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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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!

DVD Review: Black Widow

Black Widow
(DVD Black)

Black Widow is a prequel to the Avengers – for obvious reasons if you’re caught up on your Marvel movies. The story introduces, not only Natasha Romanoff, but also her “family” which is really just a bunch of Russian spies forced together to blend in with American customs. After their identities are uncovered they return to Russia and are split up. An antidote emerges, affecting brain chemistry in Red Room agents. Natasha reunites with “sister” Yelena in Budapest and they decide to break their “father” out of prison and track down their “mother” to bring down the Red Room using the antidote.

 

I can’t talk enough about Florence Pugh in this one, plus Rachel Weisz is one of my favorite actresses of all time. The casting is so well done, I actually watched it for a second time immediately following the first. It is an action movie – obviously – but the moments of comedy thrown in really bring it to another level. Yelena’s dark sense of humor mixed with Melina’s absolute no sense of humor create some really great moments.

 

I thought Black Widow was very well done, the storyline was good – a little predictable at times, but I think that’s true for a lot of Marvel movies. And it really made me root for Yelena and hope for future adventures with her.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of the Avengers movies, though specifically anything featuring Natasha Romanoff. Also Lucy (another Scarlett Johansson action film), or Haywire (another a good female action movie with similar taglines).)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official Black Widow page on the Disney+ streaming site )

 

See where the Black Widow film falls in the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the If You Like…Superheroes in Film and TV booklist here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Carrie R.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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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!

Book Review: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Hench

by Natalie Zina Walschots (Walschots)

 

I really, desperately, wanted to love this novel. I was intrigued by the concept. Hench is told from the point of view of Anna Tromedlov, a tech-savvy young woman who’s part of the workforce employed by supervillains, in a world where super-powered heroes and villains are somewhat commonplace. Being a “hench” is just a job, but can sometimes be a well-paying one. Anna is required by her employer to appear at a public event (as a token female among his henchmen), and she ends up being badly injured when an overly-muscled superhero (Supercollider) shows up to battle the bad guy and causes a lot of collateral damage.

 

While recovering, Anna starts to gather statistical data about others who’ve suffered as “collateral damage” when heroes’ actions proved to be highly destructive. In fact, the actions of “heroes” might even be more detrimental to ordinary citizens than the petty schemes of villains whom they oppose. Which brings her to the attention of one of the most powerful and vengeful villains (Leviathan)…who hires her to continue her research and come up with ways to harass the heroes with bad P.R.

 

Anna’s journey, from the near-poverty of having to scrape by on temp jobs, to brilliant mastermind of complicated strategies, in charge of an entire tech team to enact them, is fascinating. Unfortunately, though the author does a good job of showing that there are amoral “good guys” and well-meaning “bad guys” in the world of this novel, I never got to the point where I was actually rooting for Anna…her easy embrace of the villains and their objectives was disturbing. Don’t get me wrong, Walschots is an excellent writer, and this story is told very well, but I, personally, never found myself rooting for any of the characters, especially the narrator. Your mileage may vary…and, in fact, if you enjoy stories about comic-book style superheroes and villains, told from different and unique vantage points, you’ll actually probably enjoy Hench very much!

[ publisher’s official Hench web page ] | [ official Natalie Zina Walschots web site ]

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

 

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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!

Book Review: The Vision -- The Complete Collection by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta

The Vision: The Complete Collection

by Tom King (writer) and Gabriel Hernandez Walta (artist) (YA PB (Graphic Novel) King)

 

This graphic novel compiles the 12 issues of the monthly comic-book series Vision (from 2015) into a single volume. With the recent popularity of the limited-run TV series WandaVision on Disney+ (which I, admittedly, have not seen), the character of The Vision, from the Marvel Comics continuity, has been more popular than ever before.

 

An artificial life form, created by the Avenger’s enemy, the robotic Ultron, The Vision was designed to destroy that superhero team but rebelled against its evil creator and set out to forge its own destiny. Though The Vision was destroyed in the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe film series, in the comics, he continues to exist. This series covers a period after his relationship with The Scarlet Witch has ended, in which The Vision wishes to have a family of his own — so he creates a wife and two children. But not all is well in the perfect world he has created. In fact, lots of bad things happen and this is the story of that downfall.

 

Excellent writing and superb art, in a depressing storyline. Highly recommended for fans of Marvel Comics and the fascinating character The Vision — just don’t expect an uplifting and feel good narrative.

[ official Vision: The Complete Collection page at Marvel.com ] | [ Wikipedia page for Tom King ] | [ Gabriel Hernandez Walta on Instagram ]

 

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

 

Have you read or listened to 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!

Book Review: Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

Superman Smashes the Klan
by Gene Luen Yang (YA PB (Graphic Novel) Yang)

Acclaimed Asian-American graphic novelist (American Born Chinese) Yang provides his take on one of the giants of the comic-book industry — Superman. Yang took the plot of an early 1940s-era 16-episode Superman radio serial, “The Klan of the Fiery Cross”, and beefed it up with additional subplots and a stronger sense of social justice.

 

This storyline is set in the early days of Superman’s existence — it is a late 1930s setting, and Superman as a hero has only recently begun his exploits. In fact, he still hasn’t fully realized the full range of his own powers — he can’t fly, use heat beams or x-ray vision from his eyes, or exhale frost breath.

 

The story of Superman Smashes the Klan focuses on the Lee family, who are moving from Chinatown into Metropolis proper, and who begin to face both outright and subtle racial discrimination. One of the fellow baseball team members of the “Unity House” baseball team that a Lee teenager joins, turns out to be the nephew of the Grand Dragon of the local branch of the Klan of the Fiery Cross (a thinly veiled version of the KKK). The plot involves the Lee family getting further and further involved in a disturbing battle against racists, and Superman learning about his own true alien nature and the abilities he’s never been aware that he had.

 

I anticipated not liking this, but exactly the opposite was true — the storytelling and artwork here were superb, and Yang’s extensive afterword notes helped to explain a lot of the time-period-sensitive references in the story. This isn’t really a “superhero” story — it’s more a story illustrating how anyone can stand up to racism and fascism. I enjoyed this one so much after reading the library copy, I went out and bought a copy for my own collection.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try American Born Chinese also by Gene Luen Yang.]

[ DC Comics’ Superman Smashes the Klan web page ] | [ official Gene Luen Yang web site ]

 

Fan of superheroes? Check out our If You Like Superheroes on Film and TV list on BookGuide!

 

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

 

Have you read or listened to 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!

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!

New Booklist: If You Like...Superheroes in Film and TV

New "If You Like..." Booklist

Are you a fan of the 20+ films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that culminated in Avengers: Endgame? Do you follow the various interconnected television series on the CW network that are part of the "Arrowverse"? Or perhaps you're more old-school, and prefer classic older superhero TV series like Lois & Clark, The Greatest American Hero, Wonder Woman, The Adventures of Superman, or Captain Nice? Or Christopher Reeve as Superman, or Michael Keaton as Batman?

Whatever your preferred superhero flavor, you'll find them all listed on the If You Like...Superheroes in Film and TV "booklist" of DVDs. Take a trip down memory lane and explore some of the history of costumed heroes in popular visual media -- many of which are owned by the Lincoln City Libraries, and some of which you can get through our InterLibrary Loan service from other libraries around the country!

Check out the list of recommended viewing at the following link: 

If You Like...Superheroes in Film and TV

DVD Review: Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame
[DVD Avengers]

This film, which was released in theaters in the Spring of 2019, and on DVD/BluRay and streaming platforms in the Summer of 2019, was the culmination of an incredible amount of planning and movie-producing. It was the 22nd film in a series of interconnected films that stretch back to Iron Man in 2008, in which all the films fit into a single continuity, with characters (played by the same actors) that cross over between films at will.

11 years of planning led up to the two-film climax that started in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and concluded with Avengers: Endgame. Dozens of characters from across the cinematic world based on the Marvel Comics universe end up on screen in this “finale”. Where Infinity War ended on a depressing cliffhanger, as arch-villain Thanos “snapped” 50% of all living things out of existence, Avengers: Endgame is the attempt (several years later) by the surviving superheroes to “reboot” their new reality and return to what they knew before, through an audacious and complicated plan.

People who don’t care about comic book characters on the screen should avoid this one like the plague. If you DO love Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, and their many friends and associates, this film was a dream come true. To say much about its complex and multi-layered plot would be to spoil the viewing experience. Suffice it to say — you really need to watch most of the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2008 to 2019, in order to make sense of this film’s many plot developments.

The core group of actors who’ve portrayed the most iconic characters in the MCU films put in some of their absolute best performances in this crown jewel. The effects work is astonishing. The music is perfect. This film, which needed to live up to over a decade’s worth of hype, lives up to it in almost every way.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try all 21 of the films that preceded it, but particularly Marvel’s The Avengers, Avengers: The Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Avengers: Endgame web site ]

Read Scott C.’s review of Avengers: Infinity War from September 2018

Check out the extensive DVD list: If You Like…Superheroes on Film and TV in our BookGuide resources

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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!