This past week has been big for the movie industry. First, Bruce Willis gets his own category as the Die Hard actor received eight nominations under Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie. The veteran has been starring in a string of direct-to-DVD action films that would put the terrible string of movies that Nicholas Cage has done to shame. However, following the announcement of the 2022 Razzies came the Oscar nominations. As usual, there were several snubs and surprises, such as the Oscars completely shunning Lady Gaga in her role for House of Gucci or no trace of Rebecca Hall’s passing to be found in the prestigious nomination list. However, there are plenty who are dubbing Spider-Man: No Way Home on the snubbed list. It’s easily the biggest movie in the last two years and the critical reception has been great for the Spidey flick. So, does Spider-Man: No Way Home transcend above superhero movies and rise to the levels of Spider-Man 2? Or was it just an excellent popcorn movie that fans and some journalists are overrating?
Spider-Man: No Way Home is a tricky one. First, it definitely moves beyond the typical popcorn feature as there are several emotional beats that were shocking. Aunt May dying was definitely the biggest surprise. Marisa Tomei is a fantastic actress, and it was hard to not shed tears over the emotional moment between Peter and Aunt May. Both actors were perfect here and the nuances in both their speeches and body language elevated the scene. Another surprise was the character development of both Doc Ock/Dr. Otto Octavius, Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, and Electro/Max Dillion, which easily helped carried the film on the villain side. There was a nice emotional depth to their characters beyond them just being evil and the fact that Spider-Man: No Way Home found a way to effortlessly explore that without it ever feeling clunky or distracting was amazing. Unfortunately, this also meant that Sandman and The Lizard/Dr. Curt Connors weren’t given much room for growth.
I will say that Tobey McGuire’s entrance was kind of weak. Andrew Garfield provided a nice comedic moment, but it would’ve been more impactful if both guys swung in and joined the early action. That way, the film could’ve built up the villains as a credible threat by having them defeat all three Spideys, and give some more depth to their dynamic. The callbacks were great of course and the Peter having his mind wiped was another strong moment. There’s no doubt that Spider-Man: No Way Home was an excellent film, but unfortunately, I don’t feel that it was on the level of Spider-Man 2. While the third entry handled the overabundance of characters on screen better this time around, No Way Home just never feels that it’s on the level of an Academy Award type film.
There were several clunky moments, and the film doesn’t really go deep enough in exploring one character because it has to service numerous characters. As always, the action was incredible, especially the interdimensional battle between Dr. Strange and Spider-Man, so the film rightfully deserves is Best Visual Effects nomination. Spider-Man 2 managed to really tap into the root of both the protagonist and antagonist in a profound way that was seamless. Don’t get me wrong, there was character development for Peter and the villains I mentioned above, but again, the level of exploration was better in the Sam Raimi vehicle than No Way Home. Would it have been wrong if Spider-Man: No Way Home was nominated? Not really. Like I stated previously, the third entry of the Tom Holland saga moves beyond popcorn levels of entertainment, and I wouldn’t have battled an eye lash over acting nominations for Williem Dafoe, Tom Holland, and Marisa Tomei. I haven’t seen every movie in the Best Picture category so I can’t exactly put my finger on who deserves what just yet, but it just doesn’t bother me that Spider-Man: No Way Home isn’t on the list. At the end of the day, an Oscar is simply a trophy, nothing more. Granted, I understand it’s huge prestige and know the joys actors and filmmakers feel when they’re nominated or even win, but the point is that Spider-Man: No Way Home doesn’t need an Oscar to remind people just how good it is. The comic book movie can hold its head up high knowing that it’s one of the best in a crowded genre, even though I consider it several notches below Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.Spider-Man: No Way Home
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