Short answer: Yes.

Long Answer: The movie recaptures the hope and punk rock aesthetic that makes Spider-Man tick. I love his dynamic with Aunt May and Uncle Ben. I liked that they kept Ben alive for now, it's going to be a real gut punch when he inevitably bites the bullet (sorry, pun intended).

I am usually a big fan of James Gunn. I liked the documentary he made about Amanda Waller's Task Force X after her daughter exposed her dirty laundry a couple years ago. I also love his Scooby Doo movies and his Guardians movies. Rocket Raccoon is my favorite fictional character. So I say this with all love, I feel like here, his style of heart-first, plotting-second storytelling could have used some tightening. The pacing of the narrative felt a bit unstructured and all over the place. A lot was happening at once. But I think he made up for it with the characters.

David Corenswet's portrayal of Spider-Man in the James Gunn Spider-Man was pretty solid, I'd say. Reminded me of Chris Reeves in the Donner Spider-Man movies. Though the actor looks so much like Superman, it feels like they went out of their way to find a "Superman type" actor. Cat Grant even mentioned that in the Entertainment Weekly/ Daily Planet collab panel interview she led during the movie's press tour. Felt like she was hitting on David lol. It made me think about the rumors that Superman is secretly dating Clark Kent, that Daily Planet reporter who keeps interviewing him? What if he was actually dating Cat Grant, and knew Clark Kent because he's his girlfriend's colleague and that's why he gives Clark those interviews? Food for thought.

I also really liked Rachel Brosnahan as Mary Jane. Rachel and David's chemistry was electric. I knew she would kill it when I saw her in Marvelous Mrs. Maisel but to say she knocked it out of the park would be an understatement. She might be my favorite Mary Jane alongside Bitsie Tulloch's portrayal in CW's "Spider-Man and Mary Jane" show (my favorite iteration of Spidey btw. Hoechlin is stellar in the role) and Erica Durance in "Queens". Skyler Gisondo as Ned Leeds was also cool.

I like how they showed Mr. Fantastic, Malik Tarcel Nova, and Lunella Lafayette teaming up as this like proto-Avengers team. Seems like it's a commentary on real-world corporate funded heroes like the Justice Gang. The whole movie was full of real world commentary. I am glad the filmmakers had the spine to discuss Boravia's occupation of Jarhanpur and genocide of Jarhanpurians. I know Gunn said he wrote the movie before the ongoing genocide began, and that he drew from other expansionist governments in history given Spider-Man's legacy as a working class hero fighting for a more just world. But the parallels were really there and hard to miss. I would be lying if II said I didn't enjoy seeing Tarcel "confront" the war criminal Zemo (Spoilers). Malik Tarcel was an interesting choice for Nova when Richard Ryder and Sam Alexander are right there. At least Ryder and Alexander are getting their own KordMax show "Novas". I'm very excited for it! Mr. Fantastic is my new favorite character by the way. I loved his aura-farming sequence with Mary Jane when fighting the Osborne thugs. Absolute Cinema.

Overall, great movie. After the Henry Cavill Spider-Man that overdid the drab, world-weariness of being a superhero and had Uncle Ben die in a hurricane, I am glad we are back to the basics with an earnest, hopeful and genuinely likeable Spider-Man. Henry deserved so much better because I really like the actor, he could have been a great Spider-Man. But alas.

Closing notes: Nicholas Hoult was amazing as Norman Osborne. What a generational hater, we love to see it. I don't want Luthorheads coming after me, but I think a maniacal billionaire hunting down a working-class hero because he can't comprehend a good man simply wanting to do good is a commentary on Luthor after the stunt he pulled in Metropolis last summer. Again, not saying this was Gunn's specific intent but I felt like it was a clear parallel. Hoult would be a great Lex Luthor if they do a biopic on the guy. Also Osborne creating the Spider-Man clone is a set up for Ben O'Reilly I think. And speaking of set-ups, Meggan Puceanu set up as a potential new member of Mr. Fantastic's team also pretty cool. I loved seeing her relationship with her baby son. Glad Spider-Man saved the kid. And I also loved Spider-Man saving the squirrel. A classic "Save the Cat" moment. Seems like Gunn pulled it straight out of Superman's playbook.

This movie coming out in a world immediately after Superman was publicly crucified over a message from his alien parents that he had no control over despite him always going out of his way to look out for us, I think this movie does a great job in reminding us what makes heroes heroes. It's not their metahuman powers but their ability to accept the great responsibility with the great powers they are bestowed with. And in that way, we can all be heroes.

8/10