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This movie cannot be discussed and analyzed thoroughly without the heavy inclusion of spoilers. Therefore, this article will contain spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Since Tom Holland’s Spider-Man swung into the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2015, he’s become a fan-favorite and one of the faces of this vast superhero saga. The first two movies in his trilogy, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017, Jon Watts) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019, Jon Watts), hold a criticism and audience approval rating over 85% and were box-office hits.
The excitement for the conclusion to Holland’s trilogy, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021, Jon Watts), rose and rose as each month passed, culminating when the first trailer dropped. It quickly became the most-viewed trailer in twenty-four hours. Naturally, Fandango, AMC, and other sites crashed the instant tickets went on sale. Hype for a film hasn’t been this massive since Avengers: Endgame (Russo, 2019); sadly, this movie didn’t live up to said hype. It exceeded it. Spider-Man: No Way Home captures the magic and mayhem in Peter Parker’s pivotal fight for his friends, city, and identity.
A Jam-Packed, Masterful Plot
No Way Home picks up immediately after the last time we saw Peter Parker. He was blindsided by villain Mysterio after the older man relieved his secret identity to the entire world. This unmasking of Spider-man not only damages Peter’s life but the lives of everyone in his life. Mysterio’s confession not only damages Peter but everyone in his life. His best friend and girlfriend can’t get into college due to their association with him. Peter and his Aunt May have to relocate to a high-security home. Feeling guilty about this ripple effect, Peter seeks out Doctor Strange and asks him to cast a spell that would make the entire world forget he’s Spider-Man. When Peter’s incessant talking ruins the spell, villains from the multiverse (aka from Sam Raimi and Marc Webb’s previous Spidey flicks) appear in Peter’s world.
Having nearly every live-action Spider-Man villain packed into one movie sounds like a recipe for disaster. After all, Spider-Man 3 (2007) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) tried to juggle multiple villains but didn’t succeed. However, Jon Watts and co, avoid disaster, as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro, The Lizard, and Sandman don’t clutter the film. Instead, while some villains did have more narrative importance and screen time than others, the presence of all villains helped the film. Not only does Peter need to track each one down and fight them one on one, but he ultimately decides they each deserve a second chance and works to find a cure for them, which helps Doc Oc, but not Electro or Green Goblin.
Peter’s journey in this film heavily ties into the core message of second chances. His fight to get Ned and MJ another shot at college admissions may be small-scale compared to the multiversal mess he unleashed, but it’s still reflective of Peter’s selflessness and desire to help others. While he quickly comes around to Aunt May’s belief that the villains deserve a chance at redemption and recovery, he learns the lesson that not everyone will accept his help the hard way. The end of the film also perfectly encapsulates this message; after Peter asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell that will wipe the world’s memory of him, he gets a second chance to be Spider-Man without the world knowing who he is. This choice, however, comes at the cost of losing his closest relationships and his support system, as not even MJ and Ned can remember who he is.
Second chances aren’t just limited to those in the MCU, however. The ones who donned the mask before him get back to the big screen, and the film becomes all the better for it.
The Magic Of The Three Peters
After months of heavy speculation, many fans’ wish of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield coming back for No Way Home finally came true. The moment both actors first appear on screen is a moment Marvel moviegoers will never forget. (My own theater audibly cheered both times). At the start of act three, Ned, using Doctor Strange’s ring, opens a portal in order to find Peter. Only, it’s not his Peter; it’s Garfield’s, then Maguire’s who come into his kitchen.
The key component that makes these actors return so spectacular is how their appearances don’t eclipse Holland. Instead, their chemistry with one another crackle with every one of their interactions and elevate Holland throughout the film. The trio feels like a true team, not just coworkers who teamed up for a quick battle. Maguire and Garfield sympathize with Holland after Aunt May dies, telling the younger Spidey of the people in their lives who they lost. They share words of wisdom and encouragement to one another. When the three Peters fight multiple villains at once, the Spider-Men communicate and help each other out when they can. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses, which eventually helps them come on top.
Garfield especially shines every time he’s on-screen. His Spider-Man finally gets the closure he deserves, especially after he didn’t get to reprise the role for a third film. In the seven years since he last donned the red and blue suit, Garfield’s passion for the role appears to have never waned. The boyish charm he brought to the role of Peter Parker remains just as strong in 2021 as it did back in 2016. Maguire adds a deeper layer to the role. As the oldest and original live-action rendition of the character, he feels like a wise mentor to the other two Peters, gone the longest without suiting up, and instead of ignoring that fact or trying to downplay it, the script and story embrace it. Having him be the one to stop Peter from killing Green Goblin in a fit of rage is both satisfying and understandable, and it solidifies the Uncle Ben/mentor role that was missing from Holland’s Peter since the death of Tony Stark.
Sure, bringing Garfield and Maguire back is fan service. But that isn’t always a bad thing. Besides the three Spideys swinging together, this film is loaded with call-backs and references to Sam Raimi’s trilogy and Marc Webb’s duloagy. It feels like an early holiday present to audiences, a reward for all the love and time they’ve poured into this character and the many films he’s been in. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a love letter to fans of the web-slinging hero everywhere, no matter which live-action version of Spider-Man you grew up watching.
Tom Holland’s Powerful Performance
Tom Holland’s acting has always been a high point in every MCU film he’s been in. He sells every one of Peter’s emotions, from excitement to exhaustion and everything in between. Whether it’s his nervousness at asking out the girl he likes or the determination while fighting a villain, Holland makes you forget he’s acting at all.
Holland shines especially during the heavier and darker scenes of the film. When Aunt May tragically dies in his arms, and he has to leave her, his glistening tears and broken, whispered apologies to her slice your heart in two. He pulls off the transition from sadness to anger seamlessly, perfectly capturing the complex and multifaceted feelings grief brings out in people. After losing his aunt, his rage, tiredness, and heartbreak feel real, mirroring someone who truly lost someone they loved.
Anger can be a complex emotion to depict as an actor. Finding a balance between realism and rage can be hard to achieve. Holland finds the perfect middle ground between the two, especially at the end of the final battle when it appears as though he’s going to kill green Goblin. This shift in his emotions doesn’t come out of left field. Holland subtly and explicitly showcased the anger of a teenager’s loss bubbling closer and closer to the surface before finally spilling over. In a less skilled actor’s hands, the exploration of Peter’s darker side could’ve felt forced or unrealistic. In Holland’s, however, it’s powerful.
Through all the darkness, Holland still gets chances to display the compassion and care Peter Parker has for others. His insistence on trying to give each villain a redemption arc, even when it leads to a fight against Doctor Strange and Aunt May’s death, falls perfectly in line with what the character of Spider-Man would do. His choosing to let everyone, even those closest to him, forget him entirely in order to save the world once again highlights how selfless Peter is. Holland has done a masterful job capturing the complexity of Peter Parker and has been since Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Strong Acting Across The Multiverse
The acting of the entire cast remains as fantastic as it did back when Homecoming first hit theaters. Zendaya gives her best performance as MJ, the sarcastic and cynical Midtown High student and Peter’s girlfriend. She and Holland have robust and palpable chemistry (this is aided by the couple being together in real life). In her extended screen time, Zenedya is able to work more complex emotions than in the previous two installments and helps remind the world why she’s the youngest actress to ever win an Emmy for leading performance in a drama. Jacob Batalon’s portrayal of Ned Leeds, Peter’s equally nerdy best friend, remains as endearing as ever. Following Ned’s journey into discovering his magic is a joy to watch.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange continues to deliver a performance that balances stoicism and sarcasm. He’s been in the most Marvel movies out of the cast, yet his comfort in the role doesn’t impact how much effort he puts into his character. Seeing how Strange’s logical decision-making clashes with Peter’s emotional way not only allows Cumberbatch and Holland to play off one another, but to expand upon how Doctor Strange must make heavy choices, even if it means a few people get hurt for the sake of the many.
Even the three newcomers shine. William Dafoe steals the show, perfectly capturing the menacing demeanor of the Green Goblin. He did a solid job portraying the character in Tobey Maguire’s original Spider-Man (2002), but his performance in No Way Home is on a completely different level. From his line delivery to the frightening facial expressions, Dafoe cements himself as one of the best Spider-Man villains. When Peter repeatedly punches him, over and over again, Dafoe’s horrifying smile and twisted peals of laughter add a layer of horror to the film. The decision for Green Goblin to quickly ditch the mask and leave Dafoe’s face on full display was rewarding for both the actor and audiences.
The other villains also get their moment in the sun. Jamie Foxx as Electro also delivers a solid performance, his energy as contagious as the golden electricity he wields. He’s still a sympathetic villain, just like he was back in 2014, and every time you see the glimmering light he wields, you know something funny, exciting, or interesting is about to happen. Alfred Molina’s portrayal of Doctor Octopus is just as strong as it was back in 2004. Molina’s transition from villain to ally is smooth, and seeing him the Spider-Men in their time of need was satisfying and earned.
Solid, If Occasionally Shaky, Filmmaking
In Jon Watt’s third MCU entry, there’s a lot to love-but also a few areas that could be stronger. There are a few moments of lackluster CGI, notably at the beginning when Peter and MJ swing away from a crowd. New York City clearly came from a green screen, and it can pull you out of the film for a few seconds. And while Watts clearly knows what he’s doing behind a camera, there were a few moments throughout that could’ve used a more interesting or daring shot choice. The moments where Watts does utilize the camera more artfully, notably when Peter’s spider-sense begins to tingle right before Norman Osbourne’s betrayal via a slow zoom and dolly shot, grab the audience’s attention more than your average shot-reverse-shot.
One of the most common critiques of Marvel films comes back to their ‘formulaic’ nature. Thor: Ragnarok (Waitit, 2017) gets widely praised as one of the MCU’s best films, and it’s primarily due to director Taika Waititi’s dynamic style and embrace of wild, eye-catching colors. Should he return to Marvel, it would be interesting and exciting to see Watts, while giving audiences three fantastic Spider-Man stories, play around with the camera a bit more.
However, the negatives about this film ultimately prove to be few and far between. When Doctor Strange takes Peter into the Mirror Dimension, it’s easy to forget the entire thing is CGI. Skyscrapers turn upside down and split apart. The air turns into glass, splitting and shattering as Peter tumbles through the sky. Not only is it an engaging action sequence, but it allows Doctor Strange to show off his abilities and Peter to demonstrate his intelligence.
The final shot of the film, a long take of Peter swinging around New York in his freshly-homemade Spider-Man suit, is much stronger and more engaging than the one at the beginning. The snowflakes and city lights swirling around him provide the audience with some colorful, electric cinematography.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Sets Up An Exciting, Uncertain Future
With Peter’s identity and everything else about him wiped from everyone’s memory, the future of his character in the MCU has never been more intriguing. While it’s crystal clear he’s going to keep being Spider-Man, everything about his personal life remains as up in the air as his body when he’s swinging through the city. He has no friends, no girlfriend, no support system of any kind. If everyone’s memory of Peter Parker got destroyed, then how can be continue being an Avenger if the team doesn’t know his secret identity? A quick moment of the camera lingering on a GED prep book shows how Peter will continue to get his education, but when you don’t exist, how can you get a job, be accepted into college, or even just take out a credit card?
No Way Home left audiences with many loose ends, but they’re the ones that audiences will come back to see get tied up. Peter still choosing to be a hero promises that his story, as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker, is far from over, even as his first trilogy comes to a close. The mid-credit scene reveals a small bit of Eddy Brock’s symbiote, the infamous Venom, getting left behind in the MCU, hinting at a future, inevitable showdown between Spider-Man and Venom. No Way Home managed to end the chapter on Peter’s first arc, but the book isn’t completely shut quite yet. And if this film is any indication, Holland’s MCU entries will continue to get better and better.
Whether you first met Spider-Man in the pages of a comic book or on a 2002 VHS tape, No Way Home is worth seeing. I’d recommend it to any fan, casual or deeply committed, of the webslinger.