'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Revamps The Superhero World
Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Benedict Wong, Marisa Tomei
Rated PG-13
Action, adventure
Run time: 2 hrs, 28 min
Directed by Jon Watts
In theaters December 17, 2021
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for a Marvel movie. For the most part, even the mediocre ones entertain me, so I end up thinking more positively than negatively. However, going from the worst rated Marvel movie on Rotten Tomatoes with Eternals (which exceeded my expectations considering the 49% rating) to one of the highest with this new Spider-Man film really made No Way Home stand out even more than normal. It also managed to not fall into the often-too-predictable formula of the comic book film by introducing additional characters and plot elements that really refreshed the basic structure, even when some of its elements fit in perfectly to their appropriate slots. Part of that is due to the utter charm and delight that actors like Holland and Zendaya emit constantly and the rest is due to Marvel really trying to make this next phase of the MCU not be just like the rest.
This movie picks up right where Far From Home left off. Peter Parker (Holland)’s identity has been revealed due to a well edited video previous villain Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) released that spun Spider-Man into a villain rather than a hero. Suddenly, Peter is overwhelmed as every person on earth knows his name and he cannot seem to find solace anywhere. So, naturally, he seeks out a wizard. Or at least Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch). His goal? Make everyone forget Peter is Spider-Man and remove the association from everyone’s minds. Due to a couple of edits though, the spell is warped and it seems to have turned the world upside down. Suddenly, villains appear who come from a universe with Spider-Men and Peter Parkers, but they definitely aren’t this Spider-Man. In an attempt to avoid any spoilers or delightful twists or surprises, that’s all I’m giving you. Trust me, it’s far better to learn the rest from your seat in the theater.
While the plot is definitely captivating and exciting, the true accolades have to go to the actors themselves. Every time I see Holland on the screen in a Marvel film, I’m all but enchanted. He’s everything I want in this iteration of a superhero: while being in his twenties, he is able to accurately portray the insanity that is being a teenager - even without factoring in his alter ego, he questions the right things, he’s able to convey every emotion from gut-wrenching sorrow and adoring admiration of the girl he loves to a sassy, silly side that manages to get out some perfectly timed one-liners. Maybe it is due to me being way too invested in his off-screen romance with Zendaya, but the two of them together are a joy to watch. The chemistry is solid, of course, but it’s more than that. Combine them with Batalon as Peter’s best friend, and we have a trio that I’d watch get into any scrape imaginable - which is exactly what this film delivers.
I know raving about this movie is far from being a hot take, but there’s just something special about this movie. Even when certain things occur that had been heavily speculated, No Way Home manages to be surprising in its methods. I actually cheered and laughed out loud in multiple scenes, and I may or may not have ugly cried through about a third of it. It’s so easy to anticipate what a superhero movie will give you, just like you know what you’re getting into when you go see a Fast & Furious film, that when even unusual small instances are injected into the story line, it feels like something brand new. I wish there was more I could say that would be less cryptic, but all my brain power is being used in trying to convey my love for this film without taking away anyone else’s joy of discovering things as you go. This movie is one of the best I’ve seen this year, and not just ‘one of the best action films.’ It’s more than that, and I can’t wait to see where these stories and actors go next.