For Sony, too, absolute secrecy is crucial when a new adventure of one of Marvel’s heroes hits the cinema. But never ever before was so little known about a new Marvel blockbuster until the very last day, and so little material released for the press as in the case of Spider-Man No Way Home.
There is a very good reason for that special secrecy. Because Spider-Man No Way Home is a trip through various eras of Marvel’s Multi-Verse. A treat for all fans, old and new ones. However, it’s hard to tell the story without spoiling even the slightest bit. And any spoiler would you take away the fun of a film, which is full of funny surprises.
THE SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME STORY
Therefore, we limit ourselves to the fact that Spider-Man No Way Home is the first Marvel film to start exactly, i.e. without a typical time jump, at the point where the prequel Far From Home ends.
We remember. Ned discovered his best friend’s secret in Spider-Man Homecoming. During a very special excursion with the school class, Peter Parker’s great love MJ also found out about her boyfriend’s double life in Far From Home.
So her school trip turned into a mission to save the world. The three did manage to defeat the evil Mysterio. But, this rascal took revenge on his opponent in a special way before he died. Using his video drones, Mysterio revealed Peter Parker’s secret identity to the entire world.
Well, the young hero is exposed now to what many, especially young people, have to experience in reality too. Mysterio’s revelation creates fans and haters. And both sides can be more than overwhelming for a single person.
Besides, a change of school and city is out of the question for Peter. Not that he wouldn’t try. But on the contrary. However, no institution wants to take in a student who constantly throws cities into ruins. Caught up, hung up. Just as Peter, his friends MJ and Ned are in the same trouble.
IT’S MAGIC
Wouldn’t it be great to have magical powers to take away people’s memories and make them forget Spider-Man? But wait, Peter’s Avengers buddy Dr. Strange has a lot of practice with magic, hasn’t he?
Somewhat reluctantly, Stephen, so Dr. Strange’s real name, agrees to help Peter Parker. And so it comes as it has to come. The chaos begins. Villains from different levels of the Multi-Verse appear and start a big chase for Spider-Man. The question, however, is whether the true target of this wild hunt is really our dear Peter.
THE SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME HEROES
PETER PARKER AKA SPIDER-MAN (TOM HOLLAND)
„Ever since I got bit by that spider, I’ve only had one week where my life felt normal. That was when you (MJ) found out.”
In Spider-Man No Way Home, Peter suffers from a special form of an identity crisis. Even if Peter is very relieved that his beloved MJ discovered his secret, not everyone around the world now has to know his true identity.
Already before, Peter’s life and relationship status were very complicated. But now, his situation, and that of his companions, is exacerbated by his popularity. So, Peter seeks help from Avenger Dr. Strange, who is supposed to erase the name Spider-Man from people’s minds.
“When Mysterio revealed my identity, my entire life got screwed up. I was wondering if maybe you could make it so that he never did.”
From a soft and insecure nerd to the cool Avenger, the likable Briton Tom Holland has already created a new image of Peter Parker with his performance in the Spider-Man prequels.
In Spider-Man No Way Home, he increases his performance again. Tom plays to his full potential. He combines action, comedy, drama, and romance excellently. Immediately, he takes us into the story with his charm, humor, and personality. In this way, Holland inspires even those who otherwise didn’t like Spider-Man in particular or the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general.
Tom Holland belongs to the new generation of MCU heroes. And that’s a really good thing. Let’s hope that Marvel allows the hero to grow up and leave the role of the teenager behind. So we could enjoy Tom as Spider-Man for a long time to come.
MJ (ZENDAYA)
(reading from a newspaper) Some suggest that Parker’s powers include the male spider’s ability to hypnotize females. – Stop. Come on. – Yes, my Spider Lord.
Since Spider-Man Far From Home, the pretty and clever MJ is on Peter Parker’s side. Before Mysterio revealed Parker’s secret, MJ was one of the few people who knew about Peter’s true identity. However, she wasn’t in love with the hero, but Peter himself. For him, she would be ready to start a new life in another city. Unfortunately, there is this stupid problem with Peter’s new popularity that needs to be resolved first of all.
Like Tom Holland, the wonderful Zendaya also represents the new generation of Marvel characters. Zendaya is not only beautiful. She’s wonderfully authentic too. Zendaya plays with heart and soul and thereby reaches the audience on the same level.
Sweet as candy, she performs her love for Peter. Although, we can no longer talk about playing since it became known that Tom Holland and Zendaya are now also lovers in real life. Therefore, their love affair in Spider-Man No Way Home is more than convincing.
ZENDAYA – FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021
The young all-rounder actually began as a child model and dancer. She became famous as Rocky Blue through the Disney sitcom Shake It Up. From then on, her success was unstoppable.
The Californian artist can be proud of platinum albums as a musician. In addition to Spider-Man, she starred in hit series and blockbusters such as The Greatest Showman (2017) with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron or Dune (2021) with Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Oscar Isaac. As a model, she adorned campaigns by Lancôme, Bulgari, and Valentino, to name just a few.
In contrast to people who are only interested in success and showing their glamorous life in the so-called social networks, Zendaya uses her success and influence to support an incredible number of social projects.
So, she combined her 20th birthday celebration with a campaign to raise $50,000 to support Convoy’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative. Other projects supported by Zendaya include the American Heart Association, Communities in Schools, PETA, UNICEF, Convey of Hope to name just a few.
Thus, because of her multifaceted talent and social commitment, VALEUR chooses Zendaya as the female artist of 2021.
NED LEEDS (JACOB BATALON)
New school, new town, I can Spider-Man there. I mean, they have crime in Boston, right? MJ: Yes, they do. Ned: Yeah, wicked crime.
Even when the world – or rather the multi-verse – falls over Peter, Ned is always at the side of his best friend. Moreover, he even develops magical abilities. But he cannot control them yet. Of course, it should not be a secret that this not only leads to extremely funny but also unique moments in Spider-Man’s history.
AUNT MAY (Marisa Tomei)
With great power comes great responsibility!
While Peter’s Aunt May was an older lady in earlier film adaptations, since Spider-Man Homecoming, she has shown herself to be an attractive woman who is in no way inferior to her nephew in terms of dynamics.
She’s Peter’s support at all times, both good and bad. Also now, that Peter is again in trouble, May is doing her best to support and protect the young guy.
We know the beautiful New York-born from films like My Cousin Vinny, for which she received the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She also starred in The Westler, The King of Staten Island, Crazy Stupid Love, and The First Purge.
DR. STRANGE (Benedict Cumberbatch)
So, Peter, to what do I owe the pleasure? I’m sorry to bother you, sir. Please, We saved half the universe together. I think we’re beyond you calling me “sir”. Okay, Stephen. That feels weird, but I’ll allow it.
After saving the world with the Avengers, Dr. Stephen Strange withdrew to further improve his skills. Of course, Dr. Strange helps his buddy Spider-Man in his distress.
The surgeon and magician is now able to control the mirror dimension. Furthermore, he learned more about the multi-verse. The only stupid thing is that, despite his power, he can influence the latter, but not completely control it.
Be careful what you wish for, Parker.
In a way, Spider-Man No Way Home is an ultra-funny and very long prologue for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If our universe does not collapse or is assimilated by “Omicron* aliens” by then, the second part of the story about the magician will appear in our cinemas in May 2022.
The entire world is about to forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Wait, everyone? Can’t some people still know? That’s not how the spell works.
Again, the Englishman Benedict Cumberbatch plays the somewhat arrogant doctor with flying colors and obvious fun in the chaos that he as Dr. Strange, and Tom Holland as Spider-Man are allowed to spread. It seems like Dr. Strange is developing into one of the most powerful Marvel heroes of all time.
Besides Dr. Strange, we saw Benedict in films like Sherlock, The Imitation Game, The Courier, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hobbit, and much more.
* Did you know that Omicron is not only the name of a new Corona mutant but also the title of an Italian sci-fi satire. In this, a dead factory worker comes back to life after his body becomes inhabited by an invisible alien.
THE SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME VILLAINS
THE GREEN GOBLIN (Willem Dafoe)
The one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you’ve done for them, eventually, they will hate you.
The Green Goblin was the first villain Spider-Man, then played by Tobey Maguire, had to fight. Before becoming the villain on a silver glider, Norman Osborn was not just a brilliant scientist. Rather, he was also the father of Harry, Peter Parker’s best friend. However, after Spider-Man’s fight against the Green Goblin ended with his death, the friendship between the boys naturally broke up.
Willem Dafoe is one of the most famous character actors of our time. Besides performances in movies, he proves his outstanding acting talent on theater stages around the world. We know Dafoe from over 125 films. His greatest successes include Platoon, Aquaman, John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch, and many others.
Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina)
Intelligence is not a privilege, it’s a gift. And you use it for the good of mankind.
Otto Octavius was a brilliant nuclear scientist who appeared in Spider-Man 2. Peter’s then best friend Harry, son of the previously killed Green Goblin, sponsored Octavius’ research. Howsoever, due to his research, the good-natured Otto developed into the monster Doc Ock. So, he became Spider-Man’s new enemy. Now, he also returns in Spider-Man No Way Home.
You don’t know Alfred Molina? Come on! He starred in even more films than Willem Dafoe. In total, he worked in over 200 film and TV productions. In addition to Spider-Man, the English actor’s greatest successes include Raiders of the Lost Ark, Chocolat, Frida, Frozen, and The Davinci Code, to name a few.
Sandman (Thomas Haden Church)
I’m not a bad person, I just have bad luck.
After falling into a particle accelerator, which fused his body with the surrounding sand, Flint Marko became the Sandman and, thus, Peter Parker’s opponent in Spider-Man 3. He can also shift his shape in Spider-Man No Way Home at any time.
We know Thomas Haden Church from films like Easy A with Emma Stone, We Bought a Zoo with Matt Damon, Sideways, George of the Jungle, and many others.
Dr. Curt Connors aka The Lizard (Rhys Ifans)
I spent my life as a scientist trying to create a world without weakness, without outcasts. I sought to create a stronger human being but there’s no such thing, human beings are weak pathetic feeble-minded creatures. Why be human at all when we can be so much more? Faster, stronger, smarter, this is my gift to you!
In The Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Curt Connors is also a scientist. He researched combining human and animal DNA to cure diseases. Actually, Dr. Connors was driven by very personal motivation. With his researches, he tried to restore his missed arm. Of course, he tested the serum he had developed on himself. So, he became the green reptile The Lizard.
The role was then, as well as now, in Spider-Man No Way Home Rhys Ifans tailor-made. The Welsh actor had already played funny and strange characters before. Among others, we know him from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Notting Hill, and Alice Through the Looking Glass. We will soon be able to experience him in The King’s Man as well.
Electro (Jamie Foxx)
So, everyone in the city is gonna know how it feels to live in my world, a world without power… a world without mercy… a world without Spider-Man. And everyone will be able to see me for who I truly am. – And who are you? – Don’t you know? I’m Electro.
In the Amazing Spider-Man 2, Maxwell Dillon was an ordinary electrical engineer who was fascinated by the superhero. Actually, Maxwell was a kind, humble, and courteous person. However, that changed on his birthday.
Maxwell received a severe electric shock while working on a broken power line. Dazed by it, he fell into a tank full of genetically modified electric eels.
Then, Electro was born, and Maxwell’s fascination with Spider-Man turned into Electro’s obsession. So, a big fan became another nasty opponent of Spider-Man.
Is there a need to introduce Eric Marlon Bishop? Probably not if we use his stage name, Jamie Foxx. We know the charming actor from many blockbusters. His greatest successes include Django Unchained, Ray, Collateral, Ali, and many more.
Although he mostly plays the good guy, Jamie Foxx shows in Spider-Man No Way Home that he can also be really nasty, and to be honest, we have a lot of fun with it.
SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME EASTER-EGGS
You don’t have to be a Marvel fan to enjoy Peter Parker’s new adventure. But of course, Spider-Man No Way Home is most fun when you’ve seen at least some of the prequels. You can also do this quickly via Blu-Ray or streaming service before going to the cinema.
However, the movie experience gets even funnier if you really love the MCU. Then, the film has a lot of Easter eggs ready.
We don’t want to reveal too much here either. Just so much, for the first time in a Marvel blockbuster, there are also cameos of characters from the Marvel streaming series.
Furthermore, if you look closely, you will see a billboard that advertises a musical that we know from a current mega-cool Disney+ series starring the wonderful Hailee Steinfeld. Moreover, real friends of the actors also have some small appearances as extras.
So, it pays to keep your eyes and ears open.
SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME CONCLUSION
Even if you are not a fan of the old Spider-Man films, you can hardly escape the charm that the new films exude since the hero’s return to the big screen four years ago.
This is especially thanks to the cast, above all, Zendaya and Tom Holland. With their humor and authenticity, they remove barriers that usually exist between the audience and fictional superheroes.
Thereby, they play their way into our hearts. Therefore, it will happen that you look forward to the new adventure before the film starts, and in the end, you can hardly wait for the sequel.
The humor of the film also contributes significantly to this. Because Spider-Man No Way Home, like the two predecessors, doesn’t take itself too seriously. No comparison to the earlier films, and certainly none to the gloom in the DC Universe.
Spider-Man No Way Home is colorful and cheerful. Moreover, it’s incredibly fast and dynamic. The film has no unnecessary length. Everything happens to the point. Every saying fits, every action sequence fits as well.
A UNIQUE HOMAGE
The many surprises that the film has to offer, and which we don’t want to anticipate in this review, are incredibly fun.
Spider-Man No Way Home pays homage to all Spider-Man movies, Peter Parker’s creative father Stan Lee, and all the fans who have faithfully accompanied him and the other heroes over so many years.
So, the name No Way Home becomes the program. Because it may well be that you come out of the cinema and want to go in again to see the film a second time. That really only happens very rarely. However, through the many very emotional connections to us, the audience, Spider-Man No Way Home creates this special effect.
Thus, even if it’s far from home, you must find the way to the next cinema to watch Spider-Man No Way Home as soon as possible. One last clue: you should wait until the end of the credits. Finally, we give the new great Peter Parker Adventure amazing 9.5 points.
Text: Marco Kokkot
Assistance: Betty Aregi
Pictures: ©2021 CTMG. All Rights Reserved. MARVEL and all related character names: © & ™ 2021 MARVEL
