‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Review: A Celebration of an Iconic Hero

Spider-Man: No Way Home had massive expectations, almost impossible to meet. While any Spider-Man movie will have a lot to live up to, the number of rumors, leaks, and theories discussing who would show up and what would happen led to many fans putting pressure on this film to deliver. Luckily, No Way Home delivers in spades. Not only does it deliver great fan service, but there is a fantastic Spider-Man story at its heart. 

No Way Home is the third Spider-Man film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and once again features Tom Holland as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man. After the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man’s identity has been uncovered, leading to a fallout between Peter and the rest of society. To hopefully clear his name and others affected by this revelation, Peter asks Doctor Strange to conjure up a spell that will make everyone forget that Peter is Spider-Man. Unfortunately, the spell goes awry, leading to a multiverse adventure featuring Spider-Man villains from the past. 

Tom Holland is the best he has ever been

The film does seem like it might get overstuffed with the high number of villains in it, however, it never does. The narrative is quite linear and doesn’t feel like there is too much happening. It manages to keep Holland at the center and deliver his best Spider-Man story yet. It’s dark, highly emotional, and takes Peter to his lowest levels. Holland has never been better as this character and, by the end, you truly feel like he has come into his own as Spider-Man. 

In addition, the chemistry between him and co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batolon is fantastic. Holland and Zendaya’s relationship is strong here, mainly because in they are also a real-life couple. Still, Zendaya is finally given a lot more to do here and it does feel like her MJ has a full arc here, going from a shut-in, isolated character to someone who is more hopeful and outgoing. 

As for Doctor Strange, he isn’t in the movie as much as I thought, which I actually appreciated because it kept the focus on Spider-Man. Outside of Doctor Strange, there really aren’t that many other MCU tie-ins. It truly feels like a contained Spider-Man story.

The return of classic Spider-Man villains

The villains here absolutely shine, mainly Willem Dafoe. It’s so great to see him back as the Green Goblin and he may be more terrifying than ever. While there are 5 total villains, Dafoe serves as the main emotional crux, pushing Peter almost over the edge. Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus is also fantastic and feels like he is lifted right out of Spider-Man 2. 

Jamie Foxx is definitely better here than in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, however, it doesn’t seem like the same Electro. Foxx’s performance reminded me more of his character from Baby Driver. The other two villains, Sandman and Lizard, are completely CGI for the duration and it can be somewhat distracting. I also did love seeing J.K. Simmons back as J. Jonah Jameson, a role of his that is irreplaceable. 

One aspect I loved about No Way Home is the way it connects Spider-Man movies together. This truly does feel like a celebration of Spider-Man movies, from 2002 to the present. For example, each villain’s arc carries over from where we last saw them and each one gets a satisfying conclusion to their arc that we didn’t get to see in previous films. The constant references actually play a part in the story and aren’t just throw-away lines for audience reactions. Fans who have paid attention to the legacy of these movies will get an absolute kick out of this. 

The action itself is done fairly well by director Jon Watts. Watts’ direction here is the best he’s ever done and he captures so many cinematic Spider-Man moments that will live on in fans’ memories forever. However, while the third act is filled with amazing surprises and moments, I do wish the action was a bit clearer. It could be difficult at times to see everything, whether this was due to lighting or editing. 

Other problems that arise in the film are in the plot itself. The multiversal ideas do create plenty of plot holes that can detract from the narrative. I didn’t notice them while watching the film but when I thought about it after, there were some story elements that did have me scratching my head. 

Still, you would really have to nit-pick in order for these plot holes to totally ruin the movie for you. I still had an incredible time with No Way Home and it may be my favorite movie of 2021. Is it the best I watched? Maybe not, but no movie has delivered an exciting and thrilling theatrical experience like this since Avengers: Endgame. It’s not only a great superhero film but it’s one of the best Spider-Man films and I can’t wait to see where Holland’s journey as this character goes from here.