Spider-Man: No Way Home

UK Release Date: 15 December 2021

Certification: 12A

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Jacob Batalon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Willem Dafoe, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Tom Holland, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Zendaya

Rating: 79%

The finale to Spider-Man's first trilogy in the MCU doesn't disappoint. 

Review:

Similar to Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home is a cinematic spectacle that is an absolute must watch. I was unfortunately unable to see the movie upon release due to having to isolate but I was lucky enough to avoid the majority of spoilers online. Similarly, there is no way that I'll be able to talk about this movie without revealing spoilers - you have been warned. 

I'd always liked Tom Holland as Spider-Man due to his charisma and like-ability but I feel he really steps up in Spider-Man: No Way Home. You can physically see him maturing over the course of the MCU becoming more and more confident. He's also able to show a little more depth and his ability as an actor throughout the movie as there are a lot of emotional moments. Similarly, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon feel increasingly significant as well. They're involved heavily throughout the movie and provide emotional depth and sincerity to the story. Benedict Cumberbatch is great as always when he portrays Doctor Strange - he's comedic, has a great action scene and the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness shown in the post credit scene looks brilliant and I'm very much looking forward to it. 

I had initially thought of Spider-Man: No Way Home as my favourite movie of the year but I don't think it can be as to me it's a movie based solely on nostalgia - which is it's biggest strength as well as it's biggest flaw. However, that being said I loved seeing three Spider-Men on screen together. Watching Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire appear out of the portals to their themes is arguably my favourite scene in a movie since Avengers: Endgame. The banter they have with each other as they discuss what they've been up to in their universes is by far the best part of the movie. And to see Andrew Garfield finally able to save someone, that Tom's Peter cares about, was a brilliant and satisfying scene. 

Unfortunately, I do believe Spider-Man: No Way Home has a villain problem - they're a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand Lizard and Sandman are just there throughout the movie, neither really have anything today, which to me is a huge shame because I've always enjoyed Thomas Haden Church both as an actor and as Sandman. And on the other hand there's Willem Dafoe, returning as Green Goblin, and Jamie Foxx, returning as Electro, who are both great especially Dafoe. On press interviews, the cast had stated that Willem Dafoe had terrified them whilst he was on set and you can tell - his performance is not only chilling but also impactful. He insisted on doing as many of the stunts as he could which is ridiculous considering he's in his mid sixties.  Alfred Molina is a nice addition returning to play Doctor Octopus but again, like with Sandman, the movie never decided whether he was a villain or a hero.   

Michael Giachinno's score is terrific. 'Forget Me Knots' is a beautiful but gut wrenching piece of music that only increases the pain felt for Peter and the situation he ends up in. And Danny Elfman's returning themes for Green Goblin, Doc Ock and Spider-Man just feel so special to hear on-screen once more. Similarly, James Horner's Spider-Man theme is also fantastic in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Another huge positive to Spider-Man: No Way Home is that the fight scenes are awesome. Not including anything to do with Mysterio, the action has maybe been a little sub par so far from Spider-Man but this movie showcases the huge improvement. Tom Holland had promised in an interview that "There are some fight scenes in this movie that are very violent." and there are points in Spider-Man: No Way Home where it feels like a gritty revenge story. The fight on the bridge with Doc Ock is entertaining but the real violence begins after Aunt May's death. At times Peter is pummelling Green Goblin and he's laughing at him. And whilst the finale did feel a little short to me I loved that Tobey's Peter was able to prevent Tom's Peter from killing Green Goblin as he'd experienced the act of fulfilling hateful revenge and gained no positives from the experience. 

Ultimately, Spider-Man: No Way Home creates an exciting future for both the MCU and Spider-Man. It seems likely that Tom Holland will do another Spider-Man trilogy that could introduce characters such as Harry Osborne, Kraven the Hunter or Venom as he tries to re-piece his life together following the heartbreaking ending. And with the introduction of Charlie Cox as Matt Murdoch in this movie and Vincent D'Onofrio in Hawkeye - bringing them across from the Netflix universe - who knows what the MCU has in store. 

I loved Spider-Man: No Way Home and I can't wait to see what the MCU do with Spider-Man next.