8) Spider-Man: Homecoming – Vulture’s Smile
Spider-Man: Homecoming came as a real shock to filmgoers. Not only was it the second Spider-Man reboot within a 10-year time span, but it also retreaded the origin roots by taking the character back to high school.
By all accounts, it should have been yet another lackluster entry in the Spider-Man franchise, however, that wasn’t to be the case. Spider-Man: Homecoming breathed new life into the series, not only re-popularizing Spider-Man after 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 underperformed, but also presenting a new take on the character that fitted naturally within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
One of the bigger reasons why the film succeeded was because of the villain Adrian Toomes/Vulture, portrayed with sneering glee by Michael Keaton. As many people may be aware, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not had the best track record when it comes to their supervillains as of late, so the fact that significant effort was put into making The Vulture a menacing threat to Spidey was unexpected.
Keaton gets a lot of credit for that. He managed to make Toomes sympathetic, yet scary. He cared about his family above all else, and was willing to do whatever it took to ensure their safety, including challenging Spider-Man. During the cruise ship part, Spider-Man attempts to stop an arms deal between Toomes and a new buyer. While successful in apprehending his henchmen, there’s a small scene where Spidey and Toomes look at each other as the latter is attempting to gain access to his Vulture gear. In that scene, viewers see Toomes give a small smile, and it’s with that grin that Keaton conveys an inherent sadism in the character that shows how much he honestly loves his criminal job.
If you ever get around to rewatching the movie, be sure to look out for that part.
