V20 N4

Funny thing about spoiler alerts... after
a film’s been out for a few months, can
the plot really be spoiled? I still can’t
tell people what happens in The Sixth
Sense, a masterpiece in suspense from
20+ years ago. In the case of Spider-Man: No
Way Home, I guess I’m spoiling some — but
nothing more than you’d catch on a trailer.
The idea of parallel realities is nothing
new. The concept goes back to “evil twin”
plots of ancient mythology. To say the Marvel
Universe takes the concept to new levels is
a multidimensional understatement. Spider-
Man: No Way Home rips holes in the fabric of
all we know.
This was the first film that brought me
back to theaters post pandemic. What choice
did I have? It would seem that “no way home“
had no way to be viewed at home. It’s still in
theaters and not online. You could say this film
single handedly brought audiences back to the
theater (well, at least it led the way).
Humor is the “universal” theme of this
flick. In this installment, Tom Holland plays
The Movie Column
By arts columnist Tom Sims
Spider-Man. But he’s not the only one. Andrew
Garfield and Tobey Maguire also reprise their
role as the webslinger. How? Dr. Strange
(Benedict Cumberbatch) allows for a spell
that brings anyone who knew Peter Parker was
Spider-Man from not just our world but other
realities as well. Yes, it is about as comic as it
all sounds. That’s why this film spends a lot of
the time delivering its twists and turns with
tongue firmly planted in cheek.
This movie has several compelling elements,
but none more important than its
uncanny ability to not take itself so seriously.
The banter between Dr. Strange and Spider-
Man is priceless. He can barely tolerate the
adolescent hero and spends much of the movie
undoing damage Parker does.
This is not to say the movie doesn’t have
profound moments. Those scenes play out
beautifully. In fact, if they hadn’t, I’m not sure
how I’d feel about the film overall. Although
I’m not a big fan of having too many characters,
the pace and energy of this film goes a
long way to simply allowing us to have fun.
My favorite villain in the Spider-Man series has
always been Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina).
To see the kids of this Spidey universe giggling
at his name is worth the price of admission.
Despite the deliberate silliness, the visuals
and action in this film set themselves worlds
apart from anything before. Pun intended. If
you want to understand the universe Marvel
is unfolding, No Way Home is your passport to
explore.
The Definition
of Good Taste
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March 3, 2022 EXIT ZERO Page 29