Five reasons why 'Homecoming' is the best Spider-Man movie yet

There is every reason to be cynical about the new Spider-Man movie. Did this character need to be rebooted for the third time in 15 years? Probably not. But, not unlike Marvel's challenges with The Hulk, it's taken three iterations to get this character right.

I have actually long been an admirer of Andrew Garfield's first turn as the webslinger, but his two films were hampered by a desire to retread ground already established by the three (overrated in my opinion) Tobey Maguire films that preceded them, as well as genuine audience fatigue with the character's story.

This film is the first one that feels truly fresh and invigorating. It's thankfully not another origin story, in fact this one sort of picks up where the spirit of Captain America: Civil War left off. It's a big, fun, fast-paced and inventive summer movie, and not unlike Wonder Woman, it'll leave a smile on your face.

I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did -- but I really do believe that this is hands down the best Spider-Man movie that's ever been made, and it now feels like the character is on the right path again, hopefully for good. Here are my five biggest takeways:

1) Spider-Man is actually a kid - Ok so Tom Holland is actually 21, but he is much more believably a teenager than Garfield or Maguire ever were, so he's able to sell the character's peppy innocence without it seeming forced or grating. He has a Michael J. Fox quality to him -- he's very genuine and sympathetically frazzled on screen, but never less than heroic. This may be the smartest choice the producers made, going with an unknown who doesn't bring any baggage or over-the-top angst to the role.

Now we're talking

2) Finally, we have a great Marvel villain - Michael Keaton is terrific and nearly steals the movie as The Vulture, possibly the best bad guy in any of these films since Loki. He gives a very layered, interesting performance as a villain whose motivation has depth and clarity of purpose. He elevates Holland's game, and the movie's best scenes are when they are not even in costume. This makes the whole movie a lot more resonant and engrossing.

3) It looks and feels like New York - Not only does the movie make great use of New York City locales, it really drives home that this is a character who lives in Queens, the city's most diverse borough. The cast is colorful in a totally believable and accurate way, and the fact that the film's multiracial universe is never called out but is simply a fact of life, feels almost revolutionary. The previous Spider-Man films seemed to take place in this pristine almost touristy version of the city; this felt more honest and real.

4) More audience service, rather than fan service - Thankfully, this movie keeps the tie-ins to the rest of the Marvel universe to a minimum. Sure, Robert Downey Jr.'s character Tony Stark has a very prominent role, but it's a nice, thoughtful addition (he's Spidey's mentor) and instead of trying to please fanboys and comic book aficionados, the movie is more interested in simply telling a really good story and keeping things moving. This is one of the few Marvel movies that felt surprising to me, even the final act didn't have the same inevitability about it, which I appreciated.

5) Special effects are up to snuff - The weakness of all these films to me, besides the tendency to drift into sappy romance, has always been the Spider-Man sequences. Watching a CGI, rubbery looking person swinging through the air never was very compelling to me. But this film does the best job of making it look and feel as if there is really a human being in the suit. And the special effects sequences are largely sterling from start to finish. There is very cool, retro imagery in the closing credits, which kept me feeling good vibes. Highly recommended.