Remi

Credit where it’s due…this is, probably, just about my favourite live-action Spider-Man effort since Raimi’s trilogy. Still remains burdened by so many familiar afflictions that plague the modern MCU, tied down by franchise mechanics and all too frequent tonal compromises! but my goodness everybody brought their A-game here!  Sadie Sink in particular elevates the material and film into another stratosphere!!  Cretton brings a fresh eye for electrifyingly kinetic action that feels both tactfully exciting and intentionally intimate, grounding the chaos in an emotionally orientated perspective. A directorial skill completely lost in the marvel-machine of recent years, but crucial for adding that human pulse to each big spectacle swing.  More importantly this feels like a true crossroads for Peter. The coming of age framework I’m constantly drawn to is no longer some cosmetic dressing but actually the dramatic engine of the story! Forced to reckon with uncomfortable realities that arise through a transition into adulthood. Reflections of identity and the choices that seek to define us. The weight of what your place in this world truly means, and embracing it!  Certainly echoes of Prisoner of Azkaban I found, in the way the narrative finally embraces that darker psychological terrain, although admittedly it never quite reaches the defining craftsmanship of Cuarons franchise masterpiece!  Alas, the ambition to mature alongside the audience is truly something I admire, and perhaps for the first time in a long time, genuinely convincing!