Given the veil of secrecy that Marvel has shrouded over its latest collaboration with Sony, writing about Spider-Man: No Way Home is a tricky proposition. Reviewing the film is like trying to explain the origin story of Peter Parker’s alter ego without mentioning arachnids or uncles. Marvel has touted No Way Home as one of its most ambitious films yet, which says a lot given they just concluded a massive Avengers saga two years ago. But for all that Avengers: Endgame offered in terms of closure and pay-offs, Spider-Man: No Way Home finds its own ways to up the ante. It’s a satisfying film all its own and features some mind-blowing storytelling the likes of which Marvel is only capable of.

Assuming that readers are at least casually familiar with the promotional material for Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s safe to say that the film heavily deals with the concept of the multiverse. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) enlists the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in an effort to find a normal life amidst the chaos that erupted at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. He mostly just wants to be a normal teenager, spending time with his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Of course, this complex plan that involves Strange wiping the memories of every human on the planet goes awry and Spider-Man finds himself faced with a new threat, one that is familiar to Spidey fans but not Peter Parker. Not this Peter Parker anyway...

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By way of its Disney+ shows like WandaVision and Loki, Marvel has already set the stage for the multiverse. Spider-Man: No Way Home doesn’t get bogged down in overly explaining why any of the events of the film are possible, and as viewers it’s easy to buy into the excitement immediately. What this film promises reaches a level unlike anything seen on film before. It pays off three films’ worth of world-building for the Tom Holland universe, but also honors Spider-Man's legacy across many different mediums. Strangely, the film even indulges some of the Spider-Man memes that exist, and even that will bring a smile to fans’ faces.

Spider-Man Iron Spider Cropped

The Tom Holland Spider-Man films have set a specific tone in terms of action and emotion and No Way Home takes the baton and runs with it. Humor is peppered throughout the film, to the point it’s almost surprising how often it is seeking out laughs. Spider-Man is by no means a self-serious character but in a film bursting with big moments, it’s surprising how well it can pivot to a joke or two. Of course, those big moments are what the fans are really looking for and No Way Home is bursting at the seams. Scenes that this franchise has been building towards, epic showdowns between unexpected characters, and moments that exist purely to leave the Spider-Man inside of us giddy – there will be no shortage of jaw dropping throughout the film’s nearly 2-and-a-half-hour runtime.

But while the cheering and the clapping should be deafening in theaters at key moments, Spider-Man: No Way Home doesn’t shirk its gravitas either. Holland may have been cast for his quirky delivery and boyish charm, but he’s also a tremendous actor. The film asks a lot of him and its most important scenes only land because of how good he is. Truly, everyone on the Spider-Man: No Way Home cast is incredible. They treat the material knowing that there is a lot of weight behind each and every performance. It doesn’t matter if it’s Benedict Cumberbatch just entering the Spiderverse for the first time or Batalon’s Ned, who has been the film’s adorable heart and soul all along.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is not without some missteps, though, even if they are small in the grand scheme of things. Pacing is a bit of an issue with the film; it’s much better in the second half than the first. And while most of the action is satisfactory, some of it fails to match the high bar that Marvel has set in recent years.

Spider-Man (No Way Home)

But interestingly, Spider-Man: No Way Home is at its best when there isn’t any action happening on-screen. Marvel and Sony have already hinted at more Spider-Man films in the future, but Director Jon Watts has put together what feels like the final film in a trilogy for Tom Holland et al. Big stakes, big moments, and big heart are all on the menu for No Way Home and it’s hard to see this not being the biggest film of 2021 (pandemic or otherwise). Put simply this is an achievement on a level only the Marvel Cinematic Universe is capable of and it’s a genuine treat to experience in the theater.

Spider-Man: No Way Home releases in theaters December 17, 2021.

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