SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME – A Very Merry and Meaningful Multiverse Adventure

In the same way that Captain America: Civil War ramped up for a trilogy closer, No Way Home is every bit the Spider-Man epic crossover it promises to be. It has the vibe of picking up that double-stuffed event comic where anything can happen. Any character can show up, any fantastic event can occur, and anybody could end up dead.

Of course, it’s no surprise to see a Marvel movie bursting with multiple characters and arcs. What’s amazing is that this film manages to not only balance it all but still be a meaningful Spider-Man movie. It’s loaded with enough emotion, tragedy, and tough questions to make Peter Parker a more three-dimensional superhero. The story of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man never gets lost in the shuffle of cameos and chaos.

The Unmasked Webslinger

Picking up where the last film left off, Spider-Man is outed as Peter Parker (Tom Holland). What made Peter remarkable within the MCU is that he was one of the few heroes to favor a secret identity. Though Tony Stark could so easily come clean with his Iron Man gig, that reveals for Peter is not something the plucky teen can handle.

He has good reason to be terrified of being recognized as a hero and high school student. Far too much attention is paid to him, either in the form of admiration to be in Spider-Man’s presence or anger for being accused of murder. He’s also placing his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) in danger for villains who may target her as well.

The problems go beyond just pesky bad guys. Peter’s friends of MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) find themselves unable to get into the college of their choice for being associated with Spider-Man. Their desire to remain together at MIT is dashed simply due to the unmasking. It’s enough to make Peter want to disappear forever or turn back time.

Crisis in the Spider-Verse

Peter tries to find a way to take responsibility for his actions and try to undo the damage he has caused. One method might lie in tapping the mystical Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for some mind-altering spell. That spell, however, may not be the best way to proceed. Second thoughts start brewing within Peter about finding another way to fix things.

That hesitation leads to a crack in the multiverse. Peter finds himself facing off against Otto “Doctor Octopus” Octavius (Alfred Molina) but this is not the Otto of his world. Their bout on a bridge leads to Otto unmasking Spider-Man to discover this is not his Peter Parker. This is also not his world. And he’s not the only villain leaking through into a dimension they don’t belong.

This merging of worlds naturally leads to some surprises in the reveals and crowding of the cast. Thankfully, the film never loses sight of what matters most. It’s not about how many villains or heroes you can cram into one picture but how you use them. Returning director Jon Watts ensures there’s not only a reason but an arc to every Spider-Verse player placed on the screen.

This balancing act is a bit tricky and there are some characters who get more development than others. But in the same way that previous Marvel ensemble movies kept the themes firm, so too does No Way Home. It’s still a film about your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and gets to the core of what makes the character so great.

The Perils of Peter Parker

Peter Parker feels the most realized in this picture in that he doesn’t feel like a tagalong working for others. Previous films have found him under the wing of Tony Stark or the strict eye of Nick Fury. In this film, he’s not working for anyone perse. It seems like he may be the mop-up crew for Doctor Strange but Peter once more goes over the heads of the elder heroes to go his own way.

While that has always been Peter’s motivation to prove himself, there’s more maturity to his latest skirting of the rules. He’s not only trying to save the day in a Spider-Man fashion but reform his ways and become a better superhero. After all, he’s currently being seen as a murderer and it’s an image he’d rather shake.

This is more of a return to form for the teen hero who was previously slathered in Stark technology. Without giving too much away, this is a film that finds Peter as more of a scientist than a weapons expert, more of a problem-solver than a heavy-hitter, and making bolder choices of self-sacrifice. You’ll also get to see him in a suit that feels more classic than a technologically advanced assortment of nanomachines built for space missions.

A Web of Relations

The film only feels at its lowest when it goes for the easy jokes. There’s a substantial collection of familiar characters in this picture and much of them make many references to previous Spider-Man movies. Some of this is for exposition to bring the multiverse entities up to speed as well as the audience who hasn’t done their homework. Oftentimes, however, the references are used for in-jokes and gags that are sure to make the younger crowd point on the screen excitedly to scream “that’s the meme I saw online!”

There’s one particular scene that goes rather meta and feels more like a commentary on Sony’s handling of Spider-Man. It’s a mildly entertaining scene but still a far cry from the cleverness of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. These easy attempts at humor don’t exactly hinder the picture but it does highlight that the script has a better idea for Spider-Man as a character than jokes for him as an IP.

A Fight Worth Rooting For

A few problems have been ironed out that feel present in both Spider-Man and MCU movies. The fights, for example, have more consequences. Errors in judgment and split-second decisions can often lead to unfortunate and tragic finales. It makes the fights that follow carry some real weight when fearing not everybody will survive these comic book bouts of webbing, magic, and mechanical innovation.

Another area worth considering is the villains. MCU movies have always had a problem of forgettable and simplistic villains. Here is a picture that not only crafts compelling villains that are thoughtfully observed by the hero but features multiple villains of complex and conflicting emotions in their odd journey. It leads to an exciting third act where the winner may not be so easily determined by who can defeat who.

Conclusion: Spider-Man: No Way Home

No Way Home succeeds in delivering the epic Spider-Man movie every fan has been waiting for. It’s bursting with much of the iconic lore and characters as well as being the most meaningful of Peter Parker stories. Far more than just another Spider-Man outing to the theater, this is a movie that dares to ask what makes the hero great and how he can be better.

There’s also great daringness to a film that not only piles on the previous but commits to darker angles. Spider-Man has always had the elements of pathos to his character, but it feels more present and examined here than the other entries of the Holland trilogy. If I had to choose one film where the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility” carries the most impact, it’s undoubtedly in this film, delivered at just the right moment where it means the most.

Did you see Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters? Is it better than the other MCU movies? Is it better than the non-MCU Spider-Man movies? Let us know in the comments below.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently playing in theaters.

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