Anthony Mackie Captain America meme: "He's out of line, but he's right."
I suspect the "MCU is back!" narrative is premature and "Doomsday" will demonstrate that. People just really like Spiderman and always have. I predict a return to the early 2000s, where superhero films are still very present, but not all consuming.
this makes lots of same arguments i attempted to articulate in my review this am but better. I’m still waiting for Feige and co. to realize Spider-Man is a brand onto himself and he doesn’t need all this extra stuff around him.
Yupppp. Everyone’s going nuts for that opening montage but it’s one step away from one of those AI live-action “trailers” where Tom Holland is Naruto and Timothee Chalamet is Sasuke.
I liked the idea of the spider DNA trying to take over while he also has to find where it fits into himself. his techy web slingers flying off was silly. like why would his spider dna reject something on his skin but not the limiter thingy on his neck. But waking up in a webby cacoon was cool. I don’t equate organics with Toby’s since it’s something Tom also has to fight back a bit on
I gave it three stars on LBD as I didn’t hate it but didn’t enjoy it either. I think if it had not been for the secret character reveal, no one would be talking about it at all. Same for the inclusion of the Hulk and the Punisher. Felt very much like a pre-MCU marvel or generic superhero film. Unlike you I actually enjoyed the first three Holland films, perhaps because they had something of the MCU magic back then, but yeah, this bodes badly for Doomsday. Also the post credits scene was disappointingly noncommittal
The best moments of the movie being either entirely pointless (I have absolutely zero idea what JG was trying to do with the threats to MJ and Ned. I kept waiting for that to have a purpose and they never found one) or undercut by the ending of the movie was a decision for sure. The turn 75% of the way through the movie where it just became the sappiest most wholesome-chungus film of the year was a choice. 7/10.
You have take it easy. If you didn’t like it, okay, but no one says you have to. You very picky about your criticism of the film. People, like me, enjoyed it for what it was…entertaining. Sure, it’s not Chinatown or Captain America The Winter Soldier, but so what? Good movies are not easy to make. This movie is popular because it is a total and complete escape from the real world. Two and half hours of fantasy and fun. Hats off to the director for the Easter eggs in the beginning for all of us who have read The Amazing Spider-Man comic book. Well written article but, dude, lighten up.
That’s a great way to put the franchise as whole (as someone who is a mark themselves). Could be due to the decline of the MCU, it shines in comparison
The last third of that movie is kinda brutal. Peter unlocks his true power by learning to love himself, he beats Jean Grey with the power of love and a big hug, and then the movie stares directly at the camera and talks about how nurses and doctors are the REAL heroes. The combination of that and the insanely forced Peter-MJ stuff (why exactly did Jean Grey threaten MJ? What was that ENTIRE section for? I still have no idea!) were rough.
Thank you for articulating this, you've put your finger on the problem that I couldn't figure out how to voice.
I've never been a fan of the Holland movies- no shade on him, but I consider him the Roger Moore of the Spider-Man movies, and some people like that era of Bond movies. Something that always irked me about the MCU Spider-Man is his fanboy-ish worship of Tony Stark without questioning or challenging the man, which is what made the comic book character great- he is willing to push back against a hero if it goes against his values. The Maguire and Garfield versions would have done that. Holland? Naaah.
The first film Homecoming had a great opportunity to do that given that Vulture's origin story is due to Stark, but nope, instead of Peter calling out Iron Man for creating the problem in the first place, the film reverts to the status quo. In an alternate universe, there's a version of Infinity War where Parker and Stark are on bad terms with each other after the events in Homecoming and now they're stuck on a spaceship and forced to work together.
But I'm in the minority as $2 billion-plus dollars in box-office grosses will testify.
Objectively, it is not a great film. I have no trouble with the idea of the MCU succeeding… if they would make a good film. I would love to see a great Spider-Man film.
Anthony Mackie Captain America meme: "He's out of line, but he's right."
I suspect the "MCU is back!" narrative is premature and "Doomsday" will demonstrate that. People just really like Spiderman and always have. I predict a return to the early 2000s, where superhero films are still very present, but not all consuming.
this makes lots of same arguments i attempted to articulate in my review this am but better. I’m still waiting for Feige and co. to realize Spider-Man is a brand onto himself and he doesn’t need all this extra stuff around him.
Yupppp. Everyone’s going nuts for that opening montage but it’s one step away from one of those AI live-action “trailers” where Tom Holland is Naruto and Timothee Chalamet is Sasuke.
I liked the idea of the spider DNA trying to take over while he also has to find where it fits into himself. his techy web slingers flying off was silly. like why would his spider dna reject something on his skin but not the limiter thingy on his neck. But waking up in a webby cacoon was cool. I don’t equate organics with Toby’s since it’s something Tom also has to fight back a bit on
Exactly, at this point Marvel is a parody of itself.
I don’t know. I thought it was “fine.”
I gave it three stars on LBD as I didn’t hate it but didn’t enjoy it either. I think if it had not been for the secret character reveal, no one would be talking about it at all. Same for the inclusion of the Hulk and the Punisher. Felt very much like a pre-MCU marvel or generic superhero film. Unlike you I actually enjoyed the first three Holland films, perhaps because they had something of the MCU magic back then, but yeah, this bodes badly for Doomsday. Also the post credits scene was disappointingly noncommittal
This is a really good critique, I liked it becasue it felt classic Marvel but it def had the classic Marvel flaws as I said in my review too!!
Spoilers for a mid movie:
The best moments of the movie being either entirely pointless (I have absolutely zero idea what JG was trying to do with the threats to MJ and Ned. I kept waiting for that to have a purpose and they never found one) or undercut by the ending of the movie was a decision for sure. The turn 75% of the way through the movie where it just became the sappiest most wholesome-chungus film of the year was a choice. 7/10.
You have take it easy. If you didn’t like it, okay, but no one says you have to. You very picky about your criticism of the film. People, like me, enjoyed it for what it was…entertaining. Sure, it’s not Chinatown or Captain America The Winter Soldier, but so what? Good movies are not easy to make. This movie is popular because it is a total and complete escape from the real world. Two and half hours of fantasy and fun. Hats off to the director for the Easter eggs in the beginning for all of us who have read The Amazing Spider-Man comic book. Well written article but, dude, lighten up.
That’s a great way to put the franchise as whole (as someone who is a mark themselves). Could be due to the decline of the MCU, it shines in comparison
The last third of that movie is kinda brutal. Peter unlocks his true power by learning to love himself, he beats Jean Grey with the power of love and a big hug, and then the movie stares directly at the camera and talks about how nurses and doctors are the REAL heroes. The combination of that and the insanely forced Peter-MJ stuff (why exactly did Jean Grey threaten MJ? What was that ENTIRE section for? I still have no idea!) were rough.
Thank you for articulating this, you've put your finger on the problem that I couldn't figure out how to voice.
I've never been a fan of the Holland movies- no shade on him, but I consider him the Roger Moore of the Spider-Man movies, and some people like that era of Bond movies. Something that always irked me about the MCU Spider-Man is his fanboy-ish worship of Tony Stark without questioning or challenging the man, which is what made the comic book character great- he is willing to push back against a hero if it goes against his values. The Maguire and Garfield versions would have done that. Holland? Naaah.
The first film Homecoming had a great opportunity to do that given that Vulture's origin story is due to Stark, but nope, instead of Peter calling out Iron Man for creating the problem in the first place, the film reverts to the status quo. In an alternate universe, there's a version of Infinity War where Parker and Stark are on bad terms with each other after the events in Homecoming and now they're stuck on a spaceship and forced to work together.
But I'm in the minority as $2 billion-plus dollars in box-office grosses will testify.
Objectively, it is not a great film. I have no trouble with the idea of the MCU succeeding… if they would make a good film. I would love to see a great Spider-Man film.
https://shapeofcinema.substack.com/p/spider-man-brand-new-day-2026?r=8dbojf&utm_medium=ios