Let’s talk about Spider-Man. Not just the character, but the series as a whole. If Tim Burton’s “Batman” and Richard Donner’s “Superman: The Movie” helped to catapult superhero films into the mainstream for their respective decades, Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” films did that for the 2000’s. It injected a new love of this type of film into the world and laid the groundwork for what would later come in the form of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even the much less beloved, but still beloved, Marc Webb “Amazing Spider-Man” films had such a rabid fan base that their villain inclusion in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is a cause for cheers. Because if “Avengers Endgame” was a celebration of the MCU and it’s accomplishments over the last 10 years, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is a clear celebration of New York’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Given that spoilers are a hot topic with MCU films, I’ll simply be recapping what has already been shown in the film’s trailers. After his identity was revealed to the world at the end of “Far From Home,” Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland (“Onward,” “The Devil All the Time”), seeks out Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock,” “The Imitation Game”), to help fix things since the revealing of his identity has inadvertently made life hell for his Aunt May, played by Marisa Tomei (“The Wrestler,” “My Cousin Vinny”), his girlfriend MJ, played by Zendaya (“euphoria,” “The Greatest Showman”), and best friend Ned, played by Jacob Batalon (“Every Day,” “Let It Snow”). However, after Parker botches Strange’s spell, villains from other universes begin to find their way into the MCU and it's up to Parker to fix his now even bigger mess.
It’s a deceptively simple idea and while it seems like it all serves as just an excuse to populate the film with previous fan favorite villainous performances, the script from Chris McKenna (“Community,” “The LEGO Batman Movie”) and Erik Sommers (“Community,” “The LEGO Batman Movie”) and pacing thanks to director Jon Watts (“Clown,” “Cop Car”), shows that was never the first goal. While it may be packed with moments that will make fans cheer, that does not equal fan service, as the emotional core still always comes back to Holland’s Peter Parker. It’s without a doubt the best performance of his in the MCU to date, and the trials he’s forced through help to showcase not only some of the best elements of Spider-Man as a character, but of why it's so easy to love him.
Of course the supporting cast is as great as always, Cumberbatch keeps his sly New Yorker bite in ample supply, Zendaya’s trademark snark and smirks are always appreciated, Batalon’s over eager friendliness with Peter is a delight, and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Chef”) returns as Happy Hogan, the MCU’s curmudgeonly wise cracker who’s always fun to see. If anyone struggles a bit, it's Tomei. Her performance is excellent, but she’s the one who seems to be given some of the more charitably difficult lines to deliver with complete sincerity and there are a few that squeak through that could’ve used a second take.
Yet, they are all overshadowed by the villains; they are beloved by fans for a reason. While some are a bit more forgettable, like Thomas Haden Church (“Sideways,” “Wings”) as Sandman and Rhys Ifans (“Elementary,” “Notting Hill”) as Lizard, it's clear why people love Alfred Molina’s (“Frida,” “Feud”) Doc Ock, Jamie Foxx’s (“Ray,” “Collateral”) Electro, and of course Willem Dafoe’s (“Heaven’s Gate,” “The Florida Project”) Green Goblin. Let it be said, Church and Ifans aren’t bad at all, it's just that their characters aren't utilized as much as Molina, Foxx, and Dafoe’s are.
Foxx is the weaker of the main three, still turning in a great performance but leaning more into the cheesier nature of it all. Meanwhile Molina and Dafoe play this like Shakespeare. The pair have always been at the top of many people’s best villains list and they bring their A game to “No Way Home.” Molina does play second fiddle to Dafoe though, who turns in an arguably Oscar worthy performance, twisting the entire role into one giant evil grin and delivering lines like only he can.
The action is a marked step up when compared to the previous films in Watts’s “Home” trilogy. It's clearer and easier to follow, with fewer split second cuts and edits than before. It might still have its fair share of big CGI fisticuffs, but it also knows when to pull back and not only let a fight be physical, but when to let it breathe and land in exactly the right way. Likewise the cinematography from Mauro Fiore (“Avatar,” “Dark Phoenix (2019)”) is also a step up, providing some shots that, while not offering anything groundbreaking, showcase a sense of grand scale when needed and manage to shoot the dialogue sequences in more than just shot-reverse shot.
What makes “No Way Home” work so well though is its commitment to celebrating not only Spider-Man but Peter Parker. The film doesn’t hold back and has plenty of harrowing emotional beats, including one of the more somber endings for an MCU film. But it all works because Watts, Sommers, and McKenna know how to pull this off while treating the audience and characters with respect. With a character as beloved as this, it's easy to smell when things are off, but here it all works so well. Even despite the multiversal implications of these other villains, it feels like a smaller scale story befitting of a friendly neighborhood wall-crawler.
It all certainly feels like the biggest movie of the year, and yet never loses that small scale feeling because of Holland and the film’s grounded emotional weight. It allows for those moments of reflection, of tears, and of pain. None of it would work if it didn’t, and this is what allows it to transcend into the realm of the MCU’s absolute best. Yes, we’re all here in the theatre because we want to see the characters we love on the big screen, but there has to be something more there. It’s been felt in years past with films like “Age of Ultron” and “The Dark World” when that emotional through line just isn’t there.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” understands that and makes sure that, above all else, Parker’s journey is the central focus. Even underneath all the multiverse shenanigans and callbacks and quips and special effects. More than any of Watts’s previous “Spider-Man” films, “No Way Home” feels like it's a story about a kid from Queens dealing with extraordinary responsibilities. When anyone is handed a series or character as meaningful to countless people as this, that same kind of responsibility is obvious. Luckily, “No Way Home” knows this and makes sure that, even if it's for the fans, it isn’t about the fans, never losing sight of that kid from Queens, his emotional journey, and his great powers and their great responsibility. 4.5/5
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