Review: "Spider-Man: No Way Home"

Stan Lee first created the character of Spider-Man in the comic book Amazing Fantasy #15, which was published in August of 1962. Four decades later, and the main character is now live-action with several incarnations: first Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man (2002) and then by Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and in 2018, Sony and Columbia released Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar. After Disney’s acquisition of Marvel in 2009, Tom Holland began portraying Spider-Man, first in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and just recently in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), released on December 17th, 2021. Here’s my review of “No Way Home.”

In the aftermath of Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Peter Parker loathes every minute of being a celebrity as people are accepting his true identity is Spider-Man from Aunt May (played by Oscar-Winner Marisa Tomei) to best friend Ned Leeds (played by Jacob Batalon), to his girlfriend Michelle Jones (MJ) Watson, (played by Tom Holland’s real girlfriend, Zendaya). As Peter continues to deal with celebrity pressures, he summons his friend/fighting partner from Avengers: Endgame (2019), Doctor Stephen Strange (played by Oscar-Nominee Benedict Cumberbatch) to see if he could possibly make the world forget he’s Spider-Man. Strange knows a magical spell that can do that, and follows through. However, the spell goes awry, and winds up giving Peter a battle bigger than “Endgame.” Soon, Spider-man is intermixed with villains from alternate universes including (Spoiler Alert!) Doctor Octopus (played by Tony-Nominee Alfred Molina), Electro (played by Oscar-Winner Jamie Foxx), the Green Goblin (played by Oscar-Nominee Willem Dafoe), the Sandman (played by Oscar-Nominee Thomas Hayden Church), and even the Lizard (played by Rhys Ifans) as well as the alternate Peter Parkers (once again played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield).

Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (who also wrote “Far From Home,” Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), as well as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)), and the film directed by Jon Watts. Watts directed “Far From Home,” and “Homecoming,” but “No Way Home,” is the ultimate “Spider-Man,” adventure. The plot is difficult to follow at times, as it brings back actors who have had roles in “Spider-Man,” long before Disney acquired Marvel in 2009. Despite some confusion, the movie is totally worth seeing. It a touching homage to the character of Spider-Man and his heroic abilities to save the world and still protect his loved ones.

Spider-Man was the youngest of the Avengers and as such, still naive; but he still has determination and potential. He was fortunate to receive guidance from Tony Stark/aka “Iron Man,” in “Civil War,” “Homecoming,” Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and “Endgame.” However, with the passing of his mentor in “Endgame,” in “Far From Home,” and “No Way Home,” Peter Parker is having to face challenges without his mentor. Whether or not he can, and ultimately mature into a decent hero/adult man is the challenge. 

In addition to the returns of Maguire, Garfield, Dafoe, etc., the film also includes the return of Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons as disgruntled Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, and Benedict Wong as Dr. Strange’s sidekick, Wong. The film’s original score was composed by Michael Giacchino, who won an Oscar for composing Disney/Pixar’s Up (2009) and who also scored “Homecoming,” and “No Way Home,”. The Cinematography was done by Mauro Fiore who won an Oscar for doing the Cinematography on Avatar (2009) and the film was co-edited by Leigh Folsom Boyd who edited “Far From Home,” and Jeffrey Ford who edited each of the “Avengers,” movies (2012-2019). 

Overall, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” is great movie, period. I am not what whom you would characterize as the ultimate “Spider-Man” fan. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the film more than I thought I would because I had grown up on the earlier “Spider-Man,” movies and I wasn’t expecting “No Way Home,” to acknowledge the earlier films in the ways that it did. I wound up liking it even better than “Endgame,” which I didn’t think was possible knowing how epic a film that is. Taking these thoughts into consideration “No Way Home,” maybe the best “Spider-Man,” film ever!