Movie Review
So is Marvel. Starting with Iron Man, Marvel has continued to dominate the box office, becoming an incredibly diverse and rich universe of colorful characters and enemies. Infinity War and Endgame felt like milestones; must-see cinema on the big screen. Gasps, cheers and applause; Watching these in a cinema with like-minded people was truly an experience.
As a certain virus made the rounds, theaters closed up shop and Marvel turned its attention to the small screen for Phase 5. With Thanos defeated and the world saved, all of our different characters are left to pick up the pieces. The same cinemas that fight Thanos.
With the news that Disney's latest small screen offering, Hawkeye, is suffering from declining viewership, Marvel fatigue seems to be on the rise. I have to admit, I'm burned out, and I'm sure many others feel the same way. After watching Eternals (with a big coffee to stay awake), No Way Home couldn't have a better chance of breaking the bank.
After the tantalizing teaser (seen above) and other trailers released, fans were full of speculation. Will there be more than three villains? Will all versions of Spider-Man appear? How about Into The Spider-Verse? And that rent boy? With marketing encouraging this snowball to grow steadily over the months, one couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu following the release of No Man Sky. This scrappy exploration game promised a lot but failed to deliver. Fortunately, No Way Home delivers.
No Way Home
Now, No Way Home is not Endgame, and despite its massive fan service, it has some structural issues. It's these problems that come from tone, which is always the Achilles' heel for Marvel movies that try to play with larger themes – like this one.
There are some genuinely heart-wrenching moments, punctuated by a quick joke or a mood-breaking gag with another character. There's a moment near the end of the film that's absolutely gut-wrenching... but it's ruined by the scene switching to another character and cracking the joke. This is especially noticeable at times, as the third act of the film, especially at the end of the film, gets this balance right.
Final Scenes
The final scenes of No Way Home are, frankly, brilliant. These are some of the strongest things Marvel has done with Spidey, understanding how the webslinger is a hero and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.
As Into The Spider-Verse was designed with the intention of making a good Spider-Man movie, No Way Home is. It's full of Easter eggs for fans and action-packed enough that even the most casual of viewers will walk away with a big smile on their face.
I'll be careful not to go into spoilers here, but The Road Home is both manic and awesome. It's a brilliant, sloppy, and somewhat jarring title, punctuated by some tremulous action, a sentimental heart, and a third act that brings the core of the Spider-Man character and what he stands for to the forefront of the film.
Story Continue
The story here is taken from the back of Far From Home. Mysterio's death sent waves through New York as Peter Parker's identity was revealed. This leads to a scramble for Peter's life as the whole world becomes aware of Spidey's identity. After all, Mysterio was a hero in their eyes, and while J Jonah Jameson did his best to paint Spidey as a villain, the mainstream public shared their opinion of the web-slinger. Some love it, some hate it.
Intent on undoing the damage done, Spider-Man comes to Doctor Strange and enlists his help in casting a spell to make things right. From here, it appears that Spider-Man has bitten off more than he can chew - especially as the story unfolds when familiar faces appear.
I won't reveal more, but No Way Home is going full steam ahead to deliver a thrilling ride. There are some surprises, big cameos, and a big impact on where Marvel is actually going with their plans for Phase 5. The audience I watched with gasped, cheered and cheered; Something I haven't seen since Infinity War and Endgame.
Messy Tone
Some of the plot mechanics are a bit contrived, especially Spidey's motivations regarding specific villains, but the biggest culprit here is the confusing tone. With a more balanced shift, this could have easily tied with Into The Spider-Verse as the best Spider-Man movie. It's still second best, by the way, and the much-needed Homerun Marvel was working to add some excitement and energy to this franchise.
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