Marvel is ambitious if not anything else. An ambition that started with taking one character in an iron suit and giving him a good enough movie that has so far culminated with an endless stream of movies and series becoming the hallmark of how to run a cinematic universe. The latest in that stream is spiderman away from home, and boy does it scream ambition.
The peak of marvel was infinity war and endgame. What those movies offered was something replicating would be daunting if not entirely impossible. The former offering a different perspective on a superhero movie through the eyes of the villain and where lose was at the central pillar of the movie. The latter on the other hand, proceeded to splash the audience with absolution for the previous movie
but also acknowledgement for being there the whole time watching every single movie leading up to it. Spiderman away from home is a testament that those two peaks are bleeding into the universe as a whole and that, in itself is a high compliment to the makers of this film.
Starting with the colic, its not a perfect film. It suffers from the all too familiar marvel syndrome of falling on humor that sometimes slides into the cringe side. The first act is not the strongest and its evident the writers are going above and beyond to get the story to a certain point, sometimes at the expense of characters and plot lines passed down from the previous film.
That aside, everything after that not only cruises beyond expectation, it might be the best marvel has produced yet. The film not only has to balance the weight of giving tom holland’s spiderman his most emotionally turbulent yet earned arc but also the fan service of celebrating the web slinger as the best and most iconic marvel character throughout the ages of comic book movies on the big screen.
I personally never cared about this alliteration of spiderman compared to his predecessors, as I never felt him outside the looming shadow of ironman, but this movie had me in mind with the stakes and care to the character. This is spiderman’s story through and through. With the emotional punch to both care about his plight and also enjoy every swing. Everything we love about any spiderman is not only exemplified but celebrated in a way that is not forced nor undeserved.
Keeping it spoiler free, if you are a spiderman fan, whether from Japanese spiderman or spiderverse, this is your movie. It is made with love and care and awesomeness that marvel is becoming masters at creating. You will scream at some point, whether from a call back, or a face, or a brick flying fast into a room, you will scream, that’s a spiderman guarantee. So, don’t hold back the screams.
Please please, go see this movie in the largest screen you can find, carry everyone you know who knows spiderman is peter parker, and I promise you it might be the best cinema experience of your life. Might.
Ps. there are two end credit scenes so you will have to sit through the credits and compose yourself.
Till next watch. Go get em tiger.
Kelvin Kariuki