SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (SPOILER REVIEW)
By: RogueSymbiote
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Spider-Man: No Way Home is the culmination of 20 years of filmmaking. It's hard to know where to begin with this film as my immediate desire is to jump through your computer and/or phone screen and rant uncontrollably. Simply, this film is stunning and it's existence boggles the mind. An article such as this will do no justice as I will have carpal tunnel by the time I get through half of what I would type. To save time and my physical well-being, I have shared the link to a near 3 hour breakdown of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This epic podcast collaboration was hosted by Nick of The F'N Nerds Podcast alongide guests Chris of The Geek Peak, Sean of Metalcore Nerds and myself from Comic Book Keepers. We break down the entire film in spoilerific detail and share what this movie means to us and the comic book film industry at large.
Despite a near 2.5 hour runtime, this film FLIES! While moving at lightning pace, the film slows at just the right moments, allowing the viewer to contemplate the ramifications of events. No Way Home is an emotional roller coaster you will want to ride again and again.
Alright, it's spoiler time! The on screen chemistry between Holland, Garfield and Maguire is PERFECTION. The reintroduction of Garfield and Maguire was brilliant and served for a riotous reaction in the theater. Each iteration of Spider-Man has their spotlight resulting in a steady stream of cheers and tears. In a film filled with stunning performances, Andrew Garfield serves up a master class in how to convey heartbreak, humor and redemption. The sequence and aftermath of Garfield's Spider-Man saving MJ is easily one of the greatest moments in the entire Spider-Man filmography.
Tobey Maguire serves as the wise older brother in the trio and does so marvelously. Rewatching the original Spider-Man trilogy, his Peter Parker is more than flawed. You might even say he's not a very good person. However, when asked by Otto how he's been, Maguire's response is, "I'm trying to do better". This line shows the personal growth for this character which has occurred off screen all these years and it is beautiful. Seeing Maguire and Alfred Molina play off one another again is an absolute joy. Willem Dafoe returns with a vengeance as Green Goblin showing he needs no mask to be absolutely terrifying. His performance will go down as one of the best in Spider-Man villain history.
Finally, we come to Tom Holland... The dedication and sincerity in his performance is utterly captivating. He completely embodies Peter Parker and Spider-Man in this film unlike anything we have ever seen. Without knowing it, the Homecoming trilogy has been a prequel/origin story for our web slinging hero. By the end of the film, Holland's Spider-Man has grown immeasurably and has become the hero we have all wanted from the minute we saw him flip into frame during Civil War. In a sea of incredible performances, Holland shines.
While Spider-Man: No Way Home is PHENOMENAL, it does have some flaws. One particular plot hole is how certain characters were brought into the MCU universe without ever knowing Peter was Spider-Man, looking at you Electro. The spell Dr. Strange performs for everyone to forget Peter Parker ever existed opens up a Pandora's box of issues as that would mean everyone from Maguire and Garfield's respective universes would forget about them as well. Not to mention completely ruin their financial careers.
Overall, Spider-Man No Way Home is the greatest movie going experience of 2021. I have not heard a crowd cheer that loudly since Avengers: Endgame. There is so much more to say... so be sure to check out our extremely detailed discussion in the podcast episode up at the top!
Talk to ya later web-heads!
