Spider-Man: No Way Home || Spoiler-Free Review

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Genre:  Superhero, Adventure
Directed by:  Jon Watts
Written by:  Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
Starring:  Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Benedict Wong
Score by:  Michael Giacchino  ||  Cinematography by:  Mauro Fiore
Spider-Man with his Iron Spider suit and robotic tentacles bracing for a fight

The Movie Summed Up in a Tweet

"Spider-Man: No Way Home provides a bold & deeply satisfying conclusion to Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man trilogy while also serving as an empathetic reflection on the history of the Spider-Man franchise in quite possibly the best blockbuster of the year."

What Worked?

Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU's) most ambitious projects in a number of ways. Not only does No Way Home serve as the final chapter in Tom Holland's Spider-Man trilogy - concluding the story that began in Spider-Man: Homecoming - but No Way Home also serves as a thoughtful epilogue and artful reflection on Sony's previous attempts at the franchise. That's right - we're talking about Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire and the two Marc Webb-directed Amazing Spider-Man movies starring Andrew Garfield.

Peter, Ned, and Mary Jane looking towards the camera

On the subject of past movies, the Spider-Man franchise has historically struggled under the weight of its own ambition, often tasked with juggling multiple storylines and characters (see Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2) in an effort to continually top previous entries. That's what No Way Home attempts to do here, by continuing Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) story from Far From Home - where his secret identity has been revealed and the public belives him to be responsible for Quentin Beck's death - while bringing in the multiversal threat of a supergroup comprised of past Spidey badguys. There are a lot of elements at play in No Way Home, and in lesser hands, could have easily gone off the proverbial rails. Luckily, Jon Watts masterfully weaves together all of No Way Home's various elements and story threads into a cohesive blockbuster that is as entertaining as it is emotionally resonant - placing equal focus on its complex and intricate action beats as it does on the quieter, more intimate character moments.

A giant illustrated billboard in New York declaring Peter Parker the "Public Enemy #1"
One of the biggest surprises in No Way Home wasn't one of the cameos or nods to previous Spider-Man movies (though not to worry, there are plenty of those). No, the biggest surprise was in the empathy-forward storytelling. A common frustration with the majority of superhero movies (including most of the original Spider-Man movies) is the frequency at which villains are killed off, usually after a climactic third act showdown between the hero and the villain - now a formulaic and expected trend for most comic book finales.

In Spider-Man: No Way Home, the narrative surrounding Peter and his friends attempting to deal with the villains not only subverts these third-act expectations, but also delivers a contemplative push back against the detached and objectivist views heroes sometimes have. This is encapsulated perfectly in the new dynamic formed between Peter Parker and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) - their thoughtful debate about the fate of these multiversal visitors and how much responsibility Peter and Stephen share for their safe return becomes the central conflict that informs every facet of the considerate storytelling in No Way Home.

It's through this strong emotional core at its center that Spider-Man: No Way Home is able to effectively play its audience like an emotional piano - bringing laughter, thrills, and tears in equal measure. Thought the first act offers plenty of comedy and a light-hearted tone similar to the first two Holland movies, No Way Home appropriately leans into its emotionally heavy material in the second and third act. The bulk of this added dramatic weight is given to Tom Holland, Zendaya (Mary Jane), and Marisa Tomei (Aunt May) to work with - allowing all three to turn in their strongest performances in the MCU to date.

Doctor Strange separating Peter from his astral form.



As much as I have been here for Holland's performance as Peter Parker and Spider-Man from his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War - there is a very vocal group of fans who have felt that this iteration of Spider-Man has been held back due to his inclusion in the MCU. Many have given Holland's Peter Parker the moniker of Iron Boy or Iron Man Junior due to his perceived inability to escape Tony Stark's shadow. Spider-Man: No Way Home ends up addressing many of these issues by placing Peter in a well-known transitionary period of his young adult life - graduating high school and being left with figuring out what comes next. This provides the perfect storytelling opportunity for Peter to naturally start questioning his character and place within the larger context of the MCU without ever feeling like studio course-correction - incorporated merely to appease upset fans. No Way Home evolves Peter so organically and gracefully through its perfect blend of nostalgia, "character-first" fan-service, and intuitive storytelling.

Spider-Man atop the Statue of Liberty shooting a web into the foreground.
Michael Giacchino's score continues to be a highlight of these MCU Spider-Man movies. Ever since I've first heard Spidey's new MCU theme, filled with its staccato strings and deep, trilling horn section - well, I've loved it. Giacchino's musical take on the wallcrawler's main theme has always rode the perfect line between familiarity and freshness. The inclusion of Doctor Strange into No Way Home's story allows Giacchino (who also happens to be Doctor Strange's composer) to add new layers to the sounds established in Homecoming and Far From Home - incorporating ethereal tones and dark choral arrangements.

Additionally, with the multiversal villains entering the fray, Giacchino is able to work in musical allusions to and motifs from some of Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer's work from the previous Spider-Man franchises. This makes for a soundtrack that's rife with homage and nods, but one that never loses its own identity - directly mirroring the storytelling itself. It's a fittingly impressive and remarkable soundtrack that sees Michael Giacchino continue to evolve as a composer - in my opinion, cementing Giacchino as this generation's John Williams.

A closeup on Doctor Otto Octavius' face.



At the end of the day, Spider-Man: No Way Home is an outstanding blockbuster event that offers something for every audience member - one that you should absolutely try to see with an engaged audience if you're able to do so. No Way Home is comparable to the epic scope and ambition seen in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, offering a complete and robust movie-going experience that only few blockbusters could come close to comparing to. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a deeply satisfying, bold conclusion to (what is now) the MCU's strongest trilogy. With the next MCU entry currently slated to be 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, helmed by legacy director Sam Raimi, there has never been a better time to be a Marvel fan - the future is bright!

What Didn't Work?

While there are things that I didn't necessarily love - the Lizard is here (from The Amazing Spider-Man) and he's completely serviceable without really adding anything at all - there aren't any issues in Spider-Man: No Way Home that actively detract from what is essentially one of the purest movie-going experiences of the year.

Spider-Man in a damaged black and gold suit bracing for a fight.


Standout Scene

I'm going to be very vague here to avoid spoilers (sorry if this is worthless to anyone who hasn't seen Spider-Man: No Way Home), but my favorite scene involves a science laboratory...and that's all I'll say about that.

Standout Performance

There is one secret performance that is remarkably amazing - a performance so strong that it essentially sold me on a legacy character that I had almost no sentimental attachment to. For a performance that I can talk about without tip-toeing around spoilers - Tom Holland gives a riveting and vulnerable performance here, again, quite possibly his strongest outing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man to date.

Film-FTW Rating  ||  10 Stars
"Masterpiece / Instant Favorite"

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