SPIDERMAN: NO WAY HOME
US, 21, 148 minutes, Colour.
Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Rhys Ifans, Thomas Hayden Church, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Angourie Rice, Andrew Garfield, Toby Maguire.
Directed by Jon Watts.
Sitting in the cinema, waiting for Spiderman to begin, it was intriguing that there on the screen was a request to respect not revealing spoilers. As the film went on, this reviewer was very glad that he had not heard any spoilers, was able to be amazed, continually, at the unexpected plot developments. So, a reinforcement of the exhortation not to reveal the plot. Which, of course, makes it very difficult to write a review!
And what is it about? As Dr Strange says: it is the grand calculus of the multiverse! Just what we would have thought!
Where does Spiderman stand in the Marvel Universe? In fact, he has been very popular, some television movies in earlier decades, but, for the last 20 years, eight feature films and the animated story of the Spiderverse, with multiple Spiderman in parallel dimensions. Three films with Toby Maguire. Two films with Andrew Garfield. This is the third film with the present Spiderman, Peter Parker, Tom Holland (and directed with great energy by Jon Watts). And then the news came, on its release in the US and around the world, that it had the third biggest opening of any film! How could a more modest Spiderman film achieve this? It would be a spoiler to say anything more!
But, we can say that this is not just a Spiderman superhero adventure. It is a Dr Strange story, following on his own film, with Benedict Cumberbatch in the central role and Benedict Wong as his assistant. It is a bit of a stretch to bring Dr Strange into Spiderman’s New York, but as the film opens, following immediately on the previous film, the villain Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) reveals Peter Parker’s identity on television. Gloating on this revelation is the shock jock television journalist played by J.K.Simmons, denouncing Peter Parker as public enemy number one.
And this has an effect on his close friends, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) as well as Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and her boyfriend, Happy (Jon Favreau). A welcome return by all of these characters.
What can be revealed and is not a spoiler is that Peter is desperate that people not know that he is Spiderman, making a plea with Dr Strange that he cast a spell so that people will forget who Peter really is. That would been very simple but, during the spell and the hocus-pocus which Benedict Cumberbatch can do with such aplomb, plus special effects, Peter starts thinking of all those that he would like to keep remembering him, his friends, Aunt May… Which rather spoils the effect of the spell.
The screenwriters must have enjoyed themselves thoroughly in working out what could be some of the consequences of this spell gone wrong. And we enjoy ourselves as we continue to discover what the screenwriters have cooked up.
It does mean that there are a lot of adventures, fights, special effects galore (plus galore), which makes for continually exciting and unpredictable adventure. Which continues for the best part of 2 ½ hours! (And, as usual, in the Marvel Movies, end credit sequences, Venom turning up to no obvious purpose but a joke, and a final preview, extensive, of the next Dr Strange adventure.) One always has to stay until the end of the Marvel Movie’s credits.
The film has a strong supporting cast, some of the veterans perhaps surprised by getting a call back. But, it all works very well – and the word-of-mouth (one hopes without spoiler alerts) must have been instantly strong for this Spiderman film to be so successful. And it is.
- The continued popularity of Spiderman, the comics, the television films, the series with Toby Maguire, the two films with Andrew Garfield, the three films with Tom Holland, the animated Spiderverse?
- The continuity with the earlier films, Mysterio and his denunciation of Peter Parker, the public knowing who Spiderman was, the denunciations by J. Jonah Jamison? Leaving him Public Enemy Number One? The effect on the public? Suspicions of Peter Parker, of Spiderman?
- Tom Holland as Peter Parker, age, background, exploits, relationship with Aunt May, with Happy, the discussions with them, reliance on them, Aunt May and her support, with great power goes great responsibility?
- Peter Parker, his relationship with his MJ, her reaction to the exposure, flying her around the city for escape? Her continued support? Ned Leeds, the friendship, sharing in the adventures? The other students at school, their responses, Betsy and her selling the newspaper?
- This as a Dr Strange film, his background, Benedict Cumberbatch, his appearance, costume, the encounter with Benedict Wong, his dealings with Peter, the plan for casting the spell, that everyone forget, Peter and his continued interruptions, the spell going awry?
- The consequences of the spell, the villains coming back from the past films, the character actors and renewing their performances, Alfred Molina and his sinister presence, Willem Dafoe and his pretences, seeming friendly, then villainous, Thomas Hayden Church, Jamie Foxx.? Their stories, their bewilderments coming from the past, from another universe? The interactions with Peter Parker? The whole range of battles?
- The consequences of the spell, the previous Spiderman appearing, the enjoyment of seeing Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland working together, the conversations, interactions, memories of the past? There are also having to confront the villains from the past? The battles?
- The mind of the villains, to be their better selves, the mutual help, yet the background of their villainy continuing?
- The continued event interventions of J. Jonah Jamison – and his ultimate comeuppance?
- The Statue of Liberty, the involvement of the characters, dangers, fights, rescues?
- The return of Dr Strange, his bewilderment, his interventions?
- The credits sequence, the appearance of Venom? The trailer for the new Dr Strange film?
