Spider-Man: No Way Home

Released: December 2021

Director: John Watts

Run Time: 148 Minutes

Rated PG-13

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action/Adventure

Cast:
Tom Holland: Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Benedict Cumberbatch: Doctor Strange
Zendaya: MJ
Jacob Batalon: Ned
Alfred Molina: Doctor Otto Octavius/Dock Ock
Jamie Foxx: Max Dillon/Electro
Willem Defoe: Norman Osborne/Green Goblin
Marisa Tomei: May Parker
J.K. Simmons: J. Jonah Jameson

When it comes to movie reviews, I generally don’t like throwing around hyperbole for the sake of hyperbole.  It usually serves no real purpose, but there are occasions when it really does apply to certain things.  The term “game changer” is an example of hyperbole, especially when it comes to movies and movie sequels.  I’ve read and seen reviews of movies where critics often claim that certain movies are game-changers in terms of narrative and visual effects.  Are they, though?  Are they, really?  Now, to be fair: The original Star Wars film was a game-changer in nearly every way, not just in terms of visual effects, but in how movies were made.  Decades later, Marvel and Disney changed the game when they created the MCU or the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Nothing like that had ever been attempted before, at least not on this scale.  So, is the new Spider-Man: No Way Home film a game-changer?  Visually, not really.  In terms of the narrative, it very well could be, but I’m going to try and avoid spoilers for the new movie, because there’s a lot to unpack.  I saw this film yesterday, but I needed an extra day just to wrap my head around it.  Was it worth it?

No Way Home picks right where Far From Home ended with Spider-Man’s secret identity being revealed to the world by Mysterio, the villain of Far From Home.  This has the effect of turning Peter’s life upside down along with his friend Ned and girlfriend MJ.  Because of that, Peter seeks out Doctor Strange so he can make people forget that Peter was Spider-Man, but as Strange is casting the spell, Peter inadvertently botches the spell.  Later as he tracks down the person that he needs to talk to in order to get into MIT, he’s attacked by the supervillain Doctor Octopus.  Soon, other villains like Electro and Green Goblin appear to wreak havoc.  It turns out that by botching Strange’s spell, Peter accidently caused other universes to start spilling over into his, revealing the existence of the Multiverse.  I won’t say anymore of the plot, because there’s a lot that happens here, but it’s done in such a way that it’s easy to follow.  Honestly, this is the best story for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man yet.  It takes Tom Holland’s Peter Parker into darker and more emotional territory, having the audience see a side to Parker that we haven’t seen before.  It’s a tricky thing to balance so many supervillains in one movie, but when it’s handled correctly, it’s amazing.  Thankfully, the three main supervillains in this movie, Doc Ock, Electro, and Green Goblin all get their moment to shine and are given a real reason to be in this particular universe.  The other two supervillains, Sandman and The Lizard are pretty much sidelined until the final battle, but it was still cool to see villains from every era of Spider-Man.  John Watts has done an extraordinary job in balancing the humor, the action, and the emotional impact of this movie.  I won’t spoil anymore, but let’s just say the stakes have never been higher for Peter Parker.

When it comes to acting, I think Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the best movies in the MCU right now.  Everyone is fantastic.  Zendaya and Tom Holland have excellent chemistry as MJ and Peter, and their relationship is one of the greatest aspects of this film.  It’s the same between Peter and Ned, played by Jacob Batalon.  J.K. Simmons was always awesome as J. Jonah Jameson in the original movies, so seeing him here is a real pleasure.  J.K. Simmons IS Jameson, as far as I’m concerned.  Alfred Molina returns as Doc Ock, and it’s like he never left the role.  Doctor Octavius was probably the most human villain that Tobey Maguire’s Parker went up against, and it’s amazing to see Molina in top form here.  Jamie Foxx returns as Electro.  I’m going to be truthful with you:  I didn’t like Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with Andrew Garfield.  He was too goofy-looking and wimpy.  HERE, the character is much more of a threat, but still comes across as a human being.  Tom Holland is the best he’s ever been as Peter.  His character gets put through the ringer in this movie, but that’s also a necessary journey for Peter Parker to truly become Spider-Man.  The real scene stealer of the film has to be Willem Defoe, who returns as Norman Osborne, a.k.a. Green Goblin.  At 66, Defoe hasn’t lost a step, and like Alfred Molina, the character of Green Goblin fits him like a well-worn glove.  The way the characters are all balanced out makes for a surprisingly coherent film.

The action in No Way Home is some of the best that I’ve seen in an MCU Spider-Man movie.  Obviously, you’re going to have the big special effects set-pieces, but the way they’re written gives them more impact.  While the previous films did feel like Parker was in danger a little bit, the stakes have never been higher for Peter here.  He doesn’t always win, and there’s a moment that changes him.  If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know what I’m talking about, but it allows the character a darker edge than we’ve seen before.  The bridge sequence with Doc Ock is fantastic, and so is Peter’s fight with Electro.  Again, they just nailed it.  It’s his battle with Goblin where it becomes an outright brawl, which is not something that we see Spider-Man do.  The camera shots are all set up incredibly well, so that we can see what’s going on.  The sound design and music are all top-notch.  There are a few issues here and there with certain logics and decision-making, but those are generally minor nitpicks in what is other-wise an outstanding third entry.

Now, there has been a lot of discussions about how this movie sets up Spider-Man’s departure from Disney’s MCU to Sony’s Spider-Verse.  Without spoiling the ending, it does, but at the same time, it definitely leaves the character in a place where he could still be a part of the MCU from time-to-time, just not as a main character.  The Multiverse, which was teased in the previous film is explored a little bit more, but it’s also leading into the next Doctor Strange film, Multiverse of Madness.  While the Celestials from Eternals are most likely going to be the next cosmic threat that the Avengers face, the Multiverse still has a significant role to play in this phase.  We are seeing a seismic shift in terms of how the MCU is being approached now.  Disney+ shows like Hawkeye, Loki, and WandaVision have introduced elements that could bleed over into the movie aspect of the MCU.  Again, that’s not something we’ve really seen before, and Spider-Man: No Way Home is a step in that direction.  Personally, I thought I would tap out after Avengers: Endgame, but producer Kevin Feige has managed to keep me interested in where the MCU is going.  Is Spider-Man: No Way Home a game-changer.  Not on its own, but it’s part of a larger picture that we aren’t seeing yet.  It could be leading to something that’s as big if not bigger than the Infinity Saga.  I never thought that would actually happen, but here we are.

If Spider-Man: No Way Home is to be Tom Holland’s final foray as Spider-Man, what a way to end his tenure as the character.  Now, what Sony intends to do with the character from here on out is anybody’s guess.  We probably won’t see another Spider-Man film for a while.  If Tom Holland decides to stick around as the character, the possibilities are endless.  While I don’t think that No Way Home is the best Spider-Man film ever, it is now my favorite.  It’s also one of the best Phase 4 movies so far.  I even like it more than Shang-Chi.  There are THREE MCU movies come next year: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Thor: Love and Thunder.  The MCU’s just never going to let me go, is it?  So, yeah, I definitely recommend Spider-Man: No Way Home.  It’s a movie that you need to see with a big crowd.