Opinion: Why Spider-Man: No Way Home Was a Great Movie (And a Few Reasons Why It Wasn't)
No Way Home is arguably Marvel's biggest and most thrilling movie yet. We are introduced to old, beloved villains, reunited with our favorite Spider-Man--whomever that may be--and shown a whole new world of, well, worlds! But were there parts of this film that Marvel could have done better? Ideas they could have explored? And aspects they just took too far?
Let's start off by highlighting the good parts of No Way Home, because, despite my opinion on this matter, it'd be wrong to say they were lacking. They weren't. Peter’s, or rather, Peter 1’s, pure-hearted wish and excitement to save and return home all the villains he comes into contact with is without a doubt one of my favorite elements of the whole movie. Even knowing all the things they have done, all the people they have hurt, you can't help but cheer him on as he tries to help them.
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The steps taken with Peter's and MJ's relationship were adorable, Aunt May's death was tragic (my heart literally ached), and the dynamic between all the Peters was masterfully done and hilarious to watch. Doctor Strange's fresh relationship with Peter in light of Endgame, general attitude, and of course, the fox mug, all very enjoyable and interesting and highlights the character development our favorite sorcerer has gone through. Peter and Ned's friendship is, as always, bright and as accurate as it gets. The acting was fantastic, the camera work exceptional, and there were some pretty gosh darn cool action sequences and beautiful scenes that would make great wallpapers (Peter swinging from the transmission towers in front of a sunset, anyone?)
There were unforgettable, choke on your drink and heartbreaking moments. We laughed, we cried, we wondered if there were more, even jerkier Flashes in different universes. As suggested by the title of this article, there were also flaws. Some obvious, some subtle, some very much a matter of opinion, and I will share those I noticed with you. To start, I actually want to defend a part of this movie. I know, I know, never gonna get to the criticism part. People have been saying that at the climax of the movie, when Doctor Strange casts the second forgetfulness spell, he could have simply changed the parameters again and stopped MJ and Ned from losing their memories of Peter. Now, while I think logically this argument is sound if it had happened this way, it would take away from the emotional growth Peter had gone through over the course of the movie. Instead of making the relatively selfish decision of keeping his friends and again endangering the world, he makes the mature one, losing those closest to him but knowing with certainty that Earth and the multiverse will come out of it intact. He doesn't want to make the same mistake again, and he doesn't, even with his own significant personal loss. Now on to the judging!
First of all, I'd like to point out that while all the Spider-Man's, villains, and love interests, vary across universes, good ol' J. Jonah Jameson is the same in both the Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire universes. I honestly can't decide if this was a good decision on Marvel's part or not. On the one hand, we all have a strong love-hate relationship with J.K Simmons' Jameson, so it would make sense to bring him back and keep that going. On the other, he brings up a lot of plot holes or at least plot dents. Why only him? Is he some sort of multiversal constant? Is there an exact same, or at least very similar, J. Jonah Jameson in every universe? Whatever the case, I hope that Marvel explains this at some point, although I don't hold out too much hope.
Second on the list is the length of time Peter got to interact with all the people he knew as Peter Parker, particularly the other students at Midtown. This might just be me and my weird, young opinion, but I think they could have made a bigger deal of this. I mean, we've gone through two solo movies, three multi-character movies, him literally dying, saving countless people, and being this close to becoming an Avenger, and when this remarkable superhero is finally revealed as none other than unassuming Peter Parker...we get like five minutes of screen time with him interacting with the public, tops. Maybe when, and if, Marvel redoes the reveal, what with everyone forgetting again, they will do this differently. Maybe.
As the MCU marches continually forward I have noticed that their movies have gotten bigger. More action scenes, more dramatic storylines, more new and improved characters, and especially more and more complicated CGI. I find myself missing the days when a movie could spend half its run time following Tony Stark tinkering on his suit and reprimanding Dum-E, or awkward Peter Parker juggling school and vigilante life, or Scott Lang joking around with Luis and loving his daughter. I never watched Marvel because I liked explosions or five-minute-long fight scenes. I did, and do, watch Marvel for the characters. For their struggles, oddities, and father-son relationships (cough cough Irondad cough cough). And I feel like the people at Marvel are losing sight of that. This is especially present in No Way Home, with our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man battling forces no sane 17-year-old would dare to look at (although I must admit we got some very cute MJ and Peter moments). While the argument could be made that this only showcases Peter's bravery, I think it is also Marvel's drive to keep making more. I suppose that's just the nature of the beast.
To finish us off, I'd like to make the comment that maybe Marvel went too far with the ending of No Way Home. I get the poetic appeal of sending a solo Spider-Man off into the world like the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield versions of Peter. I'd hoped that Tom Holland's Peter would be different. Be a part of the Avengers, not be a loner, and face off against different villains. Now he's the same, fitting into a mold created when Raimi filmed the first Spider-Man movie all those years ago. Depending on what direction Marvel takes in Spider-Man 4, my view on this may change, and I hold out hope that they give our Peter a different, less lonely fate than those who came before.
Of course, No Way Home and the MCU as a whole have mistakes. After all, it was created by humans, and we are built on them. But these mistakes will never stop me from loving Marvel. It will take a lot more than a few plot holes to drive me away. Amidst all the chaos and bright lights, there are moments that touched my heart, changed my view, and made me laugh. I suppose in this way Marvel is just life. We make it through all the dark, confusing parts so that we can see the good ones.
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