WARNING: Spoilers for 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' ahead.
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' officially released in theaters worldwide on Friday, December 17, 2021. I had the absolute pleasure of watching it on the 16th with my friends in a packed theater full of screaming Marvel fans.
The line looped around several times and flowed out the door hours prior to the film's official start time, so we were lucky to find great seats and enjoy some amazing trailers before the show. This included a marvelous preview of 'Morbius' starring Jared Leto, which will be releasing in theaters on January 28, 2022.
This is arguably one of the greatest MCU and Spider-Man movies to date. Considering all of the cheering and applauding throughout the film, as well as the consistently packed theaters nationwide since opening night, it is safe to say that we are returning to an 'Endgame'-era theater experience for our newest MCU film.
The ticket into this film was my heart, and it was handed back in shreds and pieces as we made our way out. But I would give anything to watch it for the first time again and again and again.
After a week of processing the events of this movie, here is my official review of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home.'
Let's Start Where We Left Off
The movie starts where 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' left off. Mysterio exposes Peter Parker, and the world is in complete shock. After seeing this scene repeatedly replayed in teasers and trailers over the last few months, I was a worried that the film might have an underwhelming introduction as a result of this moment being worn out.
But I'm glad I was wrong.
This intro is comical and true to the fun MCU Spider-Man movies we are used to. This, alongside many other well-balanced humorous moments, are much needed to ease us into the seriousness of the overall film.
This movie is ambitious, but throughout all of its chaos, it keeps us engaged and emotionally bound to a very important and transformative story.
What It Means To Be A Hero
I appreciate the duality of the public's perception of Spider-Man now that he has been exposed as the alleged murderer of Mysterio. Through this presentation and the infuriating interrogation scene, this film perfectly demonstrates how little the general public understands about what it means to be a superhero or have super-human abilities.
There's one moment in particular that sent me off the rails: the interrogator accusing Aunt May of being an irresponsible guardian by "encouraging" Peter to take on his role as Spider-Man. It makes her delivery of the iconic line, "with great power, comes great responsibility," all the more powerful.
It also throws us back to 'Captain America: Civil War' when Peter says, "When you can do the things that I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you."
It's a reminder, one that May already recognizes, that a person with power can rarely choose to do nothing. They are inevitably called to choose between being a hero, a villain, or a bystander to injustices of a world they could have changed.
What It Means To Be Spider-Man
Spider-Man isn't the hero that defeats his enemy with one frightening blow, despite being very well capable of doing so. He sees the good in his adversaries and empathizes with their plight. It is the part of him that recognizes that these individuals, like him, are still human.
It is as Tom Holland characterizes his role: "Spider-Man's greatest strength is Peter Parker."
Every time Spider-Man wins a fight, Peter Parker loses. He sacrifices himself and his life to save the world time and time again. This time, he sacrifices his very existence to save the universe. It's a sacrifice, unlike several others made by him and heroes before him, that no one will ever know and that he has to bear the weight of entirely alone.
Although the plight of Spider-Man is tragic and heartbreaking, Peter now has an opportunity to rebuild his life from scratch and redefine who he is as a man and as a hero. This makes for exciting possibilities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that I'm eager to see explored.
Old Acquaintances, New Universes
We can say, without a doubt, that the returning cast of villains is absolutely phenomenal. Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin, Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus, Jamie Foxx as Electro, Rhys Ifans as The Lizard, and Thomas Haden Church as Sandman were all brilliant in reviving their iconic roles.
Experiencing their fantastic artistry in these roles once more was like a dream. Everyone is commending Dafoe for his truly menacing delivery and fantastically psychotic facial expressions, as am I. But I want to take a moment to appreciate some of the other memorable moments with this cast.
There are several points of closure for these characters, including Sandman and The Lizard (again) returning to their human forms. Doc Ock also takes on a heroic role out of gratitude for Peter's faith and help.
However, I especially adore the chat between Electro and Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker about a Black Spider-Man. It hints at Miles Morales and makes us wonder if we will be seeing a live-action version of the fantastic character anytime soon. Whether or not we do, there is no question that 'Into the Spider-Verse' is exceptional and the expectations for 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)' releasing October 7, 2022 are tremendously high.
The Daily Bugle Returns
J.K. Simmons stepped back into his role as J. Jonah Jameson, and it makes us question if Peter Parker's future will be with the Daily Bugle once more. Simmons, as usual, didn't disappoint in giving a hilarious performance, and it is nice to see J. Jonah Jameson back on the big screen and calling Spider-Man a menace again.
In this universe, we see him rise from a controversial journalist working in his garage to developing a quickly popularized television studio. I hope we see him around in future films, especially to see him become the successful journalist he is in the original trilogy. Spider-Man movies really aren't complete without him.
This is where the headings get chaotic: I (Wife) Am Definitely Not Obsessed With Daredevil (Husband)
Now, if you know me, you know that I adore Charlie Cox's Daredevil. He plays Matt Murdock so beautifully, and I'm excited to see him reprise this role in many more rumored Marvel projects, including the remake of the fan-favorite show, 'Daredevil.'
Although his appearance in 'No Way Home' was disappointingly short, the theater was in absolute delight upon seeing his long-awaited appearance.
Luckily, this wasn't a Ralph Boner moment. Marvel gave us a show with Murdock impressively catching the brick flying through Peter's window.
While Matt Murdock doesn't remember Peter Parker, I wonder if Peter remembers that strange moment and if he will meet Daredevil sometime in the future.
There Is No Favorite. I love all of my Spider-Boys.
Of course, we can't forget about the most anticipated characters of the year! For the first time ever, we got to see Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, and Tom Holland reprising their own roles together on the big screen.
These phenomenal actors impressively picked up their roles again as if they were just playing them yesterday.
Beyond the incredible action sequences, this unification also came with heartwarming humor and a beautiful demonstration of who Peter Parker truly is.
There is no doubt that these three actors are each meant to play Spider-Man, and I am in complete admiration of how they were brought together in one universe while paying homage to their storylines we know and love.
Andrew and Tobey did an absolutely fantastic job of picking up where they left off, and I'm curious as to whether Andrew may finally be getting 'The Amazing Spider-Man 3.'
Regardless, this movie gave everything we could want from these characters and more. From connecting through grief, love, and purpose, this film helps shape the MCU Spider-Man into a character more similar to his predecessors.
My favorite aspect of this movie is that, with all of these returning characters, the movie still centers Tom Holland's Peter Parker. This is ultimately his story, and Holland dominates the screen with a performance of such emotional depth, embodying the grief and sacrifice that makes Peter who he is.
These additional characters, as iconic or beloved as they may be, are merely pieces that are meant to shape our MCU Spider-Man into the man and hero he is becoming.
Tobey Maguire is obviously phenomenal, and his character takes on the position of an elder brother to these less experienced versions of himself. But before moving on, I have to applaud the writing of Andrew Garfield's lines as well as Andrew's incredible delivery and range.
Andrew's Peter Parker is just recovering from losing Gwen and finding his own way. We never got to see his development, considering the cancellation of TASM 3, which allows him a little freedom to shape the future of this character. He takes on a more comical role in this movie.
The lines, "I've always wanted brothers," and, "I love you guys," were absolutely adorable. And the TEARS after he got his second chance by catching MJ when she falls.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!! I love him. He deserves the world.
Go check out Andrew Garfield's phenomenal performance in 'Tick, Tick... Boom' now streaming on Netflix.
Farewell, Aunt May
This movie gives us everything we could want from these amazing characters and more. But it also takes from us.
May's death is somewhat underwhelming but still heart-wrenching. (Although, maybe this is because I didn't watch Tom Holland's movies before hand - it's been a while.) We see her strength. Knowing that she is about to die, she doesn't seek revenge or saving. She thinks of Peter and gives him one final and crucial lesson before she goes. It's a special scene in which we get to see her protect him and say what is formerly known as Uncle Ben's iconic line, "with great power, comes great responsibility."
This moment marks a shift in Spider-Man's narrative, and the line enables our three Spider-Men to remember what their role in this fight is meant to be.
The scenes of Peter's (and Happy's) reaction immediately after shattered me. These are cinematic masterpieces in terms of imagery and acting. Tom Holland's depiction of that pain, grief, and defeat are magnificent.
THAT HEARTBREAKING ENDING. MY HEART 💔
When Peter makes the courageous decision to be forgotten, Doctor Strange says something that tugged at my heart-strings.
He says that all of the people who love Peter would forget that he exists. But he said WE. WHICH MEANS HE WAS INCLUDING HIMSELF.
I'm not sure if others in my theater caught that, but it was incredibly meaningful. Most of the movie consisted of Stephen berating Peter for being the nuisance whose selfishness caused all of the chaos ensuing.
But in this moment, he either shows a preexisting appreciation for the boy he saved half the universe with, or he shows a newfound respect for the kid.
When Peter is saying goodbye to Ned and MJ, he promises to come find them. He also neglects to say 'I love you' back to MJ before the spell takes effect. My annoyance quickly turned to sorrow as Peter approaches MJ in the coffee shop with, holding back tears as he speaks to the woman he loves in hopes that she might recognize him.
He doesn't even approach Ned, just watching him from a distance. This heartbreaking moment signifies a new sense of maturity and responsibility in Peter.
Although it breaks him, Peter recognizes that Ned and MJ might be safer and can still be happy without him. And we recognize that there is no guarantee that things will be the same even if he does attempt to reenter their lives.
Although it breaks us, we know why he chooses to walk away.
But nothing will break my heart more than his moment with Happy at May's grave. Happy was there for him when Peter felt helpless and alone in 'Far From Home.' He is one of the remaining pieces of Tony that Peter still has left, but he is also Peter's friend. The moment in 'Far From Home' when Happy looked at Peter and thought of Tony was so special. And now it's gone. I'm in pieces.
The movie didn't leave out any details in this scene either. May's grave doesn't say 'loving aunt,' because Peter technically doesn't exist anymore. I'll just cry.
All that aside, the final scene with Peter's new suit as he goes swinging from his new apartment is fantastic. He seems to take inspiration from his fellow Spider-Men in his design and is accepting his fresh start as an opportunity to do some good.
This means a plethora of possibilities for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
End Credit Scene
Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock is hilarious, so this end credit scene is entirely amusing and on brand. It also leaves us with an abundance of potential storylines as Venom, or rather residue of the parasite, enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But the scene also leaves a major question for fans to contemplate over the next several months: would Eddie Brock's venom return to Tom Holland's Spider-Man or Andrew Garfield's?
Post-Credit Scene: The Official Trailer for 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'
The official trailer for 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' dropped on all social media platforms yesterday, but those of us who got to see it in theaters know that this movie is about to change everything - yet again.
'Multiverse of Madness' brings back Doctor Strange, Wanda Maximoff, Wong, and Christine Palmer in major roles. It also introduces a brand new character: Miss America Chavez played by the very talented Xochitl Gomez!
This movie connects the events of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' and 'What If..?' in a way I would have never expected but am beyond excited to experience.
One piece I'm curious for them to explore is the suit that we see Christine wearing in one scene with Strange and Chavez. Is this our first look at an MCU take on Clea, or will Palmer become a superhero in the current universe? We will soon find out.
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' will release in theaters on May 6, 2022.
Final Thoughts
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' is absolutely incredible. Marvel really kept us engaged without ever telling us who is under that mask. Here's to hoping we will soon learn about the real identity of the superhero we call Spider-Man!
Let me know your thoughts about 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' in the comments below!
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