Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
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Spider-Man: No Way Home Movie Review
Spider-Man: No Way Home is a 2021 superhero film directed by Jon Watts and starring Tom Holland among many others. It is a surprisingly competent, entertaining flick.
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“There’s gotta be a black Spider-Man somewhere out there“
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With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Before seeing the movie for myself, I had low expectations. That’s because I am getting a bit annoyed by all of these multiverse films as I’ve never really cared for this trope in media. But I was quickly proven wrong as this movie is almost impossible not to at least like, if not love.
The flick is two and a half hours long and yet I never felt bored by it. In fact, it flew by how incredibly fun it was. It was joyous and immensely funny, but also rather sad at times, and this mixture of different tones was quite refreshing, even if not all sections worked. I loved the ending for how incredibly emotional it was as the MJ-Peter romance has become rather powerful throughout these movies, but still it also felt anti-climactic to just circle back to everybody not knowing who Spidey is all over again. Marvel’s unwillingness to actually move the plot forward has become frustrating to watch.
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Still, for all of these obvious problems, including especially an overload of nostalgia, the movie is still impactful in mixing the old faces with the new ones. Yes, it was undoubtedly fan service as this very definition of a nerd’s wet dream, but still I was so surprised by the MCU’s ability to actually tell a good story and utilize these fan-favorite old characters superbly, some even receiving their best arcs yet.
For instance, there is this tragically ironic moment that sees Andrew’s Peter save MJ in a manner that felt similar to the time when he lost his Gwen. Scenes like this show a deep understanding of all these characters, making the movie emotionally impactful instead of just star-studded fan service.
I adored what they did with Andrew and Tobey. Both of them felt superbly realized and their dynamic in particular was wonderful in their brotherly vibes. The movie explores their older age hilariously, but also their insecurities and past traumas. When they came onto the screen, the film truly became truly alive and I loved every second of it. The action scenes with the two could have been better and less dark in how they were shot, but still seeing the three Spideys all in one scene fighting side by side was a joyous spectacle.
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They also really knew how to deal with these past villains. The movie has a great message about at least trying to help all people, even the bad seeds, and through the villains’ arc this was wonderfully explored. It was unexpected of the movie to actually try to give these guys a good ending and this twist made the movie fresh and very touching.
I particularly liked Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. He was both a menacing foe and a misunderstood victim. Alfred Molina was similarly terrific as Doc Oc while Jamie Foxx was surprisingly funny as the much more memorable Electro than ever before. His character was without any doubt the biggest improvement over his previous turn.
I also loved the Doctor Strange bits. As a big fan of this character and his movie, I appreciated how he was powerful, but also very funny and caring here. Wong needed a bigger role, but Steven was great and the fact that Peter actually beat him in a fight was hilarious. That entire sequence was so much fun.
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But a movie thankfully never forgot that this was a Tom Holland’s Spider-Man film first and foremost and the result is this very tragic tale of a guy who loses his aunt in such a sad scene, but also everybody around him as they end up forgetting him in the final moments. Holland’s performance was fantastic as was everybody else’s, and this character’s childlike nature clashing with his adult responsibilities as a superhero protecting others made for a very touching arc. Zendaya is also wonderful as MJ and Ned was surprisingly funny at times. J.K. Simmons of course did not disappoint in his most signature role.
No Way Home features stellar special effects, but in the action department it significantly faltered. A couple of moments are terrifically executed, but the final battle was too dark and not as fun as it could have been. But its comic-book sensibilities were quite welcome in an era of frustratingly dark blockbusters. The writing and pacing are all over the place and more could have been done with the storyline of Parker’s revealed identity. It is an overly busy movie, but still one that is enjoyable throughout, so well acted and surprisingly funny. The jokey tone was too much to handle at times, but at least most of the one-liners really worked. As for the ‘Venom’ post-credits sequence, it promises exciting future for both of the franchises.
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