a quick-minded and resourceful adolescent, having the time of his life playing superhero, and his excitement is positively infectious. He may be a tad brash and impulsive at times (but what teenager isn't from time to time), but he never makes an action that isn't motivated by the best of intentions. Keaton is also great as the Vulture, whom I won't say much about for fear of spoiling his finest qualities. Suffice it to say, he's not a revenge-motivated caricature, but rather a simple and earnest man pushed to desperate limits to provide for his family. His backstory is just a little bit rushed, but to make up for that is Keaton's performance. As opposed to being blinded by ambition to the monster that he has become (like Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2, arguably the best Spider-Man film villain), Keaton puts a clever spin on it: whenever a moment comes along to be sinister and menacing, he embraces and relishes in every line of dialogue, clearly enjoying himself. Thanks to sharp visual effects and a pleasing aesthetic, the action is the best that the hero has seen in years. If you've seen any superhero movie in the past several years, you should have a pretty good idea of what you're getting into: almost every image that dominates an action setpiece is crafted through computer effects, and while it's never distractingly fake-looking, it's clearly not really there. Whereas something like the recent Planet of the Apes films are able to use computer effects to perfectly fool your eye, Homecoming doesn't quite reach that level. But then again, you could argue that its goal isn't to fool the eye, but rather to captivate and excite, and that, it definitely does. It pits Spider-Man in riveting and creatively-set-up scenarios, and it's pretty satisfying to sit back and watch. If there's any strong negative to be said for the film, it would definitely have to be the soundtrack. Michael Giacchino is a gifted composer, with an impressive track record that ranges in variety from The Incredibles to The Hateful Eight to Inside Out and is normally able to capture the tone of the film he's been assigned to perfectly. But there's just nothing about the Homecoming score that sticks with me. It's definitely not bad, because it never takes you out of the experience of enjoying a scene, but it comes far from leaving an impact. I can listen to Danny Elfman's score for the original Spider-Man films, and it takes me back to the first time I ever saw them. By comparison, I can't see myself listening to this score outside of the film. Overall, Spider-Man: Homecoming is not as good as Sam Raimi's interpretation, but much better than the Amazing Spider-Man series. There are two great things I can say about this film, and the first is that it's different. It never retreads old, tired ground, but rather goes out of its way to give us something new. Most of the time that route pays off, sometimes it doesn't, but you can't complain that it's the same old thing. The second great quality that characterizes every frame is its dedication to capturing the tone and essence of the classic Spider-Man comic books. It does for Spider-Man what Tim Burton's films did for Batman, and any time I can make that comparison, it's never a bad thing. As a seasoned Spider-Man fan who had a ball with this movie, I'm giving Spider-Man: Homecoming three out of four stars.
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