With one of the most vile marketing campaigns in recent memory, on top of being the next film to follow the less than mediocre "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Doctor Strange", and another Spider-man relaunch (the second in the past 10 years), I had every reason to believe that Sony and Marvel's collaborative effort on "Spider-man: Homecoming" would be nothing short of a nightmare. I haven't been on the Marvel “hype train” ever since my second viewing of "Captain America: Civil War", where I realized that movie was way more flawed than I initially thought it was. "Strange" and "Guardians 2" as mentioned before really let me down as a fan of comic-book movies, but it is with absolute certainty that I can say "Spider-man: Homecoming" is a truly great film, and a return to form for Marvel Studios. It isn't without it's fair share of issues which I'll touch on later, but it feels very good to be so very wrong about how I thought this movie would turn out. It glides with grace, sincerity, and a special type of (teenage) swagger that Marvel Studios' films have been sorely lacking in many of their recent efforts. Where most Marvel films come across as trying to be something it's not, trying to be too much like something else, or manufactured in a warehouse in downtown Brooklyn, "Homecoming" understands what type of superhero film it is. It's full of angst, naivety, immaturity, and the joys of being a kid with super-powered abilities. We're taken on an adventure that places us back into those locker-filled hallways with banners strung from wall to wall, kids gossiping about news, and hustling to get from one class to the other before the late bell rings. It's a genuine personality that a Marvel Cinematic Universe film has missed ever since Phase 1, and it's a reminder of how great these films from this studio can be. It operates by webbing together familiar beats, but so does a movie like "Wonder Woman" and "Logan", but they, much like "Spider-man", ingrain a clear passion for this project. You can tell that Marvel and Sony worked their tails off on making this a great film, and even if Sony completely butchered the marketing campaign, it's the final product that matters in the end. A final product that includes breath-taking set pieces, beautifully crafted character moments, a great villain in Vulture (my personal favorite MCU villain), and a really great sense of world building a world that has already reached the cosmos. "Spider-man" almost feels like one of the Netflix TV shows set in this universe. It's small scale in all the right ways and it takes one of the world's most beloved characters and brings him back down to Earth. And while I enjoyed "The Amazing Spider-man", and am even mildly entertained by it's bloated sequel, this is the best Spider-man film since Sam Raimi's (untouchable) "Spider-man 2", and that's because they stopped trying to rush a universe to surround this character. They took the personal elements of what makes Raimi's first two films so great, Marc Webb's universe building reboot, and created "Homecoming" through that. The universe has already been built, they expand on that in good fashion (even if it chops up the plot and pacing a bit), and deliver a rock solid film. None of this would have worked without it's lead actor Tom Holland though, as he makes his stamp on the Spider-man heard. Luckily, Marvel and Sony found a gem of an actor in Tom Holland to play the web-slinging nerd Spider-man/Peter Parker. In his scene-stealing debut in last year's (slightly overrated) Airport Scene, everyone was welcoming Tom Holland with open arms. In his first leading role, Holland steps into the spotlight and delivers another amazing Spider-man/Peter Parker performance much like his predecessors in Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. He's your normal 15 year-old kid who gets excited about seeing superheroes and getting new outfits, and the first scene in the movie really showcases how special this version of Peter/Spidey is. He's ridiculously likable, and Holland is primed to be a major face for Hollywood's future if he keeps up the good work, especially considering he can hold his own against some of Hollywood's most reputable talents. Many of these Marvel movies create interesting enough heroes, but a less than exciting supporting cast to back up that hero. Luckily Holland works with the outstanding Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei (who is glorious), and Jon Favreau (who is hysterical) and he holds his own in every scene with them. Keaton was the big surprise here though as I've been more than harsh on Marvel's track record with villains. Keaton's Adrian Toomes/Vulture added so much to the movie for me and it showcases what great villains can do to a movie. Take notes from your other films Marvel! He's a villain you understand, relate with, and kinda wish he seizes the day just so you can see the movie continue for another half hour or to see our hero lose in their own movie. Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man was finally written in a way that he hasn't since the first Avengers film. Tony, in my eyes, has become really unlikable in recent appearances, but his appearance here reminds me a lot of the Tony Stark from the first "Iron Man". He is used sparingly and when he appears he adds a lot of figurative and literal richness to the story. He's a character that when used really well, enhances every scene in the film that he's in, RDJ is a phenomenal actor and I'm glad to see the Tony Stark I love back in action. As much as I've gone blue in the face over my positivity, "Homecoming" isn't without it's fair share of issues stemming from clunky plotting, inconsistent CGI, and weird editing throughout some action scenes. Frustratingly enough, I found that "Homecoming" struggled to find it's footing early on. With constant scenes and dialogue feeling redundant to the point of annoyance, and scenes being strung together in a weird way. It made for a rough, but enjoyable first 80 minutes. Even though Spider-man looks far more cartoony than he should for the aesthetic this film has (he looks like he belongs in Webb's films), his suit looked much more convincing here than it did in "Civil War". Despite that quick praise, I was baffled by the inconsistency with the CGI. There's a scene in the trailer where Tony and Spider-man are talking to each other with the background of New York behind them, and it honestly looks like high school level effects. While the important stuff in the scene is all great, it bums me out to see a scene look virtually untouched. It's weird coming off of a beauty like "Guardians 2" and then scratching my head at some of the CGI presented throughout this film here. The last negative nancy complaint resides with the editing during moments of action. Many recent complaints about Marvel's movies has been about how they don't really show confidence in their stunt doubles landing punches. It's a technique utilized in both Russo Bros. entries, and a technique that sometimes takes place here. When Vulture is about to make contact with Spider-man, the camera cuts and throws our vision through a whirlwind of camera movement that becomes almost incomprehensible. In conclusion, "Spider-man: Homecoming" is everything I didn't expect this film to be. It has some tricks up it's sleeves, an understanding of how to make a Spider-man film work, and a fresh sense of passion and emotion backing this project. "Homecoming" isn't a perfect film, but it contains so much of what makes a great comic-book film. It's essentially an origin story that operates as a coming of age tale where I feel our hero earn their stripes, face those obstacles, conquer those obstacles, and achieve victory at the end of the day. Enough of these hack-job comic-book movies that are trying to add another pocket to their universe just to do it and rushing stories together for our heroes. Take your time, breathe a little, and make more comic-book films like "Spider-man: Homecoming", a film that is sure to inspire many and shrink the Marvel bubble that was on the cusp of popping. Spider-man is at home with Marvel, and he's coming to save the day. "Spider-man: Homecoming" gets an 81/100