STACK #210 Apr 2022

MOVIE FEATURE

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STACK ’S TOP 3

MOVIES

1. SPIDER-MAN 2 A rare sequel that’s better than the original, and featuring arguably the greatest villain in the cinematic Spider-Verse – Doc Ock, played to perfection by Alfred Molina. Still the best Spider-Man film to date, and one of the all- time best superhero/comic book movies.

2. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Weaving threads from all the

previous Spider-Man movies into the MCU version is a masterstroke. Many of the returning characters are better utilised here than in

their respective films, while others remind us just how great they were. 3. SPIDER-MAN Back before superhero movies were a thing, Sam

A veritable greatest hits package from the Sony and Marvel Spider-Verse that reintroduces old friends and foes, Spider-Man: NoWay Home might well be the ultimate Spider-Man movie. A fter Alfred Molina (Doc Ock) was spotted at an Atlanta restaurant while the oh-so-top-secret

Raimi delivered a dynamic live-action Spidey flick that remains a fine example of the genre – and a lot better than you remember it being. Tom Holland has since nailed the Peter Parker persona, making it easy to forget how good Tobey Maguire is in the title role.

Spider-Man: No Way Home was filming at nearby Pinewood Studios last year, Spidey fans took note, concluding that the new film might feature further former villains. With the news leaking just weeks ahead of the film’s global release, Sony Studios was alarmed. But did the early reveal hurt the box office? Absolutely not! Spider-Man: No Way Home has

multiverse, not everyone is a foe – notably former Spideys Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. The 27th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: No Way Home also sees the return of Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan, Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson and J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson, the balding Oscar-winner quipping, “I’m glad to be yet again doing the new, less follicly-endowed version of J. Jonah Jameson. He’s a fun guy for audiences to identify with, the guy you love to hate.” Holland couldn’t help but geek out as the “secret cast” showed up on set. “As an actor and as a fan of Spider-Man, it was exciting to see them don their costumes again and get back into character,” he says. “It was also really exciting to see how Alfred was blown away by the advancement in technology and how these kinds of movies had changed. “When he made Spider- Man 2 , his arms were

• Spider-Man: No Way Home is out on Apr 13

as well as for his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and BF Ned (Jacob Batalon). “Spider-Man’s biggest superpower is Peter Parker, and that’s because of his humility,” argues Holland. “When that is at stake, his friends are at stake, his aunt is at stake, their lives have been ruined because of him, he knows he has to do something. “What I love – and this is a constant reminder of how young Peter is – is the naiveté of him going to Doctor Strange and saying, ‘Can you just make everyone forget who I am, is that something you can do?’ And that’s something only a kid would do.” Strange’s spell goes disastrously wrong, resulting in the re-emergence of dangerous foes from alternate universes, including Jamie

already taken close to US$2 billion worldwide, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of all time – and certainly the most successful film in Spider-Man history. With Peter Parker (Tom Holland) now in his final year of high school and the eyes of the world on him, it’s clear that No Way Home marks the final chapter in his coming-of-age trilogy. “In the previous films, Peter really has been the spider-boy, and this film is about him becoming the Spider-Man,” says Holland

who, at 25, was more than ready for Spidey graduation. “It’s about him growing up, stepping up to the plate, and making his own decisions as a full-blown Avenger. After Peter’s identity was revealed at the end of

puppets – he had four or five guys moving him around. This time, he was on a toothpick rig, which is a platform on a pole with a huge weight on the end. He can stand on the end and they can move him around. It was like seeing a kid in a candy shop.”

Foxx’s Electro, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Rhys Ifans’ Lizard

2019’s Spider-Man: Far from Home , he asks Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help in restoring his secret,

and Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman, joined by Molina’s Doc Ock. But in this new

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APRIL 2022

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