Rating of
3.5/4
Bringing It All Together for One Epic Show
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/30/21
We are now 27 films into the MCU - and that doesn't include the streaming titles or the network TV shows - and, despite all that, the powers that be continue to impress and provide something different and, yes, better.
The Spider-Man films have always been a lot of fun - but still pack some emotional punch. Tom Holland has been an excellent choice to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man and has been helped along by a great supporting cast from the likes of Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei and Jon Favreau. At the end of Far From Home, the secret identity of our hero was revealed and that's where No Way Home starts.
It turns out being outed by and Alex Jones-like J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons - still having a great time) isn't good for your private life - or of that of close friends and family. Peter has to deal with this fallout - but when it affects the college chances of M. J. and Ned he turns to a fellow hero for help. That would be Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who we find is no long the sorcerer supreme - that would be Wong (Benedict Wong), but he's reluctantly willing to help people "forget" the whole reveal. But when Peter keeps changing the spell it eventually gets out of hand - and the good doctor manages to contain it - or so he thinks. I usually go into more detail - but going any further would reveal massive spoilers (not that most don't know what they are by now), so I'll steel myself and say no more.
What I can say is that No Way Home manages to mix old and new without feeling like it's trying to fanboy out. All the characters we see really get a chance to shine - both the bad and good guys - and despite the huge roster, no one is really given a short shrift. Plus, just watching the interaction between all the characters is both fun and at times quite emotional. It balances both pretty well.
This Spider-Man does what the other films have already done - but much better. It has big laughs. It has big special effects - I was especially fond of the chase through the mirror dimension and, of course, the big end battle and is has a lot of emotional heft. The way it ends also sets up a lot of room for the next phase to go - and with the multiverse on the horizon, the sky is truly the limit on where the MCU can go next. One thing is for certain, the MCU has rarely been stronger and if you thought Infinity War/Endgame was the pinnacle - I think the best is yet to come.
