“If you expect disappointment, then you can never really be disappointed.” — MJ Jones-Watson in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
We had several things on our plate around the holidays. The movie we went to see on “Christmas Eve Eve” was “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (read my review) — a movie we wanted to see before it left theaters.
In the intervening weeks since “Spider-Man: No Way Home’s” release, friends on Facebook were wondering why Jon Brooks (of the famed Jon Crunch blog) hadn’t yet reviewed the newest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I did everything in my power to avoid spoilers (which is difficult for someone who lives online). But I’m pleased to say that I was successful in that goal.
Last night I finally saw “Spider-Man: No Way Home”... and I’m ready to share my thoughts!
SPOILERS AHEAD
I typically DO NOT do spoiler reviews, but this movie has been out for nearly three weeks (as I write this post). Since the movie is basically one giant spoiler anyway, I decided to give spoilers a go.
So here goes!
The last time we hung out with Peter Parker (Tom Holland) was in 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (read my review). In a mid-credit scene, TheDailyBugle.net’s J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) outed Parker as Spider-Man — he was also framed for the murder of villain Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal).
The identity reveal serves as the main plot device that structures the setup of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
With Peter and pals sending out college applications as they prepare for high school graduation, this revelation negatively impacts the M.I.T. aspirations of Peter, Ned (Jake Batalon), and girlfriend MJ (Zendaya).
Since the gang wants to stay together in college (and Peter feels guilty for hurting their collegiate opportunities), Peter visits Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) at the New York Sanctum to see if he can help.
Strange believes a magic spell that causes everyone to forget Parker is Spider-Man would be the smoothest route to take. But the spell is corrupted when Parker — having second thoughts “mid spell” — starts asking for exceptions to those who forget.
Strange does what he can to contain the spell amid Peter’s requests, but it isn’t enough. Things soon go haywire as a result of the spell.
At this point, I felt a teeny bit aggravated as a fan. Both Strange and Parker faced dire consequences during the events of “Avengers: Infinity War” (read my review) and “Avengers: Endgame” (read my review). The two should understand the ramifications of messing around with things like magic.
Surely both would avoid messing with the space-time continuum (or memory displacement, or whatever we call it in the MCU)... right??
I learned a long time ago to “willfully suspend my disbelief” with these movies, but you’d have thought a brainiac like Strange would have avoided such a move — especially since he found the “one” scenario (out of 14,000,605 scenarios) that led to the defeat of Thanos in “Endgame.”
But I digress...
Peter then tries the “old school” route of talking to an M.I.T. administrator (Paula Newsome) about reconsidering.
As he is tracking her down on the freeway (she’s on her way to the airport), he is attacked by “Spider-Man 2’s” Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina).
The trailers for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” revealed that Molina was going to be in this movie. At that point, fans knew this film was going to deal with the “multiverse” — we just weren’t sure how much.
The 2019 animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (read my review) also dealt with the multiverse concept. In my review of that movie, I wrote: “It almost made me wonder what a live-action version of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ — with the same plot lines and characters — would be like. The more I’ve thought about the concept, the more I think it could work.“
While “Spider-Man: No Way Home” isn’t exactly a live-action remake of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (and, sadly, Miles Morales doesn’t make an appearance), many of the same principles apply.
At first, I assumed the only “multiverse” participants we would see would be the aforementioned Octavius, “Spider-Man” (2002) villain Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012) villain Curt Connors/Lizard (Rhys Ifans), “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014) villain Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx), and “Spider-Man 3” (2007) villain Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church).
Strange tasks Peter with rounding up the various villains. They are to be put in cages in the basement of the Sanctum. With the help of Ned and MJ, Peter eventually gets the task completed.
Of the villains included, I really thought Foxx got an upgrade here. I enjoyed “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” when it was released in 2014, but thought the character wasn’t handled particularly well. Electro could have been so much more in that film. It was nice to see Foxx’s character redeemed, and the character handled in a better fashion in “No Way Home.”
The most compelling of the lot was Norman Osborn. Dafoe is consistently good in the role (and as an actor overall). It seems like he’s been 55 years old for the last 30 years. It was nice to have the character back.
Osborn is also at the center of the film’s third act.
Peter’s Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) works for an organization called F.E.A.S.T. (Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter & Training) that cares for the poor. Osborn ends up at the F.E.A.S.T. building, and Peter follows shortly thereafter.
May encourages Peter to give Osborn a second chance. And, as Strange is about to send the villains back to their respective dimensions, Peter thwarts the attempt, hoping to “cure” the villains before their return.
This is the second moment in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” where Peter comes across as being rather naive. While the concept of rehabbing the villains is noble, little thought is given to the potential pitfalls involved with changing someone from an alternate dimension.
I know our hero is a high school student, but he has to have evolved based on all his superhero experience. Right?
Regardless, I stopped worrying about that when Ned created portals (using Dr. Strange’s sling ring) and discovered the Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire versions of “Peter Parker/Spider-Man” from the previous two film franchises.
I want to say up front that I really liked Andrew Garfield’s take on Spider-Man. I know that his turn with the franchise — in “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” — wasn’t beloved like the MCU films, but I liked them.
In particular, I have a soft spot for 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” because one of the few voicemails I have saved from my mom (from the year before she died) was a message inviting me to go see “The Amazing Spider-Man” with her and my dad on July 3 that summer. I happened to be busy with a project that day, so I didn’t go with them.
(Each time I listen to that voicemail message, I really wish I had taken the time to go see the movie with them.)
The interplay between the three Peter Parkers is the best thing about “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” It’s something I never expected to see, and it is so much fun.
At one point, before the final showdown, the three “Spider-Men” are plotting their next move. During the sequence, we see the Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland versions are wearing their Spidey suits. Maguire is wearing typical street clothes.
Garfield asks Maguire, “Are you going into battle dressed like a cool youth pastor?”
In my opinion, it was the funniest line in the movie — the delivery was perfect.
Towards the end of the movie, Peter Parker (the Tom Holland version) has Doctor Strange cast a spell making “everyone forget who Peter Parker is.” The move is done in order to protect his universe from other multiverse entities (who are bursting at the seams to enter this particular universe).
The spell works, the rift is repaired, and it is as if Peter Parker never existed. The question is how that all works. Is every trace of him gone? Are there any exceptions to the rule?
After the spell is cast, MJ is seen wearing the black dahlia necklace Peter gave her in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” Has she simply forgotten Peter, or is there more to it?
To muddle matters, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) visits with Parker at May’s grave (by the way, she died in the movie). Hogan says he knew May because of Spider-Man.
The question is whether they will eventually remember Peter (maybe after the upcoming movie “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), or if this is a chance for Sony (which owns the Spider-Man film rights) to make movies (separate from Disney’s MCU) integrating Tom Holland into future “Venom” movies (a possibility teased in a mid-credit scene featuring actor Tom Hardy).
(Full disclosure: I haven’t seen either of the “Venom” movies, but the “memory wipe” in “No Way Home” could have been a way for Disney to “give back” Spider-Man to Sony for the time being.)
Anyhow...
I really enjoyed “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” As mentioned, it did have a few flaws, and some of the decisions made by the principle characters were head scratching (to say the least).
I’ve really enjoyed Holland's run as Spider-Man. In addition to his appearances in various Marvel Cinematic Universe properties, the Spidey-centric films “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (read my review) and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (read my review) laid a solid foundation for the character heading into “No Way Home.”
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is a solid superhero movie. It might just be the best entry in the Spider-Man lexicon.
You won’t be disappointed.
Additional blog posts on “Spider-Man”:
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