MJ (Zendaya) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) jump off a bridge in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Credit: Courtesy of Matt Kennedy/Sony Pictures/TNS
The latest installment in Marvel’s Spider-Man trilogy, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” cements Tom Holland’s Spider-Man as one of the greatest, if not the best, renditions of the character seen on the big screen.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is arguably the definitive live-action Spider-Man film, along with one of the best Marvel movies ever made, and its $260 million domestic box office opening can back that up. The movie is remarkable and will be remembered as Marvel’s most ambitious project, bridging the gap between universes while pushing the boundaries of what Marvel movies can offer.
This movie wastes no time jumping into things, picking up directly where its predecessor, “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” left off. Although the pacing is rushed initially, there is plenty of time during its 148-minute run time to sit back and take everything. The direction in this movie is the best it’s been in the entire trilogy.
The camerawork is much improved as well, leaving audiences with stunning long takes and beautiful shots throughout the whole movie. For example, when Peter’s life is beginning to fall apart after his identity is revealed, the film offers an incredible sequence as he makes his way home through New York to his apartment. That sequence sets the standard for camerawork throughout the rest of the movie.
Despite having outstanding writing, plot developments and direction, the acting is what really stands out about this movie and is second to none. Everything comes naturally to the cast, and viewers get standout performances from multiple actors. Holland as Spider-Man delivers his best performance yet as the character, making for an emotional roller coaster and one of the best theater experiences in recent years.
Thanks to multiverse madness unleashed by Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the stakes in this movie are higher and the villains are as menacing as they have ever been — especially the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). As usual, Dafoe is on another level in this movie. Reprising his infamous role as the Green Goblin, none of his enthusiasm was lost over the years. The decision to let him act without his Goblin helmet makes the character even more intimidating than his previous iteration in the 2002 “Spider-Man” and the 2004 “Spider-Man 2.”
The tone of this movie is dark and the stakes are as real as ever — which is exactly what the “Spider-Man: Homecoming” trilogy needed to help grow this Spider-Man. Prior to this movie, fans complained about the character not facing as many hardships as previous renditions of Spider-Man had. However, those complaints have long been silenced after this movie, as Holland’s Peter Parker suffers innumerable losses.
There is a genuine, nuanced arc formed throughout this movie, and it will be a delight to follow in future Marvel movies with Holland. The movie is a love letter to all the pieces of Spider-Man media that laid the foundation for the character while still managing to be an incredible conclusion to this particular trilogy.
With so much anticipation around it, there were questions and doubts as to whether this movie could live up to expectations — but it did just that. The ending to “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is the best final act of any Marvel project, and fans have a lot to be excited about when it comes to the future of this character. This movie understands what it means to be Spider-Man.
Rating: 4.5/5
