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Without question, Spider-Man is one of the most iconic superheroes in pop culture. Mix that with fans’ love for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, pepper in the return of villains from past Spider-Man franchises, and the bar for the third MCU Spider-Man film was set ridiculously high. Fortunately, Spider-Man: No Way Home meets that bar for longtime fans, but for those outside of this spider’s web, some of the weight, references and jokes will not stick quite as well. Still, the film is sure to remind audiences why our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man remains one of Marvel’s best, and that is thanks in large part to Tom Holland’s performance as Peter Parker.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter deals with the fallout from Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) framed him for murder and revealed to the world that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. Along with the legal troubles this causes, Peter, his friends and family have their whole lives thrown into chaos. So, in an attempt to set things right for them, Peter asks for Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. Unfortunately, the spell goes wrong, thus bringing in Spider-Man villains from other universes, so Peter must find a way to send them back — while also giving them a second chance.
Dealing with the multiverse can be messy, but it has been done well before, as seen in Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the Disney+’s Loki. However, Marvel hasn’t blended elements from separate franchises at this level before, which comes with pros and cons. For long-term fans, it’s great to see surprising characters return to the big screen, especially since this film about second chances offers more to explore with them.
Seeing Peter stick his neck out for villains we know to be major threats is a solid reminder that he is not just a powerful superhero; he is a kid with a good heart and strong moral compass. After all the world-ending threats he has faced in the MCU, it’s always nice to get back to the human aspects of these heroes and villains, even when the conflict could lead to a multiversal catastrophe. Especially in the case of Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) and Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), the returning actors in bring the fun while still delivering complex performances that are great extensions of their arcs from their previous films; however, that weight may not resonate as much with viewers who either haven’t seen these movies or haven’t revisited them recently.
The performances still stand on their own and are entertaining and emotional, but there is an added benefit to knowing the context of the Raimi and Marc Webb films. This carries over to the other characters from outside the MCU, as they all seem happy to return to the world of Spider-Man. Dafoe in particular stands out, delivering the torment and turmoil of Norman Osborn coupled with the zaniness and vileness of the Green Goblin.
In fact, all the performances in No Way Home are great, with this movie owing a lot of its success to the character relationships. Sure, there have been two other Spider-Man films to develop Peter’s relationships with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), but they are all at their best here. The chemistry between all three stars allows them to feel organically like best friends who would do anything for each other, and the love between MJ and Peter remains endearing. Meanwhile, Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) shows off exactly where Peter gets his strong moral compass from, and even Doctor Strange captures just how much Peter can impact others through his actions, not just his powers.
Peter, in particular, is at his best here. It seems every MCU movie wants to push Peter more and more, but despite the world seeming to be against him, Peter is not alone and he will not give up. At the heart of it all, though, he is a child having to take on a weight most adults would crumble under; Holland captures this perfectly, showing the toll being Spider-Man has had on Peter, while elevating him as a symbol of hope and heroism for his friends and the audience. While Peter is at his lowest — and Holland’s performance is sure to break viewers’ hearts in these moments — he continues to make Spider-Man inspirational and relatable.
Beyond the performances and relationships, the action sequences take full advantage of the the strengths of each character. Seeing Doc Ock take on a Spider-Man that has a lot more technical advancements than the one he is used to leads to a dynamic fight fans have not seen before. Meanwhile, the anticipated fight between Strange and Spider-Man, which was teased in the trailer, finds a way to put the two on a level field, despite one being a magic-based hero and other being a tech-based one.
At the end of the day, No Way Home manages the difficult task of being a grounded superhero movie with the personal stakes, while also dealing with a conflict on a multiversal scale. Despite some jokes and references that won’t be for everyone, No Way Home really captures what makes Peter Parker an enduring hero.
Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters Dec. 17.
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