OSCARS 2022: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Here's how I can tell that I'm getting old. If you had told kid me that superheroes would be the biggest genre in movies someday, that we'd have an entire Marvel Universe on-screen, I would've lost my mind. Even twelve years ago, I would've doubted that an idea as far out as multiverses would be embraced by mainstream flicks. Yet, here in 2022, I'm officially tired of the multiverse. It was cool when “Into the Spider-Verse” did it. Marvel's “Loki” streaming series had some interesting takes on the premise, before “What If...?” ran with it.. But then “Spider-Man: No Way Home” used the multi-verse as an excuse to fold previous “Spider-Man” movies into continuity with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel is taking the idea even further with the next “Dr. Strange” and WB/DC is going to do something similar with “The Flash.” I may be burned out on multi-verse shenanigans but nobody else clearly is. Because “No Way Home” became the biggest movie of 2021 and an immediate fan favorite.

Following the reveal of his civilian identity, Peter Parker's life has fallen into chaos. The Department of Damage Control is breathing down his neck. He's being accused of murdering Mysterio, who some people believe is a hero. When even his friends can't get into a decent college because of their association with him, Peter takes desperate action. He asks Doctor Strange to remove the knowledge of his secret identity from the world. The spell goes horribly wrong though, instead drawing five villains from across the multiverse to this version of Earth. Peter must now contend with Doc Ock, the Green Goblin, the Sandman, the Lizard, and Electro. He seeks to heal the bad guys before returning them to their home worlds, which puts him into conflict with Strange. Yet this multiverse shattering adventure brings with it some new allies too...

I enjoyed the last two of Marvel's “Spider-Man” adventures but it was apparent that something was off about their interpretation of the web head. The last movie saw Peter Parker, who is suppose to be a poor kid from Queens, become the heir to a billionaire's fortune. “No Way Home” seems to directly address this concern. A fundamental part of Spider-Man's story is that he can't balance his superhero identity with his life as Peter Parker. “No Way Home” directly address this idea. It also returns to the premise that personal responsibility, loss, and guilt over inaction, is what drives Peter as a hero. The script accomplishes this by putting a clever spin on the expected Uncle Ben origin story. Ultimately, Spider-Man works best as a blue collar character, who struggles to pay his rent and questions if he's doing the right thing. By the end, the sequel has set-up a new status quo directly built upon that idea.

The MCU “Spider-Man” films probably could've gotten this course correction without invoking the multiverse. I was extremely skeptical of bringing back a bunch of villains we'd seen before. Yet, in execution, it works a lot better than expected. First off, it's practical. Now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is no longer obligated to put their mark on classic characters like Doctor Octopus or the Green Goblin. Secondly, it's fun. Watching great actors like Alfred Molina, Willem DaFoe, or Thomas Hayden Church interact with each other is entertaining. It even allows a chance at redemption for some of the villains, as Jamie Foxx's Electro – who was not handled the best way in “Amazing Spider-Man 2” – is reinvented into a more palatable character. The Green Goblin's ugly Power Rangers style suit is replaced with a purple hood, goggles, and Dafoe's insane grin. Not everyone gets the same amount of screen time. Rhys Ifens' the Lizard is still stuck as an ugly reptilian humanoid and gets the least development of the rogues gallery. Sandman feels like a fifth wheel sometimes. Yet I think it's a choice that ultimately works.

It helps that “No Way Home” doesn't bring these guys back just for fan service. Ultimately, “No Way Home” returning to the past highlights how superhero movies have changed in the last decade. It's soon discovered that more than half of the villains were plucked from their universes seconds before dying. Tom Holland's Peter Parker doesn't think it's right to doom these people, no matter how villainous they are, to death. He seeks to help them, cure them of their afflictions. Superhero movies used to be content to kill off their bad guys but now the needs of cinematic universes means villains get to grow and evolve. Most of Spider-Man's rogue gallery, at least in the movies, are victims of circumstances. Giving them second chances allows them more depth as characters, allowing Molina's Doc Ock to redeem himself or Dafoe's Norman Osborne to struggle with his mental health more. And turning J. Jonah Jameson into Alex Jones might not make sense but I do enjoy seeing J. K. Simmons rip it up some more. 

What is, arguably, an extended act of fan service is bringing back previous versions of Peter Parker as well. The worst guarded secret in Hollywood last year, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield appear about a third of the way into the film. On one hand, it's nice to see Tobey Maguire, the elder statesmen of Spider-Men, again. Garfield's Spidey is treated as the lovable loser of the lot, acknowledging how unloved his “Spider-Man” franchise was. Garfield also gets a chance to provide his aborted story line with something of a conclusion. More than anything else, it's fun to watch the three actors bounce off each other. Holland, Garfield, and Maguire all have a way with wry dialogue. They all have radically different takes on the character that play off each other nicely. Yet I do wonder how necessary this fan pleasing decision was. When the in-jokes about webbing, subtitles, or internet memes start to fly, “No Way Home” begins to feel self-congratulatory. 

There's lots of things you can complain about when it comes to Marvel's juggernaut-like grip on pop culture. Some people shit on the movies for their dialogue, which often pack in as many snarky one-liners as possible. And, sure, Doctor Strange quipping about how Peter and his friends need to “Scooby-Doo this shit” might be distracting... But it's ultimately the interaction between these characters that keep me coming back to these movies. Tom Holland's Peter Parker is an adorable dork. He has fantastic chemistry with Zendaya's sardonic but sweet M.J. Seeing those two flirt and support each other is so charming. Jason Batalon's Ned and Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan are also consistently amusing. And, sure, not all the dialogue is natural but Benedict Cumberbatch sure knows his way around a sarcastic one-liner. The warm humor of these “Spider-Man” movies, when combined with the great cast, is why I really like them.

Film Twitter is also constantly bitching about Marvel's overreliance on CGI and green screen effects. Yes, this is also extremely distracting at times. Many of the bemoaned shots look quite bad. The decision to replace Sandman with a CGI pile of sand for most of the movie, presumably so Thomas Hayden Church didn't actually have to be on-screen, was misguided. The fight on the bridge between Peter and Doc Ock feels like an overwhelming mess of computer graphics at times. What makes these moments especially frustrating is that some of the visual effects in “No Way Home” are extremely good. The fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange in the Mirror Universe is fantastically surreal, images doubling over on themselves in exciting ways. The final fight between the trio of Spider-Men and the villains makes sure to include several iconic poses. This is almost less of an issue with the movie and more of a problem with how Disney treats their effects houses.

Some of my concerns about the multiverse approach to “Spider-Man” making the leap to live action are still represented in “No Way Home.” A part of me wonders why every Spider-Man movie must be a universe-spanning event now. Ya know, a part of me just wants to see him fight Kraven. Or team-up with Black Cat against Hammerhead. Or some shit like that.  Yet “No Way Home” works better than I expected. The winning cast goes a long way. It mostly manages to balance its collection of villains and heroes. There's enough heart inside this massive spinning machine to keep it from feeling like a totally soulless corporate product. I can still enjoy “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” even if I'm beginning to have misgivings about the MCU's effect on the film industry overall. [7/10]