What can I say about Spider-Man: No Way Home? No, seriously. What CAN I say? This movie has gone from a simple Spider-Man film to a full-blown mega event in superhero cinema, to the point that spoilers about this one film are treated like an internet landmine, trying to avoid them like the plague. Rest assured, this reviewer won’t give away any of the juicy secrets contained in this film, which will be a Herculean task given what actually takes place in two and half hours.
Instead, I will say this: Spider-Man: No Way Home could’ve very easily been a colossal disaster, what with the sheer amount of characters crammed into this one film. But somehow, as if replicating the success of “The Avengers,” pulls off a feat only Marvel could and makes a great, thrilling, crowd-pleasing spectacle that takes full advantage of its characters, satisfying the legions of Spider-Man fans- so long as they’re diehards.
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With Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland, “Chaos Walking”) identity revealed to the world in the previous Spider-Man film, this film picks up immediately after that event. Now, we’re in uncharted waters; Spider-Man’s identity has always remained a mystery in the past and director Jon Watts, who directed the previous two films, wastes no time establishing that now more than ever, Peter is in some serious sh*t. Things couldn’t be worse for Peter here and the first twenty minutes makes the stakes crystal clear.
Then, it all goes to hell when Peter enlists Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, “Star Trek Into Darkness”) to cast a spell that could get him out of trouble, but goes terribly wrong allowing things-I’m-not-allowed-to-talk-about to happen. From there, Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who deserve all the credit in the world for pulling this off, grab from every trick in Marvel’s playbook as the trippy magic sequences from Strange’s solo film perfectly coalesce with the wall-crawler’s antics that we’re used to. Much like “Avengers: Infinity War” before it, this movie is a masterclass in bringing together drastically different characters and watching what happens when they’re in the same room.
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There’s an almost insane amount of callbacks, fan service, and stand-up and cheer moments in this film, but there is a cost: If you’re not a Marvel diehard, this is not the movie for you. As with most films from Phase Four, there are so many prerequisite films you have to watch for this to make any sense, which kind of works against the film for mass audiences. Remarkably, though, all of the action that unfolds still serves a strong narrative. The arc that Peter goes through here is a big one and emotions will be played with. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be marveled, pardon the pun.
The fact that SO much happens in this film and yet it still feels just as intimate as Spider-Man: Homecoming is quite simply a miracle. Especially given that comic book fans have seen this formula tried and failed in the past. Think about it: A Spider-Man sequel with multiple villains that ups the ante while still trying to continue Peter’s story? Yeah… Old wounds are opening. But Marvel somehow corrects their past mistakes here by delivering a complete sequel that still works in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and explodes it wide open for the future.
Spider-Man: No Way Home must be seen to be believed for your sake. I was skeptical that it would work, but not only does it work, it exceeds the already very high expectations. There were times in the theater where I could not believe what I was seeing onscreen, and that my friends, is pure movie magic.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in theaters.