DVD Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home
(DVD Spider-Man)

It is not hyperbole when I say that this 2021 release may very well be the best film in the interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is filled with over 30 films already. It is also a film that could only have existed after a lengthy and complicated series of previous cinematic interpretations of the Spider-Man mythology. Tom Holland returns as teenager Peter Parker, our web-slinging superhero. But he’s got a problem – at the end of the previous film in his series, Spider-Man: Far From Home, he — *SPOILER ALERT* — managed to defeat the bad guy Mysterio, but Mysterio revealed to the world that Spider-Man’s secret identity was Parker. This has wreaked havoc on Peter’s life. So, as Spider-Man: No Way Home begins, Peter turns to fellow superhero, Stephen “Doctor” Strange, master of the mystic arts, to ask if Doctor Strange can do something mystically that will cause everyone to forget that Peter is Spider-Man. However, when Peter’s neuroses cause him to interrupt the complicated spell with caveats, the results turn chaotic.

 

Soon, Peter’s reality is visited by villains from other, parallel timelines – villains faced by other versions of Spider-Man (in previous films starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield) – Doctor Octopus, The Green Goblin, Sandman, Electro. Then the other two Spider-Men also show up. Strange’s interrupted spell has fractured reality – causing the “multiverse” of parallel universe/timelines to start crossing over or overlapping with each other.

 

This storytelling device allows the series Marvel Cinematic Universe films to absorb the continuity of the earlier Sony films that told varying different “origin” stories for Spider-Man. And for long-time fans, seeing Holland, Maguire and Andrews’ versions of Peter Parker all interacting and working to solve a major problem together is sheer nerdvana. But this film doesn’t simply pay fannish lip-service in crossing over these various iterations – Spider-Man: No Way Home tells a very serious life-and-death story, that in many ways reboots the entire Spider-Man cinematic storytelling universe from this point onwards.

 

The performances are all excellent, the effects work is superb (though I didn’t think the “Sandman” effects were as good as everything else). And the music and sound effects are incredible. Fans who have been following Spider-Man for decades (he first appeared in the comic books in 1962) will appreciate all the “Easter Eggs” and in-jokes, and those who’ve only started with this character in his latest film incarnation should find the dip into his history to be fascinating. My only big complaint is that one major version of Spider-Man was ignored – from 1978 to 1979 Nicholas Hammond starred as Peter Parker on CBS TV in 14 episodes of the live-action “The Amazing Spider-Man”. I really would have liked to have seen some acknowledgment of that series, the only live-action Spider-Man not acknowledged, in the appearance of multiple Spider-Mans in Spider-Man: No Way Home. But then I’m just a geek at heart. At least my favorite Spidey villain, Alfred Molina as “Doc Ock”, has a major role to play, and even gets a redemption arc following his earlier perfidy.

 

Highly recommended – and this film really kick-starts a series of Marvel Multiverse films and TV shows, including 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try all the previous versions of Spider-Man in feature films and television, including those starring Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield or the 1970s TV series “The Amazing Spider-Man” starring Nicholas Hammond — which can be tracked down online.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official Spider-Man: No Way Home web site )

 

See where the Spider-Man: No Way Home film falls in the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the If You Like…Superheroes in Film and TV booklist here on BookGuide!
See Kim J.’s review of the 2002 Tobey Maguire film Spider-Man in the October 2020 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!
See Kim J’s Review of the 2002 Tom Holland film Spider-Man: Far From Home in the September 2020 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

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DVD/Movie Review - Spider-Man (2002)

Spider-Man (2002)
(DVD Spider)

 

After viewing the newer film versions of Spider-Man (starring Tom Holland), co-worker Scott recommended that I also check out the earlier film versions starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as the Amazing Spider-Man, also known as teen-age science wiz Peter Parker. I watched the earliest version last. Tobey Maquire stars as the teen-age superhero with Kirstin Dunst as his love interest, Mary Jane Watson. Of the three movies, the second movie was my favorite, mainly because of the casting. Alfred Molina plays the infamous villain, Doctor Octopus, and Rosemary Hunt plays Peter’s Aunt May. The story lines are good and the acting is well done. The third movie, Spider-Man 3, pales in comparison to the first two movies, but Tobey Maguire is fun to watch in his portrayal of “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) (also with Tobey Maguire), the two The Amazing Spider-Man films (with Andrew Garfield, 2012 and 2014), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) (with Tom Holland).]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ]

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service

 

Have you watched this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Spider-Man Noir

Spider-Man Noir
by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky and Carmine DiGiandomenico

I haven't been following contemporary comics too closely in recent years -- too many reboots of long-standing continuity to allow me to enjoy yet another rehashing of the same old origin story for favorite old characters. But, when I saw Spider-Man Noir, a small graphic novel, on the new books display recently, I was captured by its unique take on the Spider-Man mythos. Instead of simply retelling the story of how Peter Parker got bit by a radioactive spider, lost his Uncle Ben, and took up the life of a web-slinging vigilante in a contemporary setting, Spider-Man Noir throws the action back to the late 1920s/early 1930s era of prohibition, speak-easies, corrupt cops, and reporters out to make names for themselves. Peter's spider abilities are attributed to a mystic curse, and many of his familiar enemies (The Green Goblin, Kraven the Hunter, the Vulture, etc.) are given completely new spins. This multi-issue comic book was compiled into a smaller-than-usual trade graphic novel, with gorgeous illustrations. I loved how the artists managed to capture the visual essence of some of comicdom's most recognizeable characters, but cloaked them in early 20th century clothes and dialog. This title really makes me to read Marvel's other "Noir"-set storylines, but I do wish to complain about the size at which they reproduced this comic-book story. The pages are crammed with lots of details, and lots of lines of dialog, and reproducing it at a smaller-than-expected size makes it much harder to read. None-the-less, I really enjoyed this alternate-history title and recommend it, especially to longtime Spider-Man fans! -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the other Marvel "Noir" comics/graphic-novels.]

[ Marvel's official Spider-Man Noir database page ] | [ Wikipedia page for the Marvel Noir saga ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!