I don’t often get excited about watching new films these days. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten used to so many of them not being as good as I want them to be, or maybe it’s just because in general, movies aren’t as good as they used to be.
That’s not to say I don’t enjoy the films I go and see, I just rarely get excited about going.
Well that all changed this year with the impending release of one film…
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
If you’ve been following this page for a while you’ll no doubt have seen several of my posts regarding the rumours surrounding this film. If so, you’ll also be aware of how stupidly excited I’ve been about seeing it, largely due to said rumours.
I originally decided to do a spoiler-free post, but after mulling it over and giving everyone a few days to watch the film before I posted my thoughts, I’ve decided to go balls out. There’s just too much to talk about!
So just to be clear…
THIS POST CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS!!
Let’s begin.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, what the hell are you still doing here?! Leave! Go! You seriously don’t want to read this before you’ve seen the film!
Anyway, this movie is the third instalment in the latest Spider-Man trilogy and is a direct sequel to Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019).
It stars Tom Holland (The Devil All the Time), Zendaya (The Greatest Showman), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Alfred Molina (Boogie Nights), Jamie Foxx (Collateral), Willem Dafoe (John Wick) and Jon Favreau (Chef) among many others.
This is what it’s about:
With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. Desperate, Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, but when a spell goes wrong, the stakes become even higher as dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
I went into this film with no other expectations than the hope that the other two Spidey actors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would show up.
I was already excited about the prospect of villains from the previous two versions of Spider-Man appearing (something that had been confirmed in the trailer), and although the inclusion of Maguire and Garfield had been denied throughout, I just knew they had to be in it! I even had my own theory of how they might be introduced should they appear.
I wasn’t disappointed!!
Oh my god! I loved this movie!
I found myself grinning from ear to ear pretty much all the way through it.
From the moment Doc Oc appears on the bridge, right up until the very end of the film I was in geek heaven!
I’m not even a huge fan of these latest Spider-Man films. I think Tom Holland does a good job in the lead role but I have to admit, they’re some of my least favourite films in the MCU.
The Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire Spidey films have always been my favourites (even the third), and I’d probably go as far as to say that I like the Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield movies more than the first two Tom Holland films. This one though is something completely different and wonderful!
As expected (and hoped) Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield ARE in this movie and their inclusion is pure magic!
Regardless of that, the film itself is brilliant! It has a well thought out story, relentless action, and considering there are so many characters involved, each is given a fair amount of screen time.
The villains especially are explored in a way that I haven’t seen before, at least not in a film like this. So often movie villains are inherently evil. Not so here. This movie takes the time to remind us that each of these characters were good people before the events that changed them forever.
As you’d expect there are some nice references to the other Spider-Man films, some subtle, some not so much.
There was something so magical about seeing all three actors on screen together talking about “their” Spidey experiences, and the whole thing makes for some of the most amusing and emotional moments in the film.
Let’s just take a second to remember, this has never been done before! When a franchise is rebooted, it’s gone! They move on and nothing from that previous incarnation of the character or their adventures carries over to the new version.
This movie is groundbreaking in not only acknowledging that the other films exist, but in the fact that they’ve found a way to bring all of the characters from those films together in one epic storyline!
Fans of the Netflix Daredevil series are also in for a treat with Charlie Cox making an appearance as Matt Murdock in a cool scene.
From what I’ve been reading recently I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we see him introduced into the MCU in his own movie some time soon.
This film will not disappoint fans of the franchise! If it does I’d be amazed (no pun intended). It’s got just about everything for everyone.
Marvel have succeeded in not only making a fantastic film that will touch the emotions of fans of each of the Spider-Man movies, but one that will no doubt pave the way for each of the previous Spidey actors to return in the future should they wish to do so (and I hear that’s the plan).
This is how I wanted to feel about Ghostbusters: Afterlife but sadly didn’t.
If you haven’t seen this movie yet, sorry for the spoilers but what are you still doing here?!
Get and see it as soon as you can and be sure to stick around for the two post credit scenes.
I can’t wait to see it again!
Seen it? Let me know below.