By Emily Von Butlar
Exec. Features Editor
Released on Dec. 17, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was definitely worth the wait. The nostalgia hits hard from prior Spider-Man movies as all three previous Spider-Men – Andrew Garfield, Toby Macguire and Tom Holland – are brought into the same universe for the first time. Featuring Doctor Strange, Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Electro and Sandman, the heartfelt story combines each of the three Spider-Men’s enemies to portray the familiar Marvel plot of the unfortunate death of a close relative.
The three Spider-Men hit the streets of New York to save the havoc that Tom Holland caused due to a failed spell. Viewers follow a comical, yet devastating plot as Holland, Maguire and Garfield fight their enemies together. The title, however, doesn’t exactly match the overall theme of the movie as each character ultimately finds its way back to its universe.
The way Holland risks everything, both his life and others’ lives, to find ‘cures’ for these villains shows the innocence and determination of Holland, which is something to be admired. If Holland had sent the villains back to their own worlds, they would have died. This aspect of the movie is truly important, as it is the ultimate twist that differentiates Holland’s version of the character from Macguire and Garfield’s representation of Spider-Man.
The slow development of Holland into his character was a crucial aspect of the movie, yet this transformation could have been accomplished quicker. The movie had no clear climax. There were more parts that left the audience questioning if the story was almost over, such as when Aunt May died, or when Doc Ock helped heal the other villains. The storyline felt stretched and was unnecessarily long toward the second half of the movie.
Unable to save everyone, the plot follows Aunt May’s death at the hands of Green Goblin. This scene is necessary as it leads to a sense of connection and friendship among the three Spider-Men as they share in their vulnerability and grieve their losses.
At the end of the movie, there is a twist. The whole world forgets the man behind the mask due to Holland’s selfless sacrifice to save the universe by correcting Dr. Strange’s spell that started the introduction of the various villains. Sadly, Spider-Man, yet again, loses his MJ and his Aunt May. This one connection among all the Spider-Men is essential to their trust for each other. It’s not very often that you see two separate versions of yourself pop out of the sky.
At the end of the movie, the sky parts to produce a fiery atmosphere as Holland does whatever it takes to heal the breaking universe. Holland’s ultimate sacrifice, letting the whole world forget who he is, brings together the beginning and end of the movie. The movie almost has too much detail; the introduction of the Spider-Men earlier into the movie would have made the plot easier to follow as there were so many characters to keep track of.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is still playing in theaters and will be available to stream on Starz. It is not available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney+ at this time.
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