Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) secret identity has been blown, and the ripple effects have affected everyone he knows and cares about.
Determined to fix what happened, Peter convinces Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to create a spell that would undo the timeline so that his identity was never spoilt.
The spell goes wrong, and Peter is suddenly confronted with multiple villains who claim to have fought Spider-Man before…
This movie is fun, and tries to tell a story. It also tries to bring Spider-Man down to earth and reassert Peter Parker’s moral code.
It is also the eighth of these movies that I am reviewing so it probably suffers from my burnout.
Let’s get the ‘big secret’ out of the way.
The idea that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were not coming back feels like the worst plot twist to try and hide.
Maybe it was watching their movies back-to-back in two days (never again), but I got the nostalgia kick seeing them show up. And I am glad they were included in such a major way.
It does make for some weird moments - the two Peters narrating their personal tragedies feels like an earnest take on the origin montage from Into the Spider-Verse.
Having five villains in the movie feels like an unnecessary tease - I also do not think you needed all of them (why is Sandman trying to kill anybody?).
Fundamentally, this movie is concerned with rebooting Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and bringing him closer to his previous incarnations. Having the two previous Peters there to describe their loses feels like an unsubtle critique on the comparatively easy ride Holland’s Peter has had in his previous adventures.
Even the set-up with Dr Strange and the forgetfulness spell feels like the filmmakers acknowledging how many times Peter has been saved by deux ex machina.
That being said, Killing Aunt May feels a little desperate - Marisa Tomei is a great actress and it is a pity she is finally foregrounded as Peter’s conscience only so she can die.
What this movie does get right is Green Goblin.
First, they have figured out that Willem Dafoe’s face is a unique special effect and they should showcase its beauty. I do not care about fidelity to the source material, but I liked how they re-imagine his costume.
Dafoe is also on his game - this performance feels more maniacal yet less cartoonish than his initial appearance.
The other returnees are a mixed bag - having five different characters means that they never get a strong showcase. I liked the redemption of Doc Ock but he is barely in the movie.
The real interesting element is the appearance of the previous Spider-Men.
I am torn on Maguire - he feels the most complete of the characters in terms of narrative arcs - his Spidey has no sense of baggage or unfinished business.
If the film offers an opportunity for completing a circle, it is with Garfield. Garfield is a fine actor and the problems I have with his films have to do with the scripts he had to work with.
With this movie it feels like the actor and the character getting another chance.
Garfield is on fire here, fitting in completely naturally while giving his own story a pathos that his fellow Parkers never reach. His performance is wounded, heartfelt and self-aware without ever feeling like he is stepping out of the movie.
The filmmakers have made his abrupt tenure work for this story - his Parker has not moved on from Gwen Stacey’s death, stuck in limbo.
He is so good I had to keep reminding myself Holland was the one getting a sequel - but with this multiverse concept, who knows?
I do not know if this movie really works as a story - it reminded me of the latest Fast & Furious movie in that it feels like the filmmakers are making a correction to the characters’ trajectory.
This movie feels like fan fiction and while I did like aspects of it - particularly Dafoe and Garfield’s performances - I could get the sick feeling that I was watching feature-length fan service.
There was a point when all three Spider-Men are standing in their suits and they all seemed flatter - they lacked the texture of their earlier appearances.
There is something about the way Marvel movies are lit that has never sat well with me, and watching these characters lit that way just made it feel like I was watching a car being stolen. I am not even a fan of the cars in question, but it felt wrong.
This movie has been a huge hit which will lead to more movies like it, which just mean Hollywood will have license to continue mining the same IP until the end of time.
Take that for what you will.
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