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I did not at all expect our Spider-Man: No Way Home podcast to come off as negatively as it did. In fact, I anticipated Steve would be the one that enjoyed it most, with Shamus and I having varying degrees of critiques or nitpicks. Instead, it turned into a great sharing of gripes among all three of us.

Well, I say all three, but I feel like I began to dominate the complaining and critiquing in a most unfortunate manner, as always.

Still, it’s not like the film is actually bad. I can still look back at several scenes and feel enjoyment in their execution. If you were to tell me this film was a miserable experience for everyone on set, be it actors, special effects supervisors, the directors and writers, I’d be absolutely shocked. Regardless of the corporate purpose this film serves as a regularly dispensed product, I cannot help but get the feeling this was a film made by people that wanted to be there and had fun doing it. The film is a delight in regards to the mood it sets and vibe it gives off.

Yet it’s that schmalz, I suppose, that leaves me feeling as if this film’s attempt at heart is mere imitation. What is the true lesson learned? What is the message here? Not that all films should have a message, but it is difficult to understand what Peter’s actual arc is. We don’t even know if Tom Holland will continue as Spider-Man. If he does not, then the bittersweet tone of the film’s conclusion does not suggest the tragedy that is Peter Parker failing to learn what his strength is: working with others.

Most viewers will probably watch the credits roll with a welling of emotions and ultimately conclude that this was a good movie. They may even rewatch it multiple times, never questioning the film’s own logic as they delight in Otto and Osborne’s interactions or Jamie Foxx’s villainous charisma. For some of us, however, the more we think about the film, the more we’ll see just how manufactured it truly is.

Nothing breaks immersion like seeing the hands of executives and, admittedly, fandom stitch and duct-tape something together. Spider-Man: No Way Home may be one of the best portrayals of stereotypical comic book narrative, indulgence, and action on screen – and I mean that in terms of execution rather than accuracy, as I find most comic book efforts to feel mediocre and amateurish – but at the end of the day, once you get past the fun of it all, you’re left feeling hollow.

Maybe that’s why so many still look back on those Sam Raimi Spider-Man films so warmly. The first two were certainly products of a studio yearning to make money, but in the end, they still feel like the work of Sam Raimi specifically, and it’s hard to ignore the heart of a work when such a set of auteur fingerprints have been left all over.

What did you think of Spider-Man: No Way Home? Feel free to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail with your opinions.

Opening theme music by Fallen Prophecy.