I get the asterisk now. It all is adding up in a very sensible way. It also is a throwback to some of the divisions in the comic books. Nicely done, Marvel… no spoilers though. Instead I am going to answer the age old question: Should I watch this movie?
Yes.
This is a good film almost from start to finish. It is a Marvel movie, so expect a fair deal of hokie hijinx and prepare to be beat over the head with the message like a bad dog and a rolled up newspaper. They do a fair bit of that anymore. They also create a really nice setup for the next Spiderman movie, though the truth of where they go with that remains to be seen.
What makes it good? Acting, casting, and storytelling. There are a handful of solid actors holding this thing together and they pull it off. As far as a surprise, pay close attention to the City of New York in this film. The vibe of the place has really gotten to the point of “oh, another hero? whatever.” They do a good job of showing the how unimpressed New Yorkers can be and that felt real. Of course, New Yorkers can be impressed too, and those moments do unfold.
Generally speaking, this is worth the ticket. I don’t know that there are too many worthwhile blockbusters headed our way this summer (Mission Impossible maybe), but this is a fun way to kick off the summer movie season, and an A-effort for a studio that has not made a solid film in a long long time. Welcome back Marvel? We’ll see how the next one pans out.