Is Spider-Man: Homecoming okay for kids?

The new Spider-Man movie is bound to be a kid magnet, and we’ve seen it so we can help you decide if your children should watch it.

There’s something about Spider-Man that’s even more irresistible to kids than most other superheroes. Maybe it’s the fact that Spidey began his career when he was essentially a kid himself, and Spider-Man: Homecoming definitely resets the wall-crawler to his early years: age 15, in fact.

He’s also a brightly colored, wise-cracking hero, two other qualities that are captured perfectly in his first solo adventure set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, like all other MCU films to date, Homecoming is rated PG-13, which is the the trickiest rating for parents to evaluate since it encompasses such a wide range of content.

Aside from seeing it yourself (which you should do, because the movie is excellent), the other thing you can do is get some input on what the movie holds in store. We’ve bee doing that for all the MCU films for the last few years, evaluating them along the same criteria.

Next: Is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 okay for kids?

With that in mind, please allow us to help you make a more informed decision. And no worries: we keep the discussion of Spider-Man: Homecoming as spoiler-free as possible so you don’t ruin the fun for yourself.

Sexuality: Basically none

It’s not a spoiler to tell you that Tony Stark does a little harmless flirting or that Peter Parker has a crush on a girl. Aside from one brief kiss, that’s as hot and heavy as things get.

MCU movies tend not to have too much sexuality anyway, and there’s not really any in this film.

Objectionable language: One or two words

Marvel seems to be more comfortable with low-level cursing in its films as the MCU has evolved, and both Captain America: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 had their fair share. Perhaps cognizant of the fact that Spider-Man: Homecoming might skew a little younger, the studio reversed course here, and there’s only one or two minor swears.

If even the insinuation of the f-bomb offends you, it’s worth noting that there is a moment that a character is about to drop it but the movie switches away from them for comic effect. That felt mostly harmless, as the late Douglas Adams would say.

Disturbing imagery: More situational than anything

There’s no blatant nightmare fuel in this movie. Very young kids could be scared by Michael Keaton when he is in his full Vulture get-up, perhaps, but even that’s a bit of a stretch.

What the film does have is several scenes of civilians in a lot of danger, with Spider-Man attempting to save them, of course. Those could also be some tense moments for younger viewers, though it should be noted that the MCU really has its heroes looking out for innocent bystanders as a matter of course.

Gory violence: Not really

This is a superhero movie, so there are plenty of fights. They’re almost entirely bloodless, though, what the ratings board might call “fantasy violence.” A lot of punches are thrown and laser blasts fly, but it’s pretty obvious that none of it is real. There aren’t even many guns in Homecoming.

One character meets their end in a pretty obvious and surprising fashion, but even then, there’s no blood and guts involved. If the Captain America movies are too gritty for your kids, know that Spidey is comfortably less so.

Final thoughts

All told, this is one of the least objectionable MCU films to date, perhaps the most kid-friendly entry there’s been. As we noted at the start, that’s appropriate for Spider-Man, and a wise decision for Sony and Marvel.

It goes without saying that there are also positive messages involved, as Spidey is, at his core, a good-hearted guy who always tries to do the right thing. This writer has no qualms about allowing his 8 and 10-year-old children to see Spider-Man: Homecoming, which will make them happy since that hasn’t been the case for every Marvel movie.