The Greatest Showman (2017)

Why is this movie so boring? I like a good musical but it's just really uninteresting. The music is drab. I don't know what everyone sees in "This Is Me." Pasek and Paul are responsible for La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen; they can't all be good, I guess. I get that it's a family movie, but it feels like a kids movie. There are so many good family movies nowadays that are not so kiddy. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but it is not made for us. There was so much opportunity to develop some of these characters, but they never really do. Zendaya, for example, doesn't have enough lines. The opening is the glitziest part of the movie. You expect the circus to have more spectacle.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Maybe it's a generational thing, but I think I'll always be partial to Tobey Maguire. He was just the kind of nerdy awkward that Spider-man should be. Tom Holland is maybe more age appropriate for the character, but he's not the right kind of awkward. He's just being a charming kid that strangely calls Aunt May just May. And we see a good portion of his high school life. I really like his Filipino friend Ned. The two of them are believable best friends. The casting diversity is praiseworthy. Spider-man is from Queens after all, the most diverse place on the planet. I appreciate that Peter's love interest (and future love interest?) is African American. And there's a great twist/reveal that screams this-is-a-modern-spider-man.

I don't really appreciate all the Marvel tie-ins. I think it cheapens Spider-Man, who is a standalone character that can pull his own weight without the help of Ironman and the Avengers. I understand that they're playing up the whole kid thing, but I don't see the Avengers taking a backseat in the inevitable sequel. Captain America pulled a cheap trick on us after the credits, with a fake scene. There's also the placement of big enough names in deceptively small roles that I just have this sinking feeling we'll see returning. For example, Donald Glover has only a few lines, but we know he'll be back even though his character is seemingly unimportant.