‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ — Spoiler Free Review
The 3rd Installment of Tom Holland’s Spiderman swings uncertainty into the future of the character and larger MCU
The newest movie from Marvel Studio and Sony picks up right where ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ left off. After Peter Parker's identity is revealed, he seeks out Doctor Strange for help. But when the spell goes horribly wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-man.
Having the movie pick up where the last one left off, sets it on a unique path compared to previous Spider-Man movies. It means the filmmakers don’t have to waste time setting up the villain, setting, context, or tertiary characters. The filmmakers can jump right into the story and not waste any time in the build-up. I think this is a really interesting jumping-in point for the storyline because it simultaneously wraps up the previous movie and sets up another cliff-hanger storyline. Previous Spider-man movies have only had a limited continuation of events. Therefore, they have to use the build blocks from the prior film to initiate a new story with a new villain. However, ‘Spider-man: No Way Home’ can utilize the previous movie in addition to already built-out villains. Already its opening screen can be supercharged due to the amalgamation of these elements.
Spider-man, played by Tom Holland, has to continue tackling what it means to be Spider-man and the responsibility that brings about. It’s reminiscent of previous Spider-man movies, as he has to deal with the darker elements of his life. Tom always pulls you more into a scene and gives a very convincing performance as always. His movies both within this character, and outside, prove that he has the skill and shimmer to become a bonified Hollywood star.
Zendaya, as MJ, puts on another great performance and continues to add her own style and humor to the character. Her interpretation of MJ continues to outshine previous versions of the character, which might be a controversial take.
Jacob Batalon, who plays Ned, was still his usual quirky self but his character may have found a special future for himself in this movie. But you’ll have to watch to figure that out…
One character that I’m not really sure was thinking clearly in this movie was Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. He seemed to emulate the person he was before going to Kamertashe and becoming a wizard. Cumberbatch plays the character seamlessly as always and I’m really looking forward to his 2nd standalone film ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. I think his next film is going to crack the can of worms that is the multi-verse wide open.
There is only so much that can be said about this without spoiling anything. To really enjoy this movie, it's best to let the surprises come organically in the viewing experience. But what I will say is that this movie is more aggressive and robust than the previous two. Not only does it redefine the future of Spider-man into one of absolute uncertainty, but also cast intrigue on the larger MCU. It’s safe to say, this movie had everything a Marvel fan could want and more.
At 2 hours and 28 minutes, this movie is the perfect length to capture everything in the story, while not losing the audience. If we’re being honest, I think fans would’ve been willing to watch a 3-hour Spider-man movie. But this run time allows nothing to be rushed and leaves plenty of room to fully flush out the story.
Even if you’re not the biggest Marvel enthusiast, this movie will still have you on the edge of your seat and engaged in the story. It was by far my favorite of Holland’s Spider-Man movies. There is a lot to look forward to in the future of the MCU and specifically Holland’s Spider-man. With Marvel planning another movie and eyeing another potential three, it’s possible that we will see Holland in the suit for a number of years.
Again, there’s a lot I can’t say because this movie is a minefield of spoilers, but I think once you see it you’ll agree with my score of 8.9/10. Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think after you watch it!
Barry’s Bites Score = 8.9 / 10.0
*This article was originally published in the Film Cut
