Spider-Man is my favorite superhero of all time. I am, therefore, happy to say that Spider-Man has come home at last! In Tom Holland we finally find a great portrayal of the comic book Spider-Man. Holland shines both as the dorky, smart, insecure Peter Parker, and the wise-cracking, superpowered hero. Holland is supported by a strong cast who act, talk, and feel like actual teenagers, as well as, a fantastic turn by Michael Keaton. There are things I could nitpick, but Spider-man is such a blast to watch, it is easy to forget the quibbles. I highly recommend seeing Spider-Man: Homecoming on the biggest screen you can in theaters.

Spoilers Following:

At its core Spider-Man: Homecoming ask one question, “what does it mean to be a hero?” At one point in the film Tony takes back Peter’s suit.  Peter pleads, “But I am nothing without this suit.” Tony wisely responds, “If you are nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.
In a sudden turn later in the film Toomes discovers Peter is Spider-Man. Toomes gives Peter 2 choices, either leave him alone, or he will kill Peter and everyone he loves.

Donning his original suit Peter chooses to confront Toomes. Peter becomes pinned under massive pile of rubble. Holland superbly portrays a scared kid stuck, crying out for someone to come help. Looking at his mask on the floor, a flashback of Tony Stark says, “If you are nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” Peter then says, “come on Peter,” and then switches to, “come on Spider-Man, come on Spider-man.” Spider-Man triumphantly lifts the heavy rubble and escapes to continue to fight the Vulture.

The film suggest this is where Peter becomes a hero. I believe it misses what makes someone truly heroic. Furthermore, it lacks an essential part of what makes Peter Parker so special. A friend rightly pointed out to me that using Tony Stark’s quote here changes the message. It makes heroism about believing in yourself and having powers to overcome physical obstacles. But is this what it means to be heroic? I think not. Heroism is found in self-sacrifice, a refusal to give up, and a sense of duty to do what is right.  Heroism is a recognition that, “with great power comes great responsibility.”  Jesus is the hero of the Bible. His heroism is in his humility, his goodness, and his sacrifice for the good of others.

The Bible teaches that all believers have been given gifts and skills. Spider-Man presses us to recognize that we are responsible to use these good gifts for God. God has given us a heroic calling to serve him, his Church, our communities, and to expand his kingdom to the ends of the earth will we be heroic like Spider-Man and take on our responsibilities? Will we answer the call?

“God has given us a heroic calling to serve him, his Church, our communities, and to expand his kingdom to the ends of the earth will we be heroic like Spider-Man and take on our responsibilities? Will we answer the call?”

The Guardians are back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and it is one fun rip-roaring thrill ride. It is both hilarious and surprisingly emotional, though it does not soar to the same stellar heights of the last.

The cast brings the same charisma and chemistry of the orginal. The cinematography and color palette are gorgeous.  The music is fantastic and provides more emotional depth than the previous film. Michael Rooker gives a standout performance as Yondu.

This film however is not perfect. The plot is weaker than the last, a few jokes fall flat, and the pacing lags at times. That being said this is still an incredibly fun movie to watch. I highly recommend seeing it on the biggest screen you can find.

Spoilers follow….

Watching Guardians 2, I was struck by the theme of family. At one point Nebula screams “All you do is yell at each other. You’re not friends.” Drax responds, “No… We are family.” The Guardians are a motley crew of misfits who have become a family. While dysfunctional in many ways they still love and sacrifice for each other. This is the same story of the Bible. God has always been in the business of taking the misfits, the outcasts, the oddballs, the ostracized, and the broken and turning them into family. The Church displays the Gospel when it gathers as a diverse group of strangers and becomes a loving family. How we love each other as the family of God is meant to point people to the Gospel’s truthfulness and beauty.

All the Guardians suffer from family and father issues. Peter Quill had an absentee biological father, and was raised by a surrogate who was anything but perfect. Gamora and Nebula were raised by an abusive father. Drax is a father in grief over the loss of a child. Rocket Raccoon was biologically engineered. Mantis was raised by a man, who treats her as nothing more than a useful pet. Yondu was sold into slavery by his own parents. And on top of this Groot is a baby being raised by this rabble.

Guardians offers hope. Being a family is more than something biological. Family is about loving and sacrificing for each other even though they are flawed, broken people.  Yondu in sacrificing his own life for Peter offers hope of redemption, repaired relationships and the possibility of a loving dad.

Guardians pokes and prods some of our deepest desires: our longings to be known and belong, our longings to be provided for and protected, loved and accepted. In Jesus and the Gospel story we find fulfillment of these deep desires. We find the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who give of themselves for us.  We discover a perfect father and a new and eternal family, having brought together not by biology, but through union with Christ. We discover a hopeful story that is alive and inviting. Those who believe are adopted as children of God. Those abandoned, maligned, and scarred by their earthly fathers, now become sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father, who loves extravagantly and never forsakes.

“Guardians pokes and prods some of our deepest desires: our longings to be known and belong, our longings to be provided for and protected, loved and accepted”