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****
Dir: Jon Watts (12A, 130 mins)
After an unnecessary and rather dull reboot with Andrew Garfield replacing Tobey Maguire in the spider suit, Marvel’s enduring superhero has been handed back to Marvel Studios. This means the web-crawler can now interact with all the other superheroes in the burgeoning interconnected franchises as witnessed in Captain America Civil War, where young Brit Tom Holland’s take on the arachnid avenger was a highlight. Thankfully we are spared another retelling of the origin story and leap straight into the action with Peter Parker finally being played by someone the right age, a teenager. He already has his powers, been bitten by that radioactive spider and is under the tutelage of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. He’s desperate to impress and be a part of the Avengers, but Stark wants him to remain a friendly neighbourhood Spiderman. Which he does…sort of. Michael Keaton’s vengeful businessman Adrian Toomes won’t allow that however, utilising discarded technology from the detritus of various Avenger-led battles, he has created a super villain persona – the Vulture, one of Spider-Man’s enduring foes in the comics. With warmth, wit and old-fashioned fun, Spider-Man does battle, Holland nailing the character and providing laughs as well as thrills, in a rousing, speedy superhero instalment. Spidey senses are very much a-tingle.
Opens July 5