​FILMS

A web of heroes and villains...

 

2021 Review Number 4

Spider-Man: No Way Home: (Action/Adventure): 82 out of 100: Here's another Spider-Man film to enter the MCU catalogue (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and it certainly helps to see all the other Spider-Man films before and during the MCU phase to fully appreciate it. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" makes it the third in this universe while there were five other Spider-Man films not in the MCU featuring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as the title character. With this in mind, I shall do my best to keep spoilers to a minimum and only reveal characters that appear in the official trailer. 

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This latest Spider-Man release follows on directly from 2019's "Spider-Man: Far From Home" where Spider-Man's identity is revealed as Peter Parker (Tom Holland). He has been accused of causing the death of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), with the negative publicity led by The Daily Bugle's J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) forcing him to turn to Doctor Strange (Bendict Cumberbatch) for help. He wants Doctor Strange to conjure a spell to make everyone except his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya), his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), and his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) forget his true identity. The spell goes horribly wrong leading to villains from the multiverse, Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx), Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and Dr Curt Connors/The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) entering Peter's world to create mayhem and destruction.

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Although running at a lengthy 148 minutes, most of the film races along especially when the portal from other dimensions is opened to allow the villains to enter the scene. The set up explores the torment and abuse that Peter Parker has experienced so this backstory allows viewers to either connect with what is happening or remind them of what transpired to lead into upcoming events. Some of these scenes are a bit slow if you can't wait for the crux of the film to materialise. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, along come the villains to make you wish that you had recently seen all the other Spider-Man films so you could fully appreciate this one.

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What makes for a superior superhero film is not just the action scenes with exemplary visual effects, but also the relationships between the characters. The CGI effects are managed brilliantly while there are plenty of action scenes to please the action buffs. The only gripe I have was with the climactic battle scenes which were difficult to distinguish between the characters. There's also numerous dramatic scenes which flesh out the characters, allowing the viewer to empathise with our hero. You can actually feel the pain and anguish Peter Parker experiences in some scenes. 

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It's wonderful to see some of these villains return after a long break. The actors portraying them bring extra acting clout to the film. It wouldn't be a memorable Spider-Man film however without a decent lead actor and Tom Holland has certainly grown into this role ever since his first appearance as Spider-Man in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War". His Spider-Man is one that the viewer wants to root for. His relationship with MJ is just one of the interactions that assist in the viewer bonding with the characters.

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"Spider-Man: No Way Home" is a genuine blockbuster that must be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated. It is a worthy addition to the MCU and proves that there are more tales to tell involving Spider-Man. Take a walk down memory lane first with this latest instalment and you won't be disappointed.

 

Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church, J.K. Simmons, Jon Favreau and Rhys Ifans

(148 mins)

Parental Advice: Violence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfVOs4VSpmA (Movie trailer)

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(Reviewed on Tuesday 21st December, 2021)

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