'Spider-Man: No Way Home' film review: Spectacular, sensational & amazing
No spoilers review for 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' (opening in theaters Dec. 17), an ambitious, absolute blast that shouldn't work, yet it improbably succeeds wildly.
In short: Peter Parker (Tom Holland) deals with the fallout from the world discovering he is Spider-Man. Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon and Marisa Tomei also star.
This review will not spoil any plot points whatsoever - a spoiler-filled review will be published at a later date to discuss the particulars of 'No Way Home,' but this review will simply assess the Spider-Man sequel in broad strokes. If that's still too much, just know that 'No Way Home' is thrilling, fun ... and surprisingly dark and emotional.
At the heart of every Spider-Man comic storyline ever has been the duality Peter Parker has been forced to live with - he's a young man juggling normal, everyday problems ... while doubling as a masked superhero endlessly fighting a terrifying rogue's gallery of villains. But this double life has always forced Parker to struggle in balancing the two facets of his life - and 'No Way Home' wastes no time in throwing Parker into the deep end after he's outed as Spider-Man. The entire first act chronicles how drastically Peter's life is upended - something it seems he would be OK with, except that his double-life as Spider-Man is also affecting the lives of those closest to him.
This film has an intricately complicated plot that simply shouldn't work - yet, against all odds, 'No Way Home' really distills a crazy, high-concept plot into a pretty straightforward adventure. The moment Dr. Strange steps into the story, 'No Way Home' could easily have become just become a fun movie with a cheap, if incredibly complicated, gimmick - but the script never forgets that this is, first and foremost, Peter Parker's story. This is a crazy ambitious script - one that could have easily been derailed by so many competing character arcs and motivations. Yet, 'No Way Home' is always firmly rooted in Parker as a kid, as a friend, as a boyfriend, as a nephew and as a superhero.
'No Way Home' boasts an impressive ensemble cast - but it's Tom Holland who steps up with his strongest performance as Spider-Man yet. Yes Parker is an Avenger who has helped save the world, but he's still a kid preoccupied with school and his girlfriend. Holland has always effortlessly channeled the youthful innocence of high school Peter Parker - sometimes bordering on guileless. But it's worth knowing Peter Parker will be battling some of Spider-Man's greatest villains - villains unwilling to show the same mercy and kindness Parker is capable of giving. Holland has truly grown into role and his emotional performance powers the thrilling and chaotic third act.
Surpassed by only 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame' and weighing in at an imposing 148 minutes, this is one of the very longest MCU flicks but the fact that 'No Way Home' doesn't feel long is itself a win. The movie fires right out of the gate, wasting no time by starting 'No Way Home' exactly where the previous film 'Far From Home' left off. The first act, culminating in Parker seeking Dr. Strange for help, might not be as action packed as some fans would like, but it firmly establishes the trio of Parker, MJ and Ned as the story's heart. Every decision Parker makes is defined by the kid's love for his friends and family - and how severely their lives have been disrupted just for being associated with Parker/Spider-Man. There's a bit of a lull late in the second act - when the film seems to lose some urgency and focuses on a lot of character interactions - while funny and endearing, they slow the plot down a bit. But each of these moments are infused with history and nostalgia - stretching across the entire MCU Spider-Man trilogy and beyond.
Director Jon Watts has crafted a strong trio of Spider-Man flicks - and whatever happens in any future sequels, 'No Way Home' truly feels like the ending of a trilogy. It offers as much closure as it does plant the seed for new beginnings. 'No Way Home' is the final chapter of Parker's evolution into the Spider-Man fans have known and celebrated for decades. The kid went from protecting his neighborhood in a homemade costume in 'Homecoming' to honing his spider sense in 'Far From Home' and 'No Way Home' finalizes Parker's growth into Spider-Man.
And because it's an MCU flick, 'No Way Home' includes extra teaser scenes in the middle of the credits and after the credits wrap up.
Final verdict: 'No Way Home' is an absolute love letter to every fan of the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler and beautifully concludes the 'Home' trilogy of the Wall-Crawler's early adventures.
Score: 4/5
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' opens in theaters nationwide Dec. 17. The superhero adventure flick has a running time of 148 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, some language and brief suggestive comments.
