A review of the new blockbuster “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
After almost two years of the global pandemic, demand was high for a new Marvel movie and, if I wanted to see it in IMAX on the opening weekend, to secure a decent seat I had to attend the showing at 8 am on the Sunday morning. But it was worth it to forget the Omicron variant for a couple of hours and enjoy a genuinely entertaining spin on the Spidey story.
First, we had three “Spider-Man” movies directed by Sam Raimi with Tobey Maguire in the eponymous role; then we had two “Amazing Spider-Man” films helmed by Marc Web with Andrew Garfield as the titular super-hero; now we have third offering from director Jon Watts with the third representation of the arachnidic super-hero played by Tom Holland.
What’s new in the reel world is that, as revealed in an end of credits clip last time, the identity of Spider-Man is now public knowledge and what’s new in the real world, as revealed by the media, is that Holland (Peter Parker) is now in an actual relationship with Zendaya (Michelle Jones aka MJ).
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries to sort out the exposure of Spider-Man’s identity, but finds that meddling with the multiverse can bring all sorts of earlier characters in the franchise crashing into the here and now, providing all kinds of set-ups, both threatening and amusing. As always, stay for the two clips in the middle of and at the very end of the credits.