Spider-Man: No Way Home is the best Spider-Man movie of all time – and maybe the best MCU movie thus far. I loved every second of it, even the saddest moments. The action, the romance, the comedy, the surprises, the ending… The whole film was all so well-executed. I got to experience it in theaters four times and I’m so grateful I was able to. Being in the theater on opening day was amazing because the audience was so energetic. Everyone was laughing, cheering, and crying together as they watched. The movie lived up to the hype.
Spider-Man: No Way Home picks up right where Far From Home left off: Mysterio exposed Peter Parker to the world as Spider-Man, and from there utter chaos ensues. Peter (Tom Holland), Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) are applying to colleges but get rejected from their dream schools because people believe that Spider-Man killed Mysterio. Peter, in typical fashion, tries to solve this problem for his friends by enlisting Dr. Strange to cast a spell to make everyone forget that he’s Spider-Man. He doesn’t think about the consequences of using magic to solve his problem, and the spell gets out of control and blows a hole in the multiverse, sending villains from other Spider-Man universes to his own.
The movie did a great job seamlessly incorporating characters from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spidey universes into the MCU. Alfred Molina and Tom Holland had great chemistry with one another and made the superhero/villain banter between Peter and Doc Ock even funnier. (Him being tied up by his own tentacles was icing on the cake!) Willem Defoe reprising his role as Norman Osbourne aka Green Goblin sent a chill down my spine every time he came on screen. He fell back into the role like it hadn’t been almost 20 years since he played the villain on Maguire’s first Spider-Man movie. One of the most intense sequences of the entire movie was when the Peter Tingle activated while he spoke with Norman. He couldn’t figure out why he felt it, but suddenly he shot a web at Norman and the Goblin made himself known. The way Defoe transitioned into the Goblin so fast made the scene even creepier.
In one of the more tragic turns of the film, Aunt May is killed during a fight scene. Aunt May’s death was heartbreaking but necessary and added a lot more emotional depth to Peter’s character. It was a turning point for him and a setup for the film’s end and the rest of his journey. Plus, we got the iconic, “With great power comes great responsibility,” line.
Ned’s sudden magic capabilities were a little unexpected but were a great addition to the plot. Maybe his powers will come in handy if there are more Tom Holland Spider-Man movies? (Please!) They surface when Peter goes missing after a fight at the apartment and Ned and MJ are worried about him. Ned says something about finding Peter, then his fingers spark and Peter comes out of the portal – only it’s not our Peter Parker, it’s Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker. Ned tries again and none other than Tobey Maguire’s Peter shows up. It was wild in the theater on opening day, and the most iconic moment of the whole movie. Everyone in the theater cheered and clapped the first time I saw it.
The entire final fight sequence was epic and filled with hilarious banter between the three Peters. Stunning visual effects brought the battle to life along with powerful performances from all three Spider-Man actors. Perhaps the most cathartic moment was when Andrew’s Peter was the one who saved MJ from falling to her death, bringing him and the fans some closure after he wasn’t able to save his love interest, Gwen, at the end of Amazing Spider-Man 2.
The ending was bittersweet perfection. The best, yet worst, part about the ending was that I had no idea it was coming but it made a lot of sense. Of course, Peter wasn’t going to let all the Spider-Man villains come through the hole he blew in the multiverse, unleashing chaos on this world even if it meant making everyone forget Peter Parker by fixing the spell.
Also, is no one going to talk about the fact that Mysterio was the main villain for this movie? This grown man literally ruined a 17-year-old’s life by framing him and exposing his identity. That twisted man was the reason for everything that happened in No Way Home. That fact hasn’t been talked about that much except among fans.
I teared up during the scene with Peter, MJ and Ned saying goodbye. It was beautiful and the sadness between the three of them was palpable. Tom and Zendaya’s fantastic chemistry made their heartfelt goodbye kiss feel even more real, and their teary-eyed “I love you” was devastatingly sincere.
Do I wish Peter would’ve kept his promise and told Ned and MJ who he was after the memory wipe? Yes, but I understand why he didn’t. Peter’s best and worst quality is his willingness to sacrifice his own happiness to protect the ones he loves. This ending creates a clean slate for him to be on his own, paralleling the other Peters at the beginning of their journeys.
I’m just surprised that Tom was able to keep his mouth shut during the press tour and not spoil the whole movie. It helped that he had Zendaya and Jacob by his side the whole time to keep him in check. The whole press tour was one giant serotonin boost for me and the rest of the world. Tom, Zendaya and Jacob really are the best of friends in real life. They were having a great time and making fun of each other, although I suppose there were moments Jacob felt like a third wheel while traveling with coupled-up Tom and Zendaya.
I watched almost every interview before and after the movie came out. There was barely any indication about the ending or that Tobey and Andrew were in fact in the movie. I bet it wasn’t easy for any of them to keep it a secret. There was a reason why Marvel was only allowed to see the first 38 minutes of the movie because after that it gets a little dark, with some of the saddest moments in the MCU. I think the audience’s reaction to the movie would have given too much away if that aspect of the movie was talked about during the press tour.
No Way Home is the best Spider-Man movie of all time and high on the MCU list as well. I can’t think of a way that it could’ve been done better. It was a perfect mix of everything. I wish the Homecoming trilogy hadn’t ended on a sad note for Peter but that just leaves the door opened for what comes next. Ned and MJ will remember him one way or another. There’s a hundred different ways the future of Spider-Man could go now: Will Ned’s magic play a role in them remembering who Peter is? Or could he become a villain because he doesn’t remember Peter is? What would happen if Ned and MJ became friends with Peter again without their memories? I’d love to see that dynamic play out. This isn’t the end of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man – I’m sure we will see him on our screens again. I personally can’t wait.