Directed by Jon Watts, Spider-Man: No Way Home follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) whose identity as Spider-Man is exposed by Mysterio and is framed for his death after the end of Spider-Man Far: From Home. Parker’s life and reputation are turned upside down as it affects everything and everyone he loves. He seeks out Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to help restore his secret identity with magic, but this ends up in a botched spell with dangerous repercussions that lead to the rise of new yet familiar threats on a multiversal level that need to be stopped, forcing Parker to learn what it really means to be Spider-Man.
As the third film of the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, and one that brings back many faces of the past into an ultimate ambitious crossover, a lot was riding on this film. It was also a film that was sadly subjected to many leaks that definitely have worked against the film. Whether it was a result of poor security on Sony’s part or a result of an extreme rise in spoiler culture this year it definitely impacts the film and all the hard work everyone put into it. But I’m not judging the film based on leaks or random theories created by rabid individuals. I just wanted a damn good Spider-Man film no matter what it did or didn’t include.
This was beyond a good Spider-Man film. This was a perfect Spider-Man film. It lived up to the expectations but also hugely exceeded them in so many ways. It’s pretty much impossible to go into everything that makes this film perfect all because of spoilers but I’ll do my best to share what I can.
Starting off with the characters, everyone is perfect in every role, delivering the best of the best and having fun in the process. But everyone also manages to bring their A-game to this film when it gets truly dramatic, and the main one to lead the charge is none other than Tom Holland. Out of all his appearances in the MCU, this is his absolute best performance.
We get to see him brought down to a whole new level as his world collapses around him, due to his identity being revealed and the appearance of the multiversal villains. He goes on a brutal and emotional journey that pushes him to his limits and explores the core aspect that makes the character different from the other heroes… his heart. Tom Holland truly gave his all in this film and becomes the hero everyone needs him to be.
Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Baton as Ned are both fantastic in their roles, forming a tightly knit trio that shares excellent chemistry in both comedic and serious scenes. Lots of emotional moments occur as they are dragged into the events that unfold. Zendaya and Tom shared something truly special and strong on screen together and it hit me in major ways.
Benedict Cumberbatch is once again brilliant as Doctor Strange, taking an interesting turn as the character that no one will expect. If you are thinking he takes on a mentor role in this film like Tony Stark and Nick Fury in the previous films you are dead wrong and that is all I’m going to say.
Some other individuals show up in this film, with entrances that made my whole theater shake as if from an earthquake and that is all I’m going to say.
And then we have the villains, all of which have their respective actors returning to their roles after many many years: Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Lizard (Rhys Ifans), and Sandman (Thomas Haden Church). It felt like none of them ever left their roles even after all these years, and they all have incredible interactions with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and with each other. But easily the most major standouts were Doc Ock, Goblin, and Electro.
Jamie Foxx gets to redeem himself big time as Electro, bringing a lot more drive and energy into the character that we never got the chance to see before. It is clear that Jamie Foxx was allowed to go off the chain this time, not held back by studio interference or any kind of awful writing, and it worked brilliantly.
Alfred Molina‘s performance as Doc Ock, from the first moment he gets on screen, is incredible and he gets to shine in so many moments that both work for the story and stay true to the character we all loved from Spider-Man 2.
And then we have the return of the true OG, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. He is the one that truly takes the crown as the best villain in this film, and perhaps the best villain in all of Marvel history. Willem Dafoe goes all in once again, bringing us the greatest archenemy of Spider-Man in all universes.
I can’t say anything about the plot but I can say that, while there is plentiful great humor, this is the most emotional and brutal Spider-Man story we have ever had adapted to the big screen. All previous Spider-Man films have had emotional and brutal scenes/sequences, but not in comparison to what this film delivered. There are so many places that this story hits hard, especially with its themes and the major events that change everyone’s life forever.
The action and visuals for this film are absolutely outstanding. Jon Watts outdoes all his previous work, delivering spectacular and grand action sequences that are packed with fun and great stakes. He made sure that everything in the action lived up to what was hyped, as well as making sure to give certain characters their own epic moments, including the villains.
The visuals are absolutely stunning, featuring gorgeous effects and cinematography that makes the film feel so large in so many ways and gives past characters major upgrades with today’s technology, without taking away from what made them amazing to begin with. And we get some godly music from Michael Giacchino that absolutely blew me away and uplifted so many scenes.
This film was powerful and masterful in so many ways that I have zero issues with this film. Kevin Feige, Jon Watts, the cast and crew, and all parties involved with making this film happen… I thank you for all you have done. I’m going to give Spider-Man: No Way Home an A+.
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