Spider-Man: No Way Home | Film Review

I have been a devoted Spider-Man fan my entire life – I honestly can’t decide if that statement is cool as hell or one step away from a Sad Batman meme – and have always struggled a bit with drastic changes to the character when they detract from the ESSENCE of who Peter Parker is. His internal conflicts, extreme selflessness, his innate ability to always put others first. But those struggles are easily overcome if those changes do not fundamentally change the character. Organic web-shooters were a weird choice, but Raimi understood the character and Tobey Maguire was Peterfection. Andrew Garfield was too damn cool, yet he nailed the driving force of Parker’s motivations with emotional gravitas (still the best with a quip too). Tom Holland started off a bit whiny, but grew into a strong Peter Parker all his own. Unfortunately, the movies around him often completely lost the essence of Peter that I was just talking about.

Homecoming was all about Peter Parker impressing Tony Stark and finding his footing, Far from Home was the next logical step but spent too much time following Peter’s ass moping around because he lost Uncle Tony while he can’t even mention he had an Uncle Ben. Both films benefitted from exceptional villains and a John Hughes-worthy supporting cast, but failed to allow Spider-Man to actually BE Spider-Man. Instead, all of Peter and his villains’ driving motivations were connected to Tony Stark. Who needs Uncle Ben when you have the megapopular Uncle Tony, right? I do. That’s who.

Now we finally arrive at Spider-Man: No Way Home. After months and months of speculating, what I can ultimately tell you is…not a damn thing.

Absolutely nothing. This entire movie is a simmering spoiler bomb just waiting to go off.

Here is what I WILL say: the overall plot is that after the events of Far from Home, where Mysterio outed Peter’s true identity on his deathbed, his life is becoming straight-up chaos. His identity upends everyone’s life that he cares about: Aunt May, Ned, MJ, Happy. Everyone. It would probably affect Tony Stark as well if they could figure out how to Weekend at Bernie’s his corpse without having to pay RDJ royalties. In other words, it’s a nightmare.

Peter (Tom Holland) gets the questionable idea of reaching out to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and asking him to throw down a little spell that forces the world to just forget about ole Spidey’s identity – because in the MCU, Spider-Man never does Spider-Man things and solves a problem himself, he just uses other people’s tech or calls on magic mojo for solutions – and needless to say, things do NOT go as planned. Marvel’s Multiverse opens up, and fan service takes a collect call direct from Kevin Feige’s cinematic prison. Also, the true Peter Parker finally emerges.

I seriously cannot and will not say much else about the film simply because I believe in the fan experience, and if you love this character, you need to feel those Spidey senses tingling throughout your spine as they arise. There are nods, cameos, and even a few connections broad and small.

You came here to know if No Way Home lives up the hype and hell yes, it does! And that’s coming from someone who erupts in a visible seizure every time I think about the complexities of the MCU Multiverse. Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have delivered a script that manages to effortlessly navigate this Multiverse without once losing us along the way. Strange’s explanations are rational and muted, calmly stated (mostly) and articulated. In other words, you will not be lost in translation.

I can barely even comment on the performances, but if you have come this far, then you are already on board with this cast, and the romance between Peter and MJ has never been more poignant. Zendaya continues her effortless charm and dour wit, while Holland pines and swoons his way around her eyes like Fred Astaire taking a spin around a ballroom. Marisa Tomei gets more to do here than any previous MCU Spidey flick, and once again proves she deserved that damn Oscar and who the hell are you to say otherwise?

The overall story is a bit of a stretch and the first act is a tad wonky before events begin to gel and take shape, but rest assured there are amazing moments fans have only dreamed of in No Way Home. You will applaud, pump a fist, SCREAM, cry, possibly even yodel if you’re so inclined. There is an emotional payoff for every single Spider-Man fan out there. All of us. Hell, there is so much nostalgia and fan service, you would think Marvel was just manufacturing this shit by now. Most importantly: Tom Holland FINALLY arrives at the essence of Peter Parker.

What does that even mean? Well, Peter Parker has never been about the whiz-bang. The flash. Being seen as an Avenger with a snazzy nano-suit. Peter Parker is a true hero, an everyman with great power, who never forgets that with it, comes even greater responsibility. It has taken this series 3 movies to get here, but I finally have arrived at MY Spider-Man, the one I know and have loved for my entire life.

That is the best I can do and still preserve your enjoyment. You want to walk into this one absolutely blind, to capture those fantastic moments and memories for yourself. You deserve it, and so did I. Director Jon Watts has closed out his trilogy with a rip-roaring rollercoaster ride of an event. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the Endgame of Spider-Man movies.

‘Nuff said.

Follow our further discussion on Spider-Man: No Way Home via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: