We Streamed Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) on Cocoflix – Full Watch Test

Slinging into High School: What to Expect

With the benefit of skipping the typical origin story, Spider-Man: Homecoming begins right where Captain America: Civil War ends. We see Peter Parker (Tom Holland) balancing the new superpowered avenging role with the more traditional high school role. Peter has to learn the ropes and test his power as a superhero, while also managing the prying of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as a reluctant mentor. Peter has to go up against Michael Keaton, as The Vulture, and rush to prove he belongs in the superhero leagues. Parker's biggest struggle is balancing everyday life. The movie dives into the comedy and awkwardness as a teenage superhero, as well as the more serious story of protecting the world. Spider-Man: Homecoming does an excellent job balancing the young superhero and the serious side of the tension with the other heroes, and bringing in lightness to an otherwise dark and foreboding genre.

Web-Slinger on the Go: The Viewing Experience

At 2 hours and 13 minutes, Homecoming is able to thoroughly tell its story. The brisk pace helps the story to not feel rushed and is enjoyable. As Peter deals with his day to day at school and high school activities, it pales in comparison to what he does at night as a superhero. Like most action movies, Homecoming has action sequences and comedic moments, but what stands out is how Homecoming is able to achieve a balance between high action and calm comedic moments. The entire movie is able to keep your attention through great performances during the slower scenes. The movie was able to keep my attention when I played it on my phone, and once again on my PC, everything was able to look stunning. The biggest positive to this movie is that it tells a contained story versus a story that just sets everything up to continue and never really ends. It builds a world, but does it in a casual and innocent way, so everything flows better and clearer.

The Good, The Bad, and The Vulture

What impressed me the most was Michael Keaton as The Vulture. He isn’t your typical bad guy. He is a blue collar bad guy and has a desire to support his family, which makes him even more complex and interesting. This character brings a lot to the table. Practically everyone has enjoyed this version of this character. I also enjoyed Tom Holland. His character reminds you of a normal human, because in all reality, Spider-Man is a human, trying to do his best. There are many quirky characters that support Spider-Man, and it feels so good to see different forms/styles of real life characters in the midst of fantasy. It's relatable. This film also has its flaws. Some may find Peter’s early reliance on his Stark-tech suit are distractions to the Spider-Man challenges we all know and love. Some also may not enjoy that Tony Stark has a heavy involvement. The set up is a little lazy and puts a huge reliance on Peter's Stark-tech. With all that, Stark does step out a little and separates the dynamic. The ladies in his life also could be fleshed out a little more. It is no secret that representation for female characters is still lacking.

Screen Test: Where Spidey Shines Best

Spider-Man: Homecoming adapts well across display sizes but really shines on the larger end. Flight sequences and visual effects, especially Vulture's tech, look cool and appealing on a big screen TV. The extra space really helps appreciate the intricate production design of Peter's neighborhood and school. This is perfect for a family TV night with a PG-13 rating and a good balance between action and plenty of jokes. This was really appreciated by the audience. The engaging plot and focus on characters makes it perfect for a PC session for those who really enjoy detail and might miss quick witty dialog. On Android, especially on a smaller device, the dynamic cinematography really helps it stand out and the performance by Holland is appreciated. Action works well and keeps the plot easy to follow.

Final Play: Earns a Download?

Absolutely. Spider-Man: Homecoming is a bright, unique take on the character that is full of energy and fun. It does not rely on past iterations of the character or the genre, and it adds high school comedy with emotionally weighted villains. The reliance on tech and the lack of developed female characters are drawbacks of the film, but not enough to dismiss the film as poor. The film counts on that positive aspects win out over the negative aspects of the film. The film really pushes the idea of starting over positively, and it provides an action packed film with great humor that has a great storyline for the coming of age genre. Overall, I would recommend this film on Cocoflix.