which in this case means between movies.
Electro, Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor
Octopus (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas
Haden Church) and Lizard (Rhys Ifans)
tumble forth like dazed travelers who took a
wrong turn at Albuquerque.
By opening pathways of connection
between the Spider-Man films, “No Way
Home” binds together a much-remade
fictional universe with a new spirit of
cohesion and a warm bath of fan service.
If we are stepping between movies, it’s
tempting to want some of the portals to
lead into other films — to Cumberbatch’s
character in “The Power of the Dog” or
Andrew Garfield in “Tick, Tick ... Boom!”
Or better yet, Dafoe’s mad wickie in “The
Lighthouse.” Now that would be meta.
Really, it was the Chris Miller and Phil Lord-
produced “Into the Spider-verse” that opened
this gateway by riffing metaphysically with the
webslinger. “No Way Home” adopts some of
that comic energy but doesn’t have the same
whip-smart, freewheeling uninhibitedness.
If “Spider-verse” was about how anyone can
be Spider-Man, “No Way Home” is a more
authorized Spider-Man compendium; its tone
leans more operatic than antic. Still, Watts
has a human touch that can be lacking in
superhero films, and nearly all of the actors
who appear in “No Way Home” come across as
individuals despite the high-concept narrative.
It also offers a more direct compare and
contrast between our three Spider-Men,
each a variant of the same theme. The Sam
Raimi films, with Tobey Maguire — or at least
the first two — are still top of the class. But