Spiderman swings into theatres once again, with a thoroughly entertaining and crowd-pleasing performance. The film is jam packed with characters from multiple different Spiderman films, each posing a unique, new threat to Spiderman.
First and foremost, this film nails its villains. While having so many from prior films does risk alienating a passing audience member, and potential for the film to focus on one villain at the expense of otherwise, Watts cannot avoid the first pitfall. There is a quick recap of their origin, but this relies on prior knowledge to some extent.
However, the heavy emphasis on the villains in the marketing should help to alleviate this issue to some degree, as they were not presented as a ‘surprise’. The second pitfall is avoided by some great directing. The film manages to equally split its two and a half hour run time across its villains and main characters, by no means an easy feat. The run time flies by as well, meaning no moments drag on and leads to lack of filler footage, which is great but also rare to see in films today.
The villains all have diverse power sets and ways to psych out Peter. Electro takes the more direct route, blasting him with overpowering electricity. Green Goblin provides more of a psychological threat, with Dafoe’s ominous presence felt throughout all the scenes he is in.
Jamie Foxx also deserves a special mention, giving a more aggressive portrayal to Electro than his last time as the character. His costume and overall look have been massively improved since The Amazing Spiderman 2. Another returning character that pops up several times in the film is J. Jonah. Jameson, played by the talented JK Simons. Acting as the head of the Daily Bugle, a conspiracist news channel that is the perfect modern update to the newspaper.
The humour in the film mostly lands, besides one or two jokes that fail to make the mark. Spiderman No Way is as packed with comedic value, as there are the villains of the film, which liberally enable them to lighten the tone. However, the film also knows when to dial them back, allowing for more emotional moments in this film, of which there are some.
This is where Tom Holland shines the most. These show that the film is more than just a nostalgic action romp, however there is a heavy dose of nostalgia. It is well used for the most part apart from a couple of times where it can feel forced or out of place.
There are also some surprising and crowd-pleasing cameos that Marvel put in the film. These no doubt have some indication of where the universe is heading, along with the post credits. The two post credits sequences themselves are mixed. One represents a hilarious and understandable missed opportunity and the other one is highly intriguing, especially for the future of the MCU. These are both worth waiting for.
Overall, this film is a must see for fans of the character and the MCU. Marvel and Sony once again show that working together they can deliver crowd pleasing and emotionally resonating films. They and Jon Watts have taken a concept that could have collapsed under its own weight, but have applied it in such a way as to still focus on the core of Peter’s character, staying true to who he is throughout the film.
Rating: 8.5/10
By Kieran Burt
Feature image: Marvel