In the most highly-anticipated Marvel film since Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home sees the titular, web-slinging superhero faced with the burden of the entire world knowing who he is and believing that he is a murderer. That burden extends far beyond him, however, and his friends and family must deal with the fallout from this revelation as well. When Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to help the world forget who he is and what he’s done, the spell cracks a hole in the multiverse, pulling in characters from other universes. What seemed a sure way to fix Peter’s life will cause chaos, pain, and potentially even death. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the cinematic spectacle of a lifetime–and life for Peter and his cohorts will never be the same.
Spider-Man: No Way Home promised to be one of the biggest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to date as it pulled characters from previous Spider-Man franchises and pitted them against one of the most beloved comic book characters of all time–Spider-Man. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man comes face to face with Norman Osborne (Willem Dafoe), Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), and Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans)--a group of less-than-moral individuals, and mayhem ensues. Each of these aforementioned foes are beloved in their respective universes, and they are more than welcome here in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While they deliver pure entertainment on their own, the on-screen relationships between these characters are ones that viewers didn’t know that they needed–but instantly fall in love with.
The reality is that the previous Spider-Man franchises, while containing instances of comedy, don’t possess the same level as the MCU. I won’t lie, I was worried that the comedy that the MCU uses to build relationships between characters and viewers would steal from the already developed villains–fortunately I was wrong. Each of the aforementioned villains have moments of comedy that allow them to shine–and, sure, the characters change ever so slightly, but their essence remains nearly the same throughout the course of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Dafoe has aged (as can be expected–given the way in which linear time works), but his ability to fall back into the role of Green Goblin and not only entertain, but terrify viewers is impeccable. Not a bad word can be spoken about the acting of anyone in the film, but Dafoe was the most impressive as far as I’m concerned. Each and every one of his lines entices viewers, and those viewers hang on to his every word throughout the course of the film. Dafoe adds levels of horror and fear that had not yet existed in the MCU, and the fact that his character now exists in this universe, I believe, has truly changed the trajectory of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The world has been exposed to emotionally riveting content in the MCU before, and I certainly understand that the fact that the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home are still fresh in my mind plays a significant role in my appreciation for the film–but this film introduces new levels of emotion throughout that wouldn’t have been possible without Holland. However, even beyond Holland, Spider-Man: No Way Home, in its entirety, tugs at the heartstrings of viewers. If you’re human, Jon Watts’ third Spider-Man film will get to you and force you to feel a strong emotional connection to the characters on screen.
I have to be honest, while the film was full of action (as I anticipated), Spider-Man: No Way Home possesses far more dialogue than I expected. In a film where just about everyone has already been established in one way shape or form, I believed that Watts and the team at Marvel would forgo some of the formalities of reintroducing these characters to viewers–that’s not the case. There are moments when things feel slow–slower than I thought would be true of Spider-Man: No Way Home. This isn’t necessarily a complaint–because without these slower moments, those moments full of dialogue, the relationships between characters would never have been able to develop in the fashion in which they did.
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ATTENTION READERS! BELOW ARE MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE FILM DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER!
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It’s no secret that those looking forward to Spider-Man: No Way Home were anticipating the potential appearance of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. There was so much speculation surrounding the anticipated inclusion of the two actors that once portrayed Spider-Man, but there was no way to know for sure whether they would be included until seeing the film. If you’ve read this far you already know that dreams do come true, and both Maguire and Garfield play a significant role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film ran the risk of overshadowing Holland’s Spider-Man with these beloved renditions of the same character, but in typical Marvel fashion, they found a way to meld them together and create a nearly perfect dynamic among the three. Both Garfield and Maguire were intended to have one more film in their respective franchises–and both sets of plans fell through. In many ways Spider-Man: No Way Home acts as a way to neatly wrap up those other series as well–and this is done with precision and grace. With literally dozens of nods to the previous franchises, fans get everything they could have asked for in this regard to Spider-Man: No Way Home.
With the multiversal madness that transpires throughout Spider-Man: No Way Home the implications of what is to come next in the MCU are loaded–and expectations are high. Future shows, series, and individual characters hang in the balance after the events of this film, and fans of the MCU are ecstatic. There were so many expectations for the third installment of Holland’s Spider-Man series, and, for the most part, the hype was lived up to. Holland is wonderful–the resurgence of everything that viewers have loved about Spider-Man in the past and the heartwarming and gut-wrenching scenes sprinkled throughout the film are unique and special. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a welcome new addition to the MCU, and there’s no way viewers don’t find something to absolutely adore about the film.
Directed by Jon Watts.
Written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Stan Lee, & Steve Ditko.
Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Angourie Rice, Arian Moayed, Paula Newsome, Hannibal Buress, Martin Starr, J.B. Smoove, J.K. Simmons, Thomas Haden Church, Charlie Cox, Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, Tobey Maguire, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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