Spider-Man: No Way Homeis nothing short of a sensation. It may be up there withMarvelfans’ pick for the best film of 2021. Without spoiling anything, the movie corrected a lot of past mistakes from the entire film franchise. That includes the very first film, not associated with the MCU.
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Others may not be as convincedNo Way Homewas as good as the praise has been. In some regards, it is just a live-action, smaller-scaled version ofInto the Spider-Verse. Both films highlight the web-slinger in his various iterations well but does one stand out above the other? There will be spoilers for each film in the discussion.
8The Amount Of Spider-Men: Into The Spider-Verse
Into The Spider-Versewins out in a game of numbers.No Way Homehas three versions of Spider-Man in it, which are all great. However, they are all Peter Parker without many variations to their inner characters.Into The Spider-Versehas a lot more variety.
There are two girls, two “normal”versions of Peter, a black Spider-Man, a black and white Spider-Man, and a cartoon pig. It is the perfect setup for a multiverse movie and it’ll be hard for a live-action movie to ever top this supply of heroes.
7Fan Service: No Way Home
WhatNo Way Homedoes with its three Spider-Man characters is good even though the numbers are smaller. There are a few nods to the other movies inInto The Spider-VerseincludingSpider-Man 3’selectric dance, but that’s about it.
There are so many inside jokes inNo Way Homethat not all fans are going to get them right away. One of the most obscure ones iswhen Toby Maguire’sSpider-Man is complaining about his back. That is not just a joke about him getting old. It’s a lot more complicated than that and it’s one of many fun references fans enjoy aboutNo Way Home.
6The Humor: Into The Spider-Verse
The references inNo Way Homeare better because it gets to draw onfive previous filmswith two other Spider-Man actors.Into The Spider-Verseis packed full of jokes that are original which is better in a different way. One of the best early jokes has Miles stick to Gwen uncontrollably, forcing her to rip some hair out.
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This gives her a new iconic look in the film. Another fun scene involves Peter and Miles escaping from Doc Ock, throwing a bagel at bad guys pursuing them from behind. It is a gut-buster of a film.
5The What I Lost Moment: No Way Home
Into The Spider-Versehas some hard-hitting emotional moments. Miles’ uncle dying on top of the original Peter’s death are tragic. None of them compare to some of the emotional lows ofNo Way Home. Aunt May dying was a true surprise, giving Peter his death speech moment.
This allowed him to bondwith Andrew Garfieldand Toby Maguire over the people they have lost. The Spider-Man variations inInto The Spider-Versedo this too, and it was first, but it wasn’t as tearful. Garfield knocks it out of the park inNo Way Homewhen he talks about Gwen.
4The Story: Into The Spider-Verse
No Way Homehasno great story. Peter wants his life to go back to normal so he tries and get a spell cast to erase minds. This brings in villains and heroes from the other movie universes which are fun for the film. There are just too many characters to juggle to make a satisfying story for all of them.
Into The Spider-Versemanages to nail every Spider-Man in the movie and give them enough purpose where things make sense. They don’t have much backstory, but it’s still better balanced.
3The Villains: No Way Home
There are too many characters in No Way Home which is a problem. All five villains, for example, don’t get equal screen time or sensible purposes. However, it was still worth getting them into the movie for the fan service of it all. Doc Ock and the Green Goblin in particular stole the show.
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Even Electro had some good moments. It’s too bad their plot lines didn’t fully come together, but at least they had more of a menacing presence than the villains inInto The Spider-Verse. Only Kingpin made a real mark in that movie.
2The Visual Style: Into The Spider-Verse
No Way Homelooks great now. However, in a few years when CG has evolved, the film will look dated. That’s the problem with turning comic books into live-action shows or films. CG is rarely going to stand the test of time next to practical effects.
What holds up even better is animation andInto The Spider-Verseis brimming with style. It’s an easy win for the film but every bit counts. Spider-Man, as a character, will always lookbest in animation.
1Verdict: Into The Spider-Verse
The real winner of this contest is the fans. It is cheesy to say but it is true. Who would have ever thought an animated movie likeInto The Spider-Versewas possible? Who would have thought a live-action crossover would be possible with three different movie timelines inNo Way Home? Both scenarios are crazy and fans have enjoyed both.
However, as a more bold concept that is executed perfectly on almost every level,Into The Spider-Verseis slightly better. It doesn’t have the nods some fans may be looking for butInto The Spider-Verseis the overall morerobust multiverse experience.
