“Spider Man: No Way Home” Review
By: Victor Debonis
Tags: Movie Review, Film Reviews, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Movies

Written by Victor DeBonis

Photo: Marvel Studios

This is a tricky one to discuss because I’m aware that this film is, in many aspects, a sincere love letter to those who love this character and previous movies with him outside of the MCU, such as myself. As some know, my experiences of seeing the first two Raimi “Spider Man” films were a few of the type that played a vital role in making me start to really love movies in my younger days, and it’s one reason among others that the man who directed them is one of my favorite directors, in general. Since those days, I’ve been a longtime fan of this character, and I’m always eager to see a new movie with him in it, even if I have some bones to pick with how studios often handle this property.

As a whole, this movie definitely works as a sincere tribute to the web-slinger and as a story, in general. “No Way Home” honors much of the main theme of Spider Man as a character in the sense that it taps into the idea of how important it is for one hero of any kind to do his duties and persevere through the hardship and pain that often comes with the job. A great chunk of the emotional moments in this movie left me stunned and genuinely appreciating the sincerity with what was going on, and part of that lends to how great the actors are in these scenes and their wonderful chemistry with each other. During some moments, I was clasping my hand across my mouth because I was genuinely afraid of what a character was going to experience or how things would turn out.

Tom Holland himself is as great as the titular web-slinger as ever, and he allows his acting talents to shine to their highest extent with this final title in the trilogy with what happens to Peter and how he reacts upon new foes (to him, at least) but also ones that he loves. He can share a glance with someone for a moment or look at a letter, and the hurt or passion is as clear as day. One of my favorite aspects of this movie is his relationship with MJ (played with charm to spare by Zendaya) and how believable and loving their connection with each other is. Their humorous banter is naturally spoken, but, when the strength of their hands clasps tighter as they hold each other’s or Spidey is swinging with MJ holding on for dear life with them still chatting to one another, I grin and found myself quietly whispering to myself what a cute couple they were. Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon as Ned make for an adorkable, closely knit trio whose struggles and tight bond with each other brought much of the heart to the movie. The film does go through familiar territory in terms of these people trying to figure out where to go in the future ahead in a familiar way, but their connection through the harder times made it more interesting to see where things go for them, since their interactions with each other, both comedic and dramatic, feel very sincere.

It was also a special treat to see many great villains from previous films return. Whenever there is a story about a great hero, the great villains involved make for part of the fun experience, and the adversaries of Spider Man and the actors playing them, especially from the Sam Raimi movies, demonstrate that. Alfred Molina is equally playful and devious as Otto Octavius, and he carries a scowl and admirable confidence that are reminiscent of the best villains from the Bond gallery. I had a blast seeing Willem Dafoe return as the Green Goblin. His talent for creating effectively creepy facial shifts and his ability to switch from confused to menacing and loving it is still strong. And, Jamie Foxx is effectively intense and cool as Electro. Their interactions with each other and villains from different universes are partly what Spider-Man fans want to see, and the film knows this fully well and doesn’t disappoint. Even their reactions to what happens in this world are funny and fitting with their character. Sometimes, it can be wearisome to hear them rehash part of their storylines in hasty exposition, but not every filmgoer is going to have seen every film with this hero, so I give a little leeway in that regard. Familiar lines and callbacks to previous films and characters occasionally pop up, but they work their way well enough into the movie without winking too much to the audience or coming across in a cringy way.

What this film does with J. K. Simmons’ return as J. Jonah Jameson is brilliant and even welcomes some nice commentary on individuals who use the media to spew non-stop hatred in the name of a questionable cause. In fact, much of the first 15 minutes voices some obvious but effective commentary, in general, regarding what happens when something striking or alarming happens to a celebrity or someone, in general, and what occurs to not only the person involved but even to those that he cares about who get snared amidst the media’s buzz. There’s much to admire and even love in this movie with some characters that I haven’t mentioned making a return and offering insight or humorous lines that play well into what it means to be a villain or hero, especially someone, such as Spider Man, who has endured more than his share of personal battles in his duties.

The action in this movie is excellently done, too, and there were times when I was literally gritting my teeth with the level of danger going on in this movie. When some villains have fights in this movie, it’s pretty rough with the viciousness through which they trade blows, and it was shot well with plenty of space to show how intense these fights get within their open spaces. Plus, there’s a specific scene that involves Spidey and Dr. Strange that I won’t spoil here, but I will say that it was technically done on such an impressive level that I was rather wowed by how such a scene was constructed.

Photo: Marvel Studios

There’s no question that the people making this wanted to create a sincere love letter for this hero and what he stands for in a way that’s not dissimilar to what “Into the Spiderverse” did, and much of that love can be felt and made me as a huge fan of this character highly satisfied. Having said that, there are obvious problems that prevent this from being great. One of those factors is that motivations for why some characters make certain choices in this movie (a few of which are either dumb or random and are even pointed out as such by the characters) can be a little baffling, and that can make the narrative still steady but somewhat shaky at certain points.

The biggest issue with the movie for me, however, is something that many may disagree with me about, but, after writing about many of these movies as I have over the years, I thought that I might say it plainly here: As much as I love the MCU and everything that it’s done for blockbusters and the pop culture of the past decade and all that, I’ll be the first to admit that I am starting to get a little tired of its brand of humor.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy that it has a mostly solid sense of humor, and there were plenty of lines that made me chuckle or laugh heartily, and I was thankful that I got to experience such good laughs. What I find a little wearisome with this movie and even other MCU movies, including ones that I love, such as the “Guardians” movies, is that one-liners and humorous comebacks happen so much over and over in these movies to a point that, sometimes, when a serious moment or dramatic speech happens, I find myself wondering if a character is going to quickly say something quirky or humorous to interrupt the moment, almost as though it’s afraid that it’ll lose the audience’s interest if it stays too serious for too long.

Looking back at a previous MCU movie from this year, specifically “Black Widow” I recognize that the film received an overall “okay” response from people. And, in retrospect, the movie’s issues do stand out even more. However, I still hold a higher appreciation for it than others did because, to me, that film, despite its shortcomings, would, at least, take more time for a serious moment to set in, and it was one of the few entries in the universe that wasn’t tossing one-liner after one-liner in rapid fashion.

“Into the Spiderverse” had more than enough humor to spare, too, but that movie felt unique enough and so alive and fresh in its own world (or worlds) that it didn’t matter much. Plus, “Into the Spiderverse” somehow knew where to put that perfect balance between hysterical and heartfelt without interrupting the more sincere or heartbreaking moments. “No Way Home” on the other hand, does fall a bit into its own trap of becoming a bit too high on its own hilarity at times to the point that, in a moment when someone mentions how their best friend died, I actually overheard laughter in the audience, and I honestly can’t tell if that moment was meant to be sincere or humorous, and, if it was the latter, I didn’t find it especially hilarious.

Having said all that, I definitely recommend this movie, especially for big-time “Spider Man” fans, such as myself, or those who like a decent superhero movie, in general. The characters and the actors that play them do great work and remain true to the spirit of what made these people so endearing and entertaining. The connection between Holland and Zendaya is sweet and completely sincere. The moments that are sincere and effectively done brought solid, emotional stakes to the movie and clearly establish an understanding about why this character resonates as well as he does. For me, it’s not quite great as the first Raimi “Spider Man” film or the masterpieces that are Raimi’s “Spider Man 2” and, yes, “Into the Spiderverse.” Yet, it still contains plenty of heart, good action, and some solid humor and is worth swinging into as a decent film.

Grade: B