This is the 27th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or MCU. This is the 6th film featuring Tom Holland as Spider-Man. It's the third film being distributed by Sony Pictures where Holland is the titular character. However, in reality, this film is following the Oscar-winning animated feature
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). That film was about weaving together various versions of the titular character into one narrative and even having those various versions interact with each other. Amy Pascal is the producer involved with Sony Pictures who has been responsible for the Spider-Man character, since Holland took over the role, which includes producing that 2018 cartoon flick. Yet, it was as if writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, along with director Jon Watts saw that Oscar-winner and decided to do a live-action take on that idea.
Instead of weaving in versions of Spider-Man that have never been seen on the big-screen before, which is what Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did, the filmmakers here have previous, live-action versions of Spider-Man that can be utilized. Grabbing those previous versions is exactly what the filmmakers here did. Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man (2002) was the first actor to play the titular character in an American theatrical release, nearly 20 years ago. He would then go on to do two sequels. Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) was the next actor to do a live-action version. However, this film is not simply about bringing back these previous versions of Spider-Man. It's also about the villains of those previous versions too.
Tom Holland is now the third actor to do the live-action version of Spider-Man aka Peter Parker, a high school student living in Queens, New York. We pick up with Peter immediately following the events of
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in which Mysterio revealed Peter's secret identity. Unlike the other super-heroes in the MCU, Peter never allowed the public to know that he was Spider-Man. Peter always wore a mask while he was Spider-Man. The other members of the Avengers like Captain America, Thor or Hawkeye never wore masks, so they never hid who they were. Peter did hide who he really was. Yet, Mysterio destroyed that secret, as well as framing Peter for a horrible crime.
While Peter is supposed to be focusing on which college or university he'll attend next year, he's now dealing with the fallout or aftermath of Mysterio outing him. Peter also has to handle the legal trouble that has come from Mysterio framing Peter for Mysterio's own crimes. It's frustrating for Peter, but he can't stand how this fallout is affecting his best friend and his girlfriend. The fallout is having negative consequences for Peter's pal and love interest, and Peter feels guilty about it.
Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role of Dr. Stephen Strange from
Doctor Strange (2016), a sorcerer or a wizard who also lives in New York in what's called the New York Sanctum, a place where certain magical artifacts are stored and protected. Stephen is able to use magic or the mystical arts in order to cast spells or wield ancient energy that helps him to protect the sanctum. He decides to help when Peter comes to the sanctum, hoping for a spell that will literally erase the fallout from Mysterio. Unfortunately, Peter interferes with Stephen's spell as he's casting it. As a result, Peter causes a mistake that brings villains from other realities or parallel universes to attack the city.
Pretty much all of the villains that Maguire's version of Spider-Man fought in all three of his films appear in this film. The two major villains that Garfield's version of Spider-Man fought in his two films also appear. In total, five villains appear in this film, which is a lot to juggle. Some of them get short shrift, which is understandable. There's even a sixth villain that gets name-checked but never factors into the narrative, even though he does appear in the film. Having this many villains is significant because the comic books starring Spider-Man frequently used a concept called the "Sinister Six," which is a group of six Spider-Man villains who teamed up to fight him. Sony was developing a Sinister Six film a decade ago with Garfield's version, but that film was canceled. This is essentially the redemption of that idea.
Willem Dafoe reprises his role of Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin, the first villain who fought Maguire's version in the 2002 film. Norman was the CEO of a chemical company. He tested a strength enhancer on himself, which drove him insane and gave him Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID. He has multiple personalities, specifically two, that of Norman and that of the Green Goblin. When he's Norman, he's fine, but, as the Green Goblin, he's a murdering psychopath. Instead of attacking Peter, Norman as himself goes to Peter peacefully hoping to be cured of his DID.
This presents an interesting dilemma for Peter. Doctor Strange has the ability to return all the villains back to their universes, but, if he does that, all those villains will die. Peter realizes, due to Norman Osborn, that the villains are only villains because of accidental science experiments. The villains are more victims of circumstance, rather than just being out and out criminals. Peter decides not to send the villains back home, essentially to their deaths. He decides to try to fix them or cure them of whatever ailments they have that have given them super-powers but also some mental illness or insanity. However, the death and destruction the villains are causing in the meantime cause Peter and perhaps others to want revenge not redemption for them.
Now, this revenge-versus-redemption idea or theme as it were is a good one and Watts is able to juggle it very well with moments or scenes that allow us to get closer to those so-called villains. What's difficult is that it requires audiences to be more familiar with villains who weren't technically in the MCU and who in fact pre-date the MCU. It also does so with characters that the film doesn't really invest much time but has those characters only to fill out the Sinister Six number. One of the villains is a half-man, half-lizard named Curt Connors, as well as a half-man, half-sand villain named Sandman, and both are rather forgettable. We get so little about them that we don't care.
The other villains include Otto Octavius, played by Alfred Molina, reprising his villain from Maguire's Spider-Man 2 (2004). There's also Max Dillon aka Electro, played by Jamie Foxx, reprising his role from Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). They are the fun villains. When they're not in an action scene involving a lot of CGI or VFX, when Molina and Foxx can be themselves in a scene, they're both charming and funny, as they really liven up or steal their scenes.
What really steals the movie is the moment when Garfield and Maguire actually appear on screen. Holland is a good actor and has some very emotional scenes that are wrenching and he really delivers, but the ease with which Garfield and Maguire slip into their roles, returning to them in some cases after decades away from it, is incredible. There is a warmth and an appeal to Maguire in particular that made me want more of his character in the film, following the format or structure of
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The brotherly bond between Holland, Garfield and Maguire is probably this film's crowning achievement.
Finally, there are several times throughout this film where science or math saves the day rather than brute strength or violence. It's an action film that's more about characters being smart and relying on their intelligence rather than physicality specifically. It leaves with the message that violence and certainly killing aren't the answer. It's more powerful than what most action films do.
Rated PG-13 for action, violence , some language and brief suggestive comments.
Running Time: 2 hrs. and 28 mins.
In theaters.
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