Regrets of a mother and a superhero

Cert:12A | ★★★★✩

The moment millions of Marvel fans have been waiting for is finally here as Tom Holland reprises his role as SpiderMan for the third time. Directed once again by Jon Watts and co-written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, the film also sees the return of Zendaya as Peter’s girlfriend Mary Jane, while of the inimitable Marisa Tomei returns as Peter Parker’s aunt May.
The action picks up right after the events of the last instalment which saw an eventful encounter between Peter and the deceitful Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). After being outed as Spider-Man by the latter, Peter’s life turns into a spectacle with everyone wanting a piece of him. Fed up with his new celebrity status, our young superhero begs his old friend Dr Strange to bend time in order to make everyone forget who he is.
But Strange’s spell results in a shift in the multiverse bringing with it some of Spider-Man’s most mortal enemies. Chaos and much soul-searching ensues when Peter realises that maybe being outed as a superhero may not have been the worst thing hat could happen to him. Meanwhile Alfred Molina is back as Doctor Octopus, a role he last played in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 in 2004.
There’s more than just a hint of It’s A Wonderful Life running through the narrative in the way it deals with hefty existential questions. While the plot feels a little messy, there’s no denying that the action more than makes up for it. There are moments of pure fan-service which never feel out of place or overdone.
Holland, Zendaya and Batalon give the impression that they are having the time of their lives in a film which often feels like more of a buddy movie than a classic superhero story. The movie does a great job in reminding us that behind the costume and bravado, Peter is still a teenager at heart navigating his way into a cruel world.
Overall, a bombastic, crowdpleaser which is sharp, funny and just as chaotic as its titular character. Like a bratpack movie, it’s a film about growing up, knowing one’s place in the world and appreciating it for what it is.