The Main Issue With Each MCU Phase 4 Entry (So Far)

3. Spider-Man: No Way Home - The Filmmaking Is Lacklustre

No Way Home absolutely annihilated pandemic-era box office records and served as a culmination of all things Spidey-centric in cinema over the last 20 years. Although the nostalgic payoff was undeniably satisfying to see play out, it was just a shame that the filmmaking used to depict the web-slinging team-up were frustrating and baffling in equal measure.

Plot beats such as an out-of-character Doctor Strange and flimsy multiversal mechanics were undeniably annoying, but they would have been far more palatable in the hands of a director with a strong command of their craft and a distinct style.

Unfortunately, Jon Watts did not add much in the way of filmmaking flair to the film aside from mostly unnecessary tracking shots in the film's first act, and the rest of the film lacked the visual excitement of the Raimi or even the Webb Spidey films.

The one scene Watts directed with actual verve was Peter's first meeting with the Green Goblin, and even this was hampered by excessive editing as expertly explained in this video. As much as the film was impacted by pandemic restrictions, other films have been shot under similar circumstances and they turned out to be more visually dazzling than No Way Home's mostly bland presentation.