Spider-Man: No Way Home did not meet my expectations, it exceeded them. This film is massive, and the best of the franchise.
Fans likely felt like they have been waiting forever for Spider-Man: No Way Home, but trust me when I say it is worth every excruciating minute of the tortuously long wait. This movie had a lot of hype surrounding it, which can easily make a film flop, but that won’t happen here because it lives up to the hype.
This movie picks up immediately where the end credit scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home left off. Peter Parker’s identity has been revealed because of Mysterio and well, the world isn’t exactly happy with him. He quickly realized the danger that he is putting his loved ones in and goes to Doctor Strange, who is dealing with his own issues, to fix it.
As seen in the trailers, Peter never knowing when to stop talking messes up the spell and that cracks the multiverse, allowing villains to arrive from other universes. Ones that fans of Spider-Man have seen in past films. And it is up to Peter to stop them.
Related: Spider-Man: No Way Home SPOILER Review: What Fans Needed
What Works With Spider-Man: No Way Home
Whether or not rumors are true doesn’t matter because this movie is absolutely massive. The story itself is absolutely amazing. We already know from trailers that villains from the Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies are back — and it is so good to see them in action. They are all allowed their moment to shine, and are not just used as a schtick.
This is one of the best things about Spider-Man: No Way Home. These characters are not back just to put fans in seats, they are actually used incredibly well in the story. Every one of them has a story, a plot point, and an arc in this movie — and they are all done so well that long time fans will be clapping, cheering, and just… happy.
Related: Comic Books To Read Before Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home is all about bringing the Peter Parker that fans know and love to the screen. Tom Holland is the best combination of Spider-Man and Peter Parker but his character is very different than that of the original from the comic books. His character and story arc have been close to getting there and this movie puts him through what it needs to in order to get him there.
Peter is selfless, and will always put others before himself. Perhaps his greatest downfall. Sometimes it is heartbreaking to watch but that is who this character is, and always will be.
Benedict Cumberbatch is, of course, amazing. He has really settled into his role as Doctor Strange and is a welcome addition to the cast here. But he doesn’t spend too long in the movie, and he doesn’t take away from the others whose movie it really is. Doctor Strange has another one coming, and we all can’t wait. So it was nice of him to have his time then bow out for a while.
As a massive fan of villains, it was great seeing them all back in action. They are each given their time to shine, which is appreciated, but it is also nice to see the upgrades to their costumes, their designs, and their stories. It is fun to see bits of the style of their previous films used in No Way Home in order to bring things full circle.
The battle scenes are MASSIVE in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It is so much fun to watch because it they go so big. There are several big action scenes, and they just get bigger and bigger as the film goes on. Each one topping the previous one, which feels impossible, trust me.
This movie pays tribute to everything that Spider-Man fans love. It all comes together to become the best superhero movie of all time, and easily the best Marvel Cinematic Universe film yet. There is so much to love about this one. It can be watched over, and over, and over — and I don’t think it will ever get old.
Related: 75+ Heartbreaking & Hilarious Spider-Man: No Way Home Quotes
What Doesn’t Work With Spider-Man: No Way Home
It is very hard to pinpoint something that is wrong with this movie because it is so close to perfect. If anything, the first 30 minutes or so feels like a lot of it pulled from the trailers. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the pacing is slow, but some viewers will want to get to the surprises and things they don’t know are coming. That is a serious nitpick though…and one that really doesn’t take anything away from this perfect movie.
Overall Thoughts
Spider-Man: No Way Home will have long time fans cheering, crying, laughing, and jumping out of their seats. This movie is insane, and an emotional roller coaster (but in the best way possible). The score, the acting, the cinematography, the visuals, and the heart all come together to create something truly epic. This is easily the best live action Spider-Man movie, and what the fans have always wanted to see.
Be sure to stay for both the mid-credit and end-credit scenes. The first of which is hilarious, but expected, and the second of which that will blow the minds of those watching. Spider-Man: No Way Home picked up where the previous film left off, and if it is the end of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, I am OK with that. I don’t want that to happen, but it gives fans a closure.
That said, it very clearly leads into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so no matter what, this story isn’t completely over.
Spider-Man: No Way Home perfectly combines heart, humor, action, nostalgia, character development, redemption, and a really freaking amazing plot — and what fans end up with is the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movie yet.
Rating: 5 out of 5
About Spider-Man: No Way Home
With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
