Spider-Man: No Way Home

This review may contain spoilers!

 

 Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third Spider-Man film in the MCU and the 27th MCU feature. In this film we follow directly off the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home with Peter's identity being exposed to the world and being framed for the death of Mysterio. Now Peter must grapple with his desire to live a normal life and the adversity of being a superhero exposed to the view of the world. Things go from bad to worse when Peter seeks the aid of Doctor Strange to help solve his issues, unwittingly releasing a far greater interdimensional threat. This film really measures up what it means to be Spider-Man, basically rounding out this 'coming of age' journey Holland's Spidey has been on. Within this film Peter comes up against obstacle after obstacle, always trying to find solutions in service of his loved ones rather than himself. The film then goes further by giving Peter a challenge to redeem and save others who don't necessarily deserve his help. A lot of the feature sees him grappling with his desire to give others a second chance while the hurt this good intention places back on him. The film defines that classic saying "with great power, comes great responsibility" and shackles it firmly to Peter now and forever. This film has such a unique way of introducing the antagonists and it becomes one of the more brilliant fantastical elements I've seen in a superhero feature. The film draws heavily off films that have come before it, there are little nods to numerous films and multiple direct references that make this a phenomenal story for the fans. The ending is very poignant but ringed with optimism, it felt like the exact tone you'd hit at the end of a Spider-Man comic run. The cinematography is grand and filled with shots that feel like frames jumping out of a graphic novel. The special effects are exceptional and varied, the fight between Strange and Peter is a triumph while the designs for each villain looks great too. The score for the film is a fantastic soundscape with a number of tributes to classic scores of past Spidey films.

 

Zendaya, who played MJ, is a wonderful match for Holland's Peter Parker; she is extraordinarily stubborn and tough in the face of peril which really aids and bolsters our young hero. Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Doctor Strange, has a stern maturity that separates him well from our younger hero; I think Cumberbatch plays well to a hero who deals in absolutes which generates nice conflict in the film. Jacob Batalon, who played Ned Leeds, continues to be hysterical as Spider-Man's best friend and 'guy in the chair'; Batalon returns to that more aloof and easy-going style that worked so well for him in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Jon Favreau, who played Happy Hogan, has a very dry sense of humour that works incredibly well for his scenes; he also has this gentle protector relationship with Peter that lends itself to some key emotional scenes. Jamie Foxx, who played Max Dillon, is a very different Electro from what we saw in Amazing Spider-Man 2 and honestly that works out for the best; Foxx is a quick-witted power-hungry villain with quite selfish intentions throughout.Willem Dafoe, who played Norman Osborn, really steals the show as one of the leading antagonists for this film; Dafoe lends himself to the duality and the scenes in which he plays the Goblin are monstrous and unpredictable. Alfred Molina, who played Dr. Otto Octavius, is a really engaging antagonist with his wild personality and tendency towards explosive outbursts; Molina embodies yet another heartwarming redemption arc that works every point in its entirety. Benedict Wong, who played Wong, has a nice terse relationship with Cumberbatch's Strange that makes their scene together; it was nice seeing Wong portray the warning before the storm in this feature. Marisa Tomei, who played May Parker, is the very epitome of the film's moral compass; Tomei and Holland's last scene together is the best scene they've ever shared together in my opinion. J.K. Simmons, who played J. Jonah Jameson, is born for this role and dusts it off like he never stopped playing the part. hearing Simmons become the voice of all the adversity Peter Parker is up against makes the classic struggle between these two come to life. Thomas Haden Church, who played Flint Marko, is the classic empowered bruiser indifferent to the battles of right and wrong; Church brings forth a character who is far from an antagonist but very much a free agent just wanting to be able to live his life the way he chooses to. Andrew Garfield, who played Peter Parker, steps back into the role and is immediately as humorous and entertaining as he ever was; seeing Garfield continue to play the grief his character feels about losing Gwen so heavily is what makes him such a brilliant performer. Rhys Ifans, who played Dr. Curt Connors, is far more monstrous than he has ever been before; hearing Ifans as something so content in his bestial form makes him a far better antagonist than his initial debut. Tobey Maguire, who played Peter Parker, is a return performance that is strongly welcomed and a pleasure to watch; Maguire's wiser Spider-Man is a real mentor to Holland and lifts him through some very trying scenes.

However, the best performance came from Tom Holland, who played Peter Parker. This is a protagonist who has lead all of his films with exceptional ability but has always been eclipsed by a seasoned veteran performer often in the antagonist role. Yet I feel this film is the culmination of Holland's experience with the role, you can see just how much he has matured while playing Peter Parker. At the beginning we see a very vulnerable Parker, a young man who is grappling with feeling exposed and struggling to have a normal college future. Yet Holland still deals Parker as this overtly polite, yet awkward young man who struggles his way through his problems. As things begin to unfold and go off the rails it's really intriguing to see Parker work towards second chances for individuals who don't seem like good people. But Holland works strongly towards the values behind the feature, playing the heavy moments of grief and the more difficult moments of pushing forward without vengeance. I loved seeing Peter Parker struggle between a need for vengeance and doing the right thing by his own moral code. It's a moment that he comes up against time and time again and seeing him throw himself forward every single time makes him a brilliant onscreen hero to watch. The romantic chemistry between Holland and Zendaya is heartwarming and in a lot of ways emotionally heavy, the work these two do in this film makes me so excited for whatever sequel we're in store for next.

The film has a couple of moments where the action slows for a bit longer than really necessary, dragging out the pacing somewhat. When Peter allies himself with the antagonists for a time the pacing slows and then later when he gains some new allies the film really takes sometime out before the final confrontation.

Tony Revolori, who played Flash Thompson, is a comedic bit that has never really worked wonders in these films; Revolori is supposed to be portraying a bully to Peter Parker but you never once feel that authentically in his portrayal.

The best superhero feature of 2021 and nothing short of a love letter to over two decades of superhero media. I would give Spider-Man: No Way Home a 9/10.