Spider-Man Homecoming – UK Region

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

It’s a really good movie and Tom Holland is a great Spider-Man, but it does tend to really stray from the original source material. Part of the charm of the old Spider-Man comics was that he was an every-man. He was poor, people didn’t like him and things were always not going this way. Now he has basically an Iron Man suit and he has the actual Iron Man as a mentor. Still, despite that, a very entertaining movie with a great Spider-Man actor, Michael Keaton as a great villain, and any cameo by Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is never a bad thing.- D-Unit

I loved this movie. I think it is the best Spider-Man movie yet.

I’m a Spidey fan. That’s my bias going into this movie. I both embrace anything Spidey and am particularly judgmental in the process. I grew up in the 1970s when so much of his character development and villains were being created. I loved the books and I love the cheesy animation series from the 1960s. Anyone who is a fan and a certain knows what words are after, “Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever…”

Why is this so good?

First of all, the writing is terrific. The writers and editors know where Spider-Man has been but do not get caught up in homage. Sure, the old 60s theme is slipped in and here’s a Stan Lee cameo (of course!). The writers also weave a complex story. Previous renditions have been simplistic.

For example, Peter Parker has a believable love life in high school. He has little sense of how to get a date. He’s genuinely awkward. He and his best friend, Ned, like putting together a Lego Death Star. His relationship with his Aunt May (approached quite differently by Marisa Tomei) feels real and less like a living cartoon.

That sinewed depth has always been a strength of Marvel but is on best display here, at least in Spider-Man movies of the last 16 years (the first decent Spider-Man movie came out in 2002).

In other movies, Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker seemed too much like a IVY League frat boy. Tobey Maguire does a good job, but I don’t believe he’s as awkward as I expect.

Here, in Homecoming, Tom Holland nails it. I believe he’s smart, insecure with a dose of confidence and actually in high school. His interactions with Tony Stark and Happy Hogan (well done by Jon Favreau) are so spot-on that I can see it really happening that way.

The movie starts after Spider-Man’s origin, after he’s been active. He’s still local, but Tony Stark has noticed. Will he join the Avengers?

Meanwhile, Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes — wow! Keaton is better here than he was as Batman. Here he is also the father of Peter’s date. He’s complicated. He’s hardworking but is getting pushed around by the government for no fault of his. By chance, he is able to build a business using alien materials, and with them, also builds a sort of super villain. He does bad things that lead to horrible things, but his motivations aren’t completely evil. He’s not warped, not insane in any way. He’s a guy who just wants to do his job.

Peter is trying to stop the Vulture (Toomes), join the Avengers, hide his secret from Aunt May, keep up his studies, and get the girl. Something’s got to give, right?

It is a great ride. See “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

-Anthony Trendl

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr, Marisa Tomei, Martin Starr, Donald Glover
Directors: Jon Watts
Writers: Jon Watts, Jonathan M. Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Christopher D. Ford, Chris McKenna
Producers: Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal
Format: Subtitled, PAL
Language: English
Subtitles: German, French, Arabic, Dutch, Turkish, English
Dubbed: German, French, Turkish
Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired: English
Audio Description: English
Region: Region 2
Number of discs: 1
Classification: 12
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: 20 Nov. 2017
Run Time: 133 minutes
ASIN: B073Q3NLQZ