After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 almost killed off the franchise entirely, Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming gave new life to Spidey’s big-screen adventures as Tom Holland deftly proved he could carry his own movie. All the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have a sense of humor, but Homecoming is one of the most overtly comedic entries in the franchise.
Inspired by the films of John Hughes (an influence the movie wears on its sleeve), Watts made Homecoming as much as a high school comedy as a superhero blockbuster. With both breathtaking action set pieces and hilarious gags, it’s a wildly entertaining movie.
Action Sequence: The Washington Monument
While he’s stuck in a Damage Control warehouse, Peter learns that the alien tech in Ned’s backpack is due to explode at any moment. So, he rushes back to Washington as quick as he can to warn him about it. But when Peter gets to D.C., he finds that he’s too late.
His friends are trapped in the elevator in the Washington Monument with the exploding tech, so Peter rushes up the side to get it. This is one of the most breathtaking scenes in the entire MCU, with plenty of both humor and suspense.
Gag: Peter Leans In To Hug Tony
The opening of Spider-Man: Homecoming takes fans back to Captain America: Civil War’s airport battle in Berlin, as Peter films the whole thing from his own perspective. After the battle, Tony Stark takes him back to Queens and drops him off outside Aunt May’s apartment building.
He leans across and Peter leans in for a hug. However, Tony awkwardly reveals that he’s just getting the door for him.
Action Sequence: The Staten Island Ferry
Peter learns that his actions have consequences and, as a teenager, maybe he’s not as prepared as he thinks he is to single-handedly defend New York City from crime. After interrupting an arms deal held by the Vulture on the Staten Island Ferry, the alien tech rips the boat in half.
As Spidey desperately struggles to hold the ferry together with his webs, just in the nick of time, the Iron Legion shows up to save the day — and then Tony shows up to take back Peter’s suit.
Gag: The Guy In The Chair
When Ned first finds out his best friend is Spider-Man, he wants to get bitten by the same radioactive spider. Upon learning that the spider is dead, he changes his dream: he wants to be Peter’s “guy in the chair” — in other words, his eyes and ears, doing all his surveillance work.
Peter claims he doesn’t need one, but when he leaves the homecoming dance to track down the Vulture, he finally asks Ned to be his guy in the chair. When a teacher catches him in the computer lab and he has to come up with a lie on the spot about why he’s there, Ned says, “I’m...watching porn?”
Action Sequence: Chasing The Arms Dealers
Most Spider-Man movies place the title character in an urban jungle full of tall buildings to swing from. Jon Watts put a fun twist on that in Spider-Man: Homecoming, as Spidey breaks up an arms deal in Queens and then chases the dealers through the suburban streets.
With no skyscrapers to swing from, Spidey instead rips off one of the doors from the arms dealers’ van and surfs the street behind them.
Gag: Peter Gets Trapped In A Damage Control Truck
After tracking down the Vulture and his goons to a Damage Control truck driving down a highway, Peter follows the villain through the portal he opened on the roof.
But when he tries to follow him back out, he finds that the Vulture has closed the portal and he bumps his head on the ceiling.
Action Sequence: Spidey Vs. The Shocker
Before Peter can escape from the homecoming dance and track down the Vulture, he has to fight the Shocker out by the school buses. He even gets blasted through a couple of windows.
When Peter finds he can’t take the Shocker alone, he’s saved by Ned using some of the Vulture’s alien weaponry.
Gag: Captain America’s PSAs
All throughout Spider-Man: Homecoming, the kids in Peter’s school are forced to sit through PSAs recorded by Captain America after he came out of the ice. Whether Peter is in gym class or detention, there’s a relevant Captain America PSA to play.
One of these PSAs takes the place of a post-credits stinger as Cap ironically preaches the virtues of patience, even when the payoff isn’t worth the long wait.
Action Sequence: The Invisible Plane Crashes On Coney Island
In the climactic set piece of Spider-Man: Homecoming, the Vulture hijacks an invisible self-piloted plane belonging to Tony Stark, so Spidey follows him up there and takes the plane down.
It crashes on the beaches of Coney Island, with debris strewn everywhere, and Spidey and the Vulture continue to fight. As the latter’s suit explodes, the former reluctantly saves his life before leaving him for the police to find.
Gag: Aunt May Finds Out Peter Is Spider-Man
Jon Watts ends Spider-Man: Homecoming on a hilarious note that shakes up the story in time for the sequel as Peter tries on his new suit and she sees him in it, deducing that he’s the local superhuman crime-fighter.
Peter’s eyes bulge as he hears her behind him, reacting to the shock of seeing her nephew dressed as a superhero: “What the f...”