Tag: Spider-Man

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Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Please note that there are spoilers in this review!

One of the biggest releases of the year was undoubtedly Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marking the last installment of the latest Spider-Man trilogy, we get to see Tom Holland make another great outing as everybody’s favourite neighbourhood superhero, Spider-Man. The film follows the aftermath of Spider-Man’s identity becoming known to the world following the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home and Peter Parker’s attempt to rectify the situation after his life and the lives of those he loves most including girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) as the trio are rejected from every college they applied for due to Peter’s notoriety. Inspired by previous events within the MCU, Parker seeks help from the reclusive Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to fix the situation but the spell goes awry and the multiverse is opened, bringing in previous villains from other Spider-Man films including Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Lizard (Rhys Ifans). The villains’ inclusion was known from the outset, but there was been a lot of speculation in the lead-up to the film’s release as there were rumours that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were due to join forces with Holland in order to fight the group which was in fact true and the result is a fantastic battle.

Spider-Man: No Way Home sees Jon Watts returning to direct following his previous efforts on Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home and is written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Where some franchises within the Marvel Universe can become inconsistent, especially when the teams behind the camera are changed on a regular basis but it feels that Sony and Marvel have done a great job ensuring that this Spider-Man trilogy is not only consistent, but shows growth and character development in a way that is slow-burning and believable meaning that watching them on release ensures that nothing feels too different from the preceding film while watching the three films together will clearly show Peter’s maturity develop and allowing the audience to see clearly differences between Peter at the start of Spider-Man: Homecoming and the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Tom Holland is just as likeable as ever and in a film littered with even more stars from the Spider-Man universe, he is able to maintain his standing as the leading man with ease and hold his own against Macguire and Garfield’s Parker. What is great about Holland’s performance is that we see a more mature Peter compared to the previous installments while also capturing that glimpse of naivety that teenagers have during times of trouble. It’s a balanced performance that shows Holland capable of presenting us with a protagonist who finds that what is right and what is moral can be conflicting and the results of which can be devastating. His chemistry with Zendaya is also undeniable and the relationship between Peter and MJ feels as though it has grown so much since Spider-Man: Homecoming adding yet another layer to his performance as Peter.

As one of a couple female characters in the film, Zendaya is fantastic as MJ. MJ is not simply identifiable as Peter’s girlfriend but is defined by her intelligence and personality which shines through and the writing and Zendaya’s fearless performance ensure that MJ is an active part of the plan to defeat the villains. Where in the other Spider-Man films (as in Maguire and Garfield’s run), Mary Jane and Gwen were often reduced to the damsel in distress and used as a ploy for villains to get Spider-Man to fight them, MJ is never put in that box and consistently comes up with solutions for Peter to follow, despite not having the powers that he does.

The main event of the film was undoubtedly the return of Maguire and Garfield who bring their interpretations of Spider-Man to the film and the results are fantastic. Rather than just turning up at the final fight, Garfield and Maguire turn up around halfway through which gives plenty of time for the three Peters to become acquainted with each other and build a rapport that is enjoyable to watch and makes for one of the year’s best teams on film. It’s clear that each actor is having a blast with the role and that radiates from their performances. The writing picks up on the differences between each Spider-Man’s universe and includes jokes and comments such as Maguire’s Peter having no idea who the Avengers are while Garfield’s Spider-Man reflects on the loss of Gwen Stacy (which happened in The Amazing Spider-Man 2).

When it comes to the villain performances, the highlights are Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx as Electro. Doctor Octopus is initially seen as an unofficial leader of the group and Molina can always be counted on to provide a brilliant performance. Molina’s performance as Doctor Octopus is gripping from the outset as he has to deal with the confusion of being in an alternative universe while also encountering figures from his past who he believed had died. Spider-Man: No Way Home does a great job at blurring the lines between superhero and villain and this allows Molina to delve even deeper with Doctor Octopus’ character than ever before. Jamie Foxx is another highlight but in a different way. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 did not give Electro’s character the development and nuance needed for Foxx to really shine while the writing in this film does and Electro proves to be one of the best villain characters in the entire film thanks to his sharp wit and strong power that makes him incredibly hard to defeat. It’s clear that Foxx is even more comfortable and confident in the role in this film and the writing also helps to make Electro’s interactions with others feel more natural and believable when compared to his appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

On the surface, it can seem that there is too much going on in Spider-Man: No Way Home but the pacing of the film is perfectly done while still giving plenty of character development for the returning faces which makes it a fantastic watch. Being able to do justice for an interesting character like Electro who wan’t given much in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was nice to see as well as allowing Holland, Maguire and Garfield to have plenty of fun as a team which makes the fight sequences incredibly fun to watch.

What did you think of Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Spider-Man: No Way Home is available to view in cinemas now!

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

This week’s animation review comes into the form of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Constantly renowned as the best animated film of the 2010s, Sony gained their first Oscar for Animated Feature for this unique comic book adaptation that saw Disney take a rare defeat at awards season. The film follows the regular Spider-Man lore as Brooklyn teen, Miles Morales is bitten by a radioactive spider and has to follow in Peter Parker’s footsteps after he is killed by Kingpin. A dangerous device that opens portals to alternate universes and Morales meets various Spider-Man characters from the different comics such as Spider-Ham and The Amazing Spider-Man. Based on a screenplay written by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman and directed by the latter along with Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a fantastic and unique animation that brings something new and exciting to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Lord and Rothman’s screenplay blends the various Spider-Man comics perfectly as it becomes a mix of drama and satire, poking fun at itself. When bringing in the other Spider-Man variations, it could have easily become too much and the characters not be fully developed and identifiable but the screenplay is so quick and smart that even the supporting characters are given a fair share of screen-time. One of the best characters is by far Spider-Man Noir (voiced incredibly by Nicolas Cage), a parody of the 1930s inspired by the likes of Humphrey Bogart. There are some great puns bringing him into the modern day such as his inability to see the colours in a Rubik’s Cube because he is black and white as well as being unable to understand how it works. It feels like a refreshing take on a comic book adaptation and its bravery killing off Parker early on was really unexpected, particularly for a family film.

The animation was provided by Sony Pictures Animation and the style is something I have not come across before. Combining traditional comic book art and computer animation, the style of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is both a nostalgic nod to its literal source material whilst using the most advanced animation techniques. Not only is this a welcome break from the usual computer animation that we’ve become used to seeing, but like its protagonist, it gives the film an alternative identity that makes it a standout. It’s understandable that besides its attachment to Marvel, why it would be popular based on the design. The graffiti scene where Miles and his Uncle Aaron spray a wall in a subway is particularly stunning and really brings the environment to life thanks to its mix of bright colour palette in the graffiti combined with the grittiness of the New York subway. Another fantastically designed scene is the climactic fight when the portal is opened and time and space merges and becomes a mesh of various universes.

Featuring a starry cast led by Shameik Moore, who voices Miles, the voicework is hugely impressive. Moore’s performance is great and really gets into the inner conflict Miles faces as he gets to grips with his new identity while trying to fit in at his new elite school. Miles is such a likeable character because of his relatability as well as showing the very realistic issues that would come with becoming a superhero. As well as Moore, other vocal standouts for me were Mahershala Ali as Miles’ Uncle Aaron and Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir. Both really get to the heart of their characters and its clear that they are having fun with it.

Another thing to mention is the score composed by Daniel Pemberton. Atmospheric and unpredictable, there are moments of pure drama, horror and tension scattered throughout in the music. Pemberton’s score is really unique and enhances the film. Mixed with an impressive soundtrack that includes original songs by Post Malone and Nicki Minaj, Pemberton’s ability to shift musical genres that again, like Miles’ character and the animation, gives the film a distinct identity that shows its versatility and uniqueness.

Overall, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an impressive feat that pushes boundaries and shows a different direction for animation. Boasting fantastic voice performances and stellar animation design, its cultural and stylistic impact cannot be ignored and only bodes well for the future of the franchise. It’s exciting to see where Marvel and Sony will take the animated franchise in the future but doubtless it will be a huge success and if this film was anything to go by, welcoming even more awards.

What did you think of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse? Let me know in the comments below!

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91st Academy Awards – Creative Awards (Part 2)

Continuing my roundup of this year’s Oscars, I will be discussing more of the Creative awards handed out on Sunday night. In my first blog I spoke about the acting awards (here) and the following posts looked at the creative awards (here). The array of topics from the winners and nominees show just how varied this year has been internationally. Without further ado, here’s my take on Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Short Documentary, Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature and Best Foreign Film.

Best Animated Short Film

It was obvious that this gong would go to Pixar short Bao. The first Pixar short created by women, it tells the story of a mother-son relationship between a woman and a dumpling. It is a beautiful metaphor that shows the ups and downs of family life as Bao grows up and eventually starts to make questionable life choices. This film wasn’t for everyone and it’s understandable why but I loved it and thought it was a very touching and maternal piece of work. It brought something new to the table at Pixar, whose repertoire as of late has consisted of sequels and prequels and showed why audiences fell in love with it in the first place by injecting the passion and originality voiced by the animators and artists who work there.

Best Live Action Short

The winner of this award was Skin, a story of modern day racism in American which follows a Neo-Nazi who is kidnapped by a group of African Americans after organising a racial attack of his own and he is then tattooed completely black. The win in this category shows the importance to tell stories about the racial divide that still exists today.

Best Short Documentary

Nothing felt better for my feminist heart than seeing a crowd of women fill the stage to accept an Oscar for a film about menstruation. Period. End of Sentence explores women living in India whose education had been cut short due to their periods due to a lack of access to sanitary pads. A group of women team up and begin to manufacture sanitary pads so young girls and women can go to school and worship at temples. It is a brilliant insight into global inequality and puts to rest the patriarchal belief that gender equality exists. It also opens the gate for non-white female filmmakers to talk about subjects that are considered taboo in the same vein as Pakistani filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid whose film, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness that explores the so-called honour killings in her home country previously won an Oscar in the same category three years ago. The bravery that these women have to exploit these issues shows how powerful the medium of film is in communicating these topics to a society that tends to cover it’s ears to the problem.

Best Documentary

Free Solo follows rock climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to free climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. The filming itself proved to be a challenge as the production team had to ensure that Honnold was in no way hindered by bulky microphones or other film equipment. To do this they had a sound technician who knew how to rock climb and climbed alongside him. This is shows real innovation in filmmaking and brings a unique angle on this story rather than just having cameras at the top and bottom of the mountain.

Best Animated Feature

This year saw a welcome departure from the usual Disney win with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse winning the gong. It proved to be hugely popular mainly due to its inclusiveness in narrative as well as the animation itself which differs from the usual large-eyed computer animation that we have become accustomed to. This year also saw Wes Anderson’s return to animation with Isle of Dogs which was absolutely brilliant. Although not as strong as Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs gave the most star-studded cast from any of this year’s films and injected it into a tale about the love between a young boy and his dog.

Best Foreign Film

This category was one of the big competitions of the night. The pundits rightly put their money on Mexico’s entry, Roma, but it would be wrong to ignore the ferociously strong competition from Poland’s Cold War and Japan’s Palme d’Or winning Shoplifters. This year was a tremendous year for international film and I think Roma’s popularity specifically proves that mainstream audiences want to see non-English language films. There’s been a lot of debate on whether Roma should even qualify for awards season given that it is a Netflix film but I personally feel that using streaming it on Netflix means that millions of people will have a chance to watch a film that they may not ordinarily watch. I do think this debate played apart to its loss in the Best Picture race as I feel that the Academy may have felt that the Best Foreign Film win would suffice; however, there is no doubt that Roma was one of the most discussed films of the year and it won’t easily be forgotten.

That’s it for my second Creative awards roundup. My next post will look at the last batch of Creative awards: best song, best score, best costume design, best makeup and best Production design.

What do you think of the winners? Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below!