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| Images courtesy Sony/Disney/Marvel Studios |
Tom Holland returns as the heroic Spider-Man in Jon Watts' latest web slinging cinematic outing, No Way Home. Unlike Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 (2007), comic fans and film nerds are finally treated to a Spidey flick that successfully involves an evolving cast of multiple villains along with a much tighter and darker script than we've seen to date in the current Peter Parker's timeline.
The stakes are higher, the action is better choreographed, the music is better and the primary support cast finally feels absolutely comfortable in their roles. The biggest take away is that the few major fight scenes are easy on the eyes and never trade quantity for quality. There's a dynamic sense to this film that only uses action to move the story along instead of the other way around. After a fair to middling Spider-Man: Far From Home, Watts sticks the landing and doesn't look back.
Abandoning what many of us call "the Marvel formula", Watts dives head first into re-writing the game as he proves no one is safe anymore and rules are meant to be broken at each and every turn. We're no longer protected inside the box, but are finally shown the carnage that's left in the path of heroics and the doom and gloom that weighs heavy in a world where super villains exist and mutated humans are expected to save the day. Tonally, this matches Avengers: Infinity War with its recklessness, destruction, and understanding of loss. And Tom Holland carries emotional weight and devastation on his shoulders with little effort, throwing an amazing and sticky performance at the screen.
Attempting to cross the story arcs of three different film iterations of our central hero couldn't have been an easy task. But the writing team behind this project took note of the mega-successful 2018 animated Into The Spider-Verse. They repeat it with this weekend's live action release.
Bending the rules of space, time and multiple dimensions, Dr. Strange accidentally releases Doc Ock, Lizard, Sandman, Electro, and Green Goblin into the current realm. This unleashes a potential hell on earth scenario. With the dastardly Alfred Molina and Willem Dafoe chewing up and spitting out scenes, their method of madness works to great effect. Backed by a Jamie Foxx that slips right back into the role of the emotionally damaged Electro, the set up and delivery succeed at almost every turn. Sadly, Lizard and Sandman don't get equal screen time as their villainous counterparts. For run time purposes, it may have been a creative choice.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the best of this trilogy and definitely the strongest effort since Raimi's first sequel that featured Molina as Doc Ock. Watts' latest entry and trilogy closer sets up the future of the franchise as it also finds closure to existing story lines and characters. To say this film brings it home (pun fully intended) would be a vast understatement. To those that have tired of comic book movies lately, this one has a freshness to it that revitalizes fading interest. Tom Holland shines against a bevy of more experienced actors that have years on him. His youthful energy, control of his emotions, and physicality are a highlight with this third Spider-Man.
Go into No Way Home with a clear mind. Forget what the internet randoms have told you to expect and you'll walk away satisfied with a purebred comic book action film that's going to break the box office this Christmas season. There's some whip smart writing here that could have faltered due to the amount of material they put on the screen and in the story. It's handled perfectly and will definitely effect where Spider-Man goes from here. Any fan will enjoy the ride strictly for the Easter Eggs alone.
If you haven't been back to the movies yet, now is the time. This may be front loaded with fan service but at its core is a great thrill ride worthy of admission.
-CG
