MOVIE REVIEW - SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (SPOILER FREE): TO WATCH, OR NOT TO WATCH?

IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS TO ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED MARVEL COMIC BOOK MOVIES SINCE AVENGERS: ENDGAME., THEN THIS IS THE PLACE TO READ AN OPEN (NOT LONG), AND HONEST REVIEW OF SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME!

LET ME INVITE YOU INTO MY WORLD FOR JUST A QUICK SECOND BEFORE WE GET STARTED…..AHEM!

FOR ME, YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD PODCASTER, SUNDAYS ARE USUALLY SPENT FASTING, CUTTING MYSELF OFF FROM THE DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL WORLDS, WRITING IN MY JOURNAL , PLANNING FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK, AND ENJOYING SOME QUALITY TIME WITH MYSELF….AND APOLLO, (MY BASENJI PUP).

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19TH, 2021 WAS SEPENT A BIT DIFFERNTLY THIS TIME AROUND, THOUGH.

WITH THE HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVE SEASON IN THE AIR, “FAMILY DINNERS” BECOME A MAINSTAY FOR SOME, UNTIL THE NEW YEAR HITS, THEN EVERYONE GLADLY HEADS BACK TO THEIR RESPECTED CORNERS TO ENJOY AND FOCUS ON THAT TOP OF THE YEAR “GYM MISSION/NEW GOALS/NEW YEAR/NEW ME” ENERGY THAT WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF PUTTING OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE (NO SHAME IN THAT GAME, I PROMISE).

I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS PRETTY MUCH MY PARTNER IN CRIME WHEN IT COMES TO WATCHING MOVIES IN THE THEATRE, SO HER AND I HAD ALREADY AGREED OVER TEXT BEFORE THIS PAST SUNDAY’S FAMILY DINNER SESSION THAT WE WOULD SEE THIS FILM TOGETHER.

FAST FORWARD TO YESTERDAY, AND I AM PRETTY MUCH POURING MY HEART OUT TO MY BABY COUSIN AS TO WHY I THINK WE SHOULD TOTALLY WAIT UNTIL THE CROWDS DIE DOWN AT THE THEATRES BEFORE WE GO SE SM-NWH…MY POINTS WERE ALL ANXIETY DRIVEN, BY THE WAY, BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, SHE WAS READY.

TRAILER COURTESY OF MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT’S OFFICIAL YOUTUBE PAGE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYzbalQ6Lg8

MY COUSIN WON THE BATTLE THIS TIME AROUND AND WAS ABLE TO CONVICE ME TO GET OUT THE FAMILY HOUSE TO GO SEE A 10:55PM SHOWING OF THE MOVIE. I WAS STILL JOYOUS AT THE FACT THAT SHE TOOK THE INITIATIIVE, BECAUSE IF IT WAS UP TO ME, WE WOULD’VE WAITIED A CUTE MONTH BEFORE WATCHING. BUT HEY, WHAT’S A SUNDAY DINNER WITHOUT OUR USUAL TRIP TO THE MOVIES, RIGHT? (COMMON WORDS WE SAY, HER AND I).

NOW, WHEN YOU WATCH THE ABOVE TRAILER, AND THEN THE FILM, YOU’LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT THERE ISN’T ANYTHING FROM THE TRAILER THAT’S MISSING IN THE ACTUAL FILM, WHICH TENDS TO HAPPEN A LOT WITH COMIC BOOK MOVIES. YOU MIGHT SEE A REALLY DOPE SHOT OR SCENE IN THE TRAILER, THEN WHEN YOU ARE WATCHING THE THEATRICAL RELEASE, THAT SHOT/SCENE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, SO YOU PRETTY MUCH GET WHAT YOU SEE WITH THIS ONE.

THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THERE AREN’T SOME MAJOR SURPRISES FROM START TO FINISH OF THE FILM. IF YOU HAVE MANAGED TO STAY OFF OF THE INTERNET OR AVOID HILARIOUS MEMES ALREADY GIVING AWAY THE OVER 100 EASTER EGGS IN THIS FILM, I COMMEND YOU. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN BITTEN AND EXPOSED TO THE SPOILER VIRUS….PUT A MASK ON AND KEEP ‘EM TO YOURSELF!

SIMILAR TO MY VENOM AND ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE REVIEWS, I NEVER ONCE THOUGHT THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD THAT I WOULD SEE A FILM SUCH AS THIS, WITH CHARACTERS SO BELOVED TEARING RIGHT OFF THE PAGES OF CLASSIC COMIC STRIPS I WOULD READ AS A CHILD BLASTED RIGHT ONTO THE BIG SCREEN.

THE MOVIE PICKS UP RIGHT WHERE THE LAST ONE LEFT OFF, BUT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. PETER IS FACED WITH CHALLENGES BEYOND HIS BELIEFS, BUT HAS A SOLUTION IN MIND THAT CAN MAYBE STEER THIS INCREDIBLE PROPBLEM TO CORRECTION. WE FINALLY GET TO SEE WHAT “WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY” TRULY LOOKS LIKE AND MEANS IN THE MCU, SINCE PETER PARKER IS FORCED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OTHERS, AND NOT JUST HIMSELF. HE’S A REAL SELFLESS SPIDER IN THIS ONE, FOLKS, BUT THE CHALLENGES THAT HE FACES CAN MIRROR WHAT WE NORMIES FACE ON A DAY-TO-BASIS IN OUR OWN LIVES RIGHT NOW.

THEMES SUCH AS “SECOND CHANCES”, GOOD VS. EVIL, BATTLING ONES SELF/PICKING A SIDE, SACRIFICE ARE ALL TACKLED IN THE FILM, AND THEY DON’T FEEL GRATUITOUS AT ALL.

THE MOVIE ALMOST HAD US IN TEARS. STANDING OVATIONS, EXCLAIMS OF ANGER AND SURPISE DROWNED OUT THE THEATRE THROUGHOUT THE VIEWING AT ALMOST EVERY OTHER SCENE. IT WAS WORTH SITTING NEAR PEOPLE JUST TO FEEL HOW MUCH THIS CHARACTER MEANS TO SO MANY. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE MCU’S PETER PARKER, BUT THIS MOVIE IS A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO CLOSE OFF HIS FIRST TRILOGY. THE ACTION AND GRAHICS ARE GREAT, BUT ITS THE SUBSTANCE AND MESSAGING BEHIND THE FILM THAT REALLY KEEPS YOU ENGAGED.

CHEERS TO ANOTHER MOVIE NIGHT WITH MY COUSIN, JOJO, AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO TOUCH BASE WITH YOU AGAIN REGARDING THE NEXT FILM THAT WE WATCH!

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW!

PROS:

  • YOU’LL DO A BIT OF SELF-REFLECTING AFTER THE FILM IS OVER

  • GREAT LENGTH IN RUNNING TIME

  • SURPRISES GALORE

  • ONE REALLY SCARY/DARK FIGHTSCENE


CONS:

  • A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

  • A DEATH TOO SOON

  • MARVEL IS PLAYING WITH OUR EMOTIONS

  • WHERE IS EVERYBODY ELSE?

In conclusion…

WATCH



- ARYS DÉJAN, THE WHO & HOW CLUB

COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE: https://images.app.goo.gl/k8tKGDDFE7wnNseUA

MOVIE REVIEWSArys Allen-McPhersonThe Who & How ClubSPIDER-MAN, SPIDERMAN, NO WAY HOME, MOVIES, MOVIE REVIEW, MARVELComment