Reviews from the Dark Side
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Released 12/18/21
I think it's safe to say that since Endgame there has been no greater build-up of a Marvel Cinematic Universe project than there was for this. Sure, some Disney+ series got a fair amount of hype, but, this collaboration of Disney and Sony has by far had the most eyes on it since Tony Stark's death. So, I'm not going to chatter on with a huge setup. We all know what this is and why we're here.
To start, I will warn you all there are spoilers galore coming. If you haven't seen this one yet and plan to, don't allow your eyeballs beyond this point. Ready, set, GO!!!
No Way Home picks up immediately after the end credits scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Spider-Man's identity as Peter Parker has been outed publicly and he finds himself with unwanted notoriety from New Yorkers, the authorities (for the death of Mysterio), and a relentless media glory hound in J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons as the new and improved MCU JJJ). When this newfound "fame" begins to negatively affect the lives of his loved ones, Peter turns to magic as a problem solver. And he just so happens to know a Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Cumberbatch) who might provide a solution. As Parker's luck usually runs, a Strange-casted spell goes awry and instead of the world forgetting Peter is the Wall Crawler, other beings are brought into this timeline who knew Peter was Spider-Man from other reaches of the Multiverse. And those beings are bad news in the form of Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Rhys Ifans (the Lizard), and Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe). Our MCU Spidey (Tom Holland) has no clue who these new people are or how they know Peter Parker. Fortunately, he'll get some aid from a couple of other "Spider-Men" who have crossed over from the Multiverse (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield).
So much to say about this. With the number of characters running through the film, the juggling of different timelines, and just in general trying to encapsulate the large landscape of the MCU, this project could have jumped the shark very easily. I'm also not one who has been wholly onboard with "Iron boy" Spider-Man. But I give director, Jon Watts, credit. From Homecoming to Far From Home to No Way Home, there has been a steady progression in maturity and scope of the MCU Webhead. Taken as a whole, you could say this entire trilogy was an origin story. By the end of NWH, gone are the trappings that have linked Spider-Man to Tony Stark since his debut in Civil War. He's alone, penniless, and truly the hard luck hero who puts everyone else's happiness above his own. He has a homemade costume and a true secret identity. He, in essence, becomes the Spider-Man both geeks and moviegoers have come to know and love.
Not only did Watts expertly navigate this difficult landscape, but it was brilliantly acted by most of the parties involved. I really felt the chemistry blossom between Holland and Zendaya (MJ) this go around. I'm sure that has much to do with them being a real-life item, but the playfulness and affection between them was palpable. Which made it all the more heartbreaking that MJ doesn't remember Peter at the end and why he can't bring himself to tell her who he is. It reminded me of the end of The Butterfly Effect. So close to something you want but know you can't have (at least not yet). This is essentially a big screen adaptation of the "One More Day" story for comic afficionados.
On the villain front, Rhys Ifans and Thomas Hayden Church were fine in their respective roles of Lizard and Sandman. Jamie Foxx seemed to undergo a massive and much needed personality adjustment. Gone is the needy psychotic from Amazing Spider-Man 2. It actually is a bit jarring, but, like I said, it was a much needed change. The standouts here I'm sure will come as no surprise were Alfred Molina and Willem Dafoe. Molina once again seamlessly transitions from malevolent to benevolent as the tragic Doc Ock. But I believe it's Dafoe who will go down in the annals of superhero movies as one of its greatest villains. Usually for that to happen, the villain has to do something that's otherworldly evil or kill someone who's beloved. That brings me to...
One of the scenes that made me genuinely tear up, the death of May Parker (Marisa Tomei). Now to say the MCU Aunt May is very different than the traditional iteration of the character is an understatement (Aunt May with sex appeal, woof). The scene of her demise was so expertly acted by both Tomei and Holland. You didn't even know she was seriously hurt until she was. Peter trying not to panic her as she's slowly fading away. I'm actually feeling some tears coming on writing this. It was a gut punch of a scene that will change the MCU Peter possibly forever. And just for that added resonance, Aunt May delivered the famous Spider-Man "responsibility" credo to boot.
The interaction between Holland, Maguire, and Garfield is easily one of the film's highlights. It's a bit of a changeup from the usual team ups you see in this and most other genres where the participants are pure snark and have difficulty getting along in the beginning. These three had a camaraderie with each other that brought a smile to my face, particularly how Maguire kind of took the lead as the "big brother" type figure. The film also explored a much underutilized aspect of Peter's character, his scientific acumen. Watching these three working together to solve problems as scientists was almost as much fun as watching them swing from the Statue of Liberty in the final battle sequence. When the three of them land in full costume in their battle poses, I almost jumped out of my chair. Was it complete fan service? Of course it was. But I defy anyone to tell me when you knew the three of them would be together that you weren't waiting for that moment.
I believe a gold star should be given to Andrew Garfield for the role he played in this. His Spider-Man series was the most maligned; he never got his third movie to complete his arc. After this, I think he DESERVES that final film. As NWH subtly reveals, he still suffers through the trauma of losing the love of his life, Gwen Stacy. For me, the most emotional scene in the movie is the MJ save from the fall. Holland's Webhead couldn't reach her. It was 100% the correct call to give the save to Garfield. And credit to Garfield's acting in this scene. You could see the pain, the regret, the relief wash over him as he held MJ in his arms. This was the most tear-inducing moment for me. He needed that redemption. I'm perfectly fine if this is the end of Maguire's story. But, since the Multiverse is a thing now, I think Garfield deserves one more film to complete his story. He needs to find his MJ, to complete his circle.
Now I've done nothing but shower praise on the movie so far. But every film has weaknesses. I guess he's a fan favorite character to some degree but, from Homecoming, I've never been a fan of or understood the purpose of Ned (Jacob Batalon). I don't find him funny. Every last Holland Spider-Man would have been fine without him. They try to give him something significant to do in NWH, but, even then, it's a head scratching moment. So this high school kid can take Doctor Strange's ring and conjure portals? Something it took Strange how long to learn how to do? I'm just not a fan of this character.
The mid-credit scene is also puzzling. It involves Eddie Brock/Venom in a bar in Mexico I believe. He's talking to the bartender about this new world's superhero population when he suddenly is pulled out of the MCU universe (at least I think that's what happened). However, he leaves behind the tiniest trace of the Venom symbiote. I'm not sure where the story is going from here, but I felt the ending of Venom: Let There Be Carnage was invalidated a bit. I suppose there's a grand plan of Venom meeting Spider-Man at some point, but I sure don't know what that plan is at the moment.
This isn't a criticism per se, but two of the three villains who come into the MCU were pretty much benchwarmers. Sandman and Lizard didn't do a lot. The film would have been fine without them. They're here primarily to make the final battle feel a little more epic. Plus, when Lizard, Sandman, and Electro are "cured", they go out with such a whimper. Granted Sandman was always a reluctant criminal, so the way he accepted his fate was perfectly normal. The other two? Their acceptance appeared a little contrived considering they were perfectly fine with being destructive. Again, this isn't so much a criticism as it is an observation to ponder.
The final thing I'll say about NWH is to give further credit to Jon Watts for the pacing of the movie. This very easily could have been a messy endeavor where all the combustible elements come together in the last 10 minutes. Not only do Maguire and Garfield come in with the last third of the movie, they're also significant supporting characters. They aren't just props for the final battle sequence. If this is Maguire and Garfield's swan song, it's an end I can live with. Although I reiterate, Garfield needs one more movie.
In the 20+ movie filmography of the MCU, I would say, while all have been watchable (Ragnarok only visually), only a handful have been truly epic. You have the first Avengers movie, the first Iron Man, Civil War, Infinity War, Endgame. And now you have No Way Home.
And a Charlie Cox Matt Murdock sighting.
***** stars
0*= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Worth a look. Better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. I'm doing my happy dance!
5 *= Pure eye candy. I have seen the top of the mountain, and it is good
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