Second Chances in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'

The photo shows a movie director's clapboard at nine o'clock, and a serving of popcorn in a red and white bucket at eight o'clock, all against a white background, with a sign that reads "MOVIE TIME" in red letters across the top;"with" in yellow near the middle; and "Jon Ochiai" in red from the center out to three o'clock. Altogether: "Movie Time with Jon Ochiai." At four o'clock, there are five golden colored stars under the name, and at six o'clock, two golden colored movie tickets that read Admit One. Jon Ochiai is the author of the movie review associated with this branded image.

In Director Jon Watts’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, sublime Marisa Tomei plays Aunt May, who reminds her nephew Peter, who’s Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, “You have great power. With great power, there must also come great responsibility.” That theme poignantly echoes too, of the Spider-Man movie narratives of the past.

In the context of the Multiverse, this takes on new life. Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Strange, played by whimsically compassionate Benedict Cumberbatch, tells Peter, “We know frighteningly little about the Multiverse…” The Multiverse theorizes the existence of multiple parallel universes, different planes of existence in which we have various versions of ourselves. Physicists Stephen Hawking and Michio Kaku have expanded upon this scientific construct. This is not simply comic book rhetoric. Just saying.

Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers’s screenplay continues the narrative from Spider-Man: Far from Home. Internet News Publisher J. Jonah Jameson, played with bombastic swag by J.K. Simmons, revealed to the world that Superhero Spider-Man was Peter Parker. Caught in the media maelstrom are Peter’s girlfriend MJ, played by understatedly charismatic Zendaya, and his BFF Ned, played by the mercurial Jacob Batalon.

Seeking to gain his life back, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. Reluctantly, Strange casts the spell that makes the world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Hysterically, Peter requests caveats to Strange’s spell that go horribly amok. The Multiverse portal is open. Consequently, Spider-Man’s villains from different universes converge. The Multiverse versions of Spider-Man also converge.

In the aftermath of Strange’s spell, the evil Doc Ock, played by Alfred Molina, fiercely battles Peter on the Brooklyn Bridge with his mechanical tentacles. Amidst their conflict, Doc Ock unmasks Spider-Man. He says, “You’re not Peter Parker.” Tom’s Peter is surprised, too. Doc Ock expected Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker. In the bigger picture, that was an anticipated narrative prior to No Way Home’s release. Here the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) collides with the Sony movie franchise model. Tom Holland is the third iteration of Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were his predecessors.

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In No Way Home, Jon Watts masterfully orchestrates this dimensional convergence in the possibility of forgiveness, of letting go, of second chances. Peter can choose whether to recreate the sins of the past Peter Parkers or invent the possibility of an unrecognizable future. Tom Holland is powerful as Peter in his humanity and vulnerability. Tobey Maguire is especially poignant in his weathered gravitas and wry sense of humor as the other-dimensional version of Peter.

In the Multiverse, Peter exacted revenge on the man, who killed his beloved Uncle Ben, May’s husband. Tobey as Peter says, “I had to get through the darkness.” His Peter healed himself over the years. The other Peter’s know that Tom’s Peter is in love with MJ. The love of Andrew’s Peter was Gwen Stacey, who perished when Spider-Man failed to save her from her tragic fall.

At times No Way Home is on the tipping point of clutter with its numerous villains. Willem Dafoe plays Norman Osborn aka Green Goblin. Jamie Foxx plays Max Dillon aka Electro. Rhys Ifans plays Dr. Curt Connors aka Lizard. Alfred Molina also returns as Dr. Otto Octavius aka Doc Ock. Director Jon dazzles with CGI and visual effects in the climactic battles. Yet, the profound foundation of Spider-Man: No Way Home is the story of healing from loss, learning to let go. In the touching narrative arc, Tobey’s Peter confronts Tom’s Peter to keep him from following the dark path. I cried.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is my favorite movie of the year so far. No Way Home is about becoming the best version of ourselves in whatever universe we might be. Our version has forgiveness in our hearts and the possibility of a second chance. Just saying.

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