Spider-Man: No Way Home packs a lot of fun, emotional, nostalgic, and crowd-pleasing moments, and handles them all smoothly and with style.
Overall Score: 10/10
Image: Marvel Studios / Sony Pictures Releasing
*WARNING: SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*
Wow… That was the word that was going through my head as the credits began to roll. I almost, quite literally, was speechless. This was the MCU’s third Spider-Man movie, a continuation of the third iteration of the character, and the eighth overall Peter Parker-centric film. By now, other long-running franchises would’ve run out of original ideas, relying too much on the old and not enough on the new. Marvel and Sony’s threequel, however, proves that, perhaps, with a combination of just the right amount of what has already been seen and what hasn’t, something refreshingly original and good can be made.
I’ll admit, I was initially skeptical when the first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home was released. I had thought that they were going to screw everything up by favoring fan service and multiversal crossovers over a logical continuation to the story set up by Far From Home. Going into the film, I had a few questions: How on Earth would they find a way to justify the use of these characters when most, if not all of them, had received satisfying conclusions to their arcs by the end of their respective films? Furthermore, the majority of these characters had already perished, so surely, bringing them back must be a mistake, right?
Man, have I never been happier to have been proven wrong. Everything in this movie just… works. Even the things that shouldn’t work end up working really well. Such is the inclusion of nearly every past Spider-Man villain from the previous two sets of films and the exclusion of the ones native to the MCU. On paper, this sounds like a risky idea, but No Way Home finds a way to make this creative choice a smart one by taking these beloved characters and adding more layers of development to them.
Another positive thing about this film is the acting. It’s quite impressive that virtually none of the actors have lost their touch as they’re all able to play their respective characters just as they once did (some from nearly 20 years ago), but the real standouts here are Tom Holland and Willem Dafoe.
Let’s start with the former. While I’ve never really had an issue with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, I’ve always felt that his portrayal was weaker than that of Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s. Holland’s version initially came off as far too childish, and while this iteration has been purposefully presented as a typical teenager, he seemed to lack the seriousness that grounded his predecessors and made them relatable. In No Way Home, however, he’s finally given the chance to truly show off his dramatic acting chops and fully shine. Peter’s reaction to Aunt May’s death and the scene where he resolves not to reintroduce himself to his friends, in particular, are what convinced me that Tom Holland truly is a great actor and has what it takes to both be just as good as those who came before him and stand on his own.
As for Willem Dafoe, his return as the Green Goblin is simply a wonder to behold. He’s just as terrifying as ever, able to switch back and forth between his Norman Osborn and villainous personas with ease. Furthermore, I found it fitting that they essentially made him the main antagonist of the movie, and having him be the one who takes away what matters most to Peter adds some much-needed emotional depth, bringing the Spider-Man franchise across all three iterations full circle.
Also, I love how they flipped the whole Uncle Ben thing on its head and used Aunt May instead. Before this, we had always assumed that Holland’s Spider-Man had been subjected to the same origin story, only that it had happened off-screen. Everyone was proven wrong, however, as we learn that up until Aunt May’s death, the MCU’s Peter had never been taught the most important lesson of his life. This is most evident when Peter tells his aunt that the multiversal villains aren’t his responsibility, prompting May to utter the famous line “With great power, there must also come great responsibility” before dying shortly afterwards. Her death is shocking and painful to watch, but it ultimately serves as the beginning of Peter’s journey towards truly becoming Spider-Man.
We also have to talk about the return of the previous two Spider-Men. The moment they pop up on-screen is, in and of itself, amazing. Furthermore, it was smart of the creative team to bring Tobey Maguire’s version back as an older and wiser Peter because it allows him to be the one who stops Tom Holland’s version from going down the wrong path. Also, I’m really happy with what they did with Andrew Garfield’s Spidey. By letting him save the MCU’s MJ, he’s given the redemption and closure he’s always needed, allowing him to finally heal.
Lastly, let’s move on to the film’s negative aspects. The only issue I have is that the beginning of the movie (depicting the legal implications of Peter’s identity being revealed to the world and the accusation that he murdered Mysterio) moves and ends a little too quickly. In the end, however, this doesn’t really matter, as we, the audience, are rewarded with a minor (but significant and mind-blowing) cameo from none other than Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil himself.
All in all, the MCU’s third Spider-Man movie is a massive improvement over its two predecessors (Homecoming and Far From Home). There’s lots of action, plenty of nostalgia, and a good amount of character development. The final battle sequence, which features all three iterations of the character teaming up to take down the villains, is tons of fun. And with Aunt May’s death and the film’s bittersweet ending, Spider-Man: No Way Home essentially acts as both the culmination of the entire franchise and a brand new origin story for Peter Parker, allowing it to successfully achieve the impossible.
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