Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
3.5/4
Spider-Man: No Way Home is easily the best Spider-Man movie I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing on the big screen.
Throughout the course of these Jon Watts-directed movies, Tom Holland has continuously knocked it out of the park both playing a young Peter Parker and Spider-Man, and this time was no different. I will dare say that No Way Home shows Spider-Man at his most emotional, and it takes an actor of great skill (and physique) to guide his character throughout the things he goes through in this film. Holland does a terrific job doing that, and much more.
Zendaya is also a standout. She plays Spider-Man’s latest love, Michelle Jones, and she is stunning in the movie. She’s funny, fearless, and relatable, and it’s really clear that Zendaya has a lot of fun portraying Jones. Another thing I like about her character is that, unlike in Sam Raimi’s films, she is not just there for Spider-Man to save—the filmmakers actually have her in the movie in a role that moves the plot forward. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I think Raimi’s films are spectacular, but one of the biggest things that always bothered me about them is that they all had the same formula when it came to the relationship between Spider-Man and Jane: they have some sort of fight or break up, she gets kidnapped by the film’s big bad villain, Spider-Man has to go save her (and usually the city, too), and they kiss and make up. So I’m glad to see something different here.
Another positive thing that I want to emphasize is that I feel this is the movie that finally cracked the nostalgia code. Movies like the Disney remakes of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker have all struggled with how to use nostalgia properly. The Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King remakes totally misused it by just making the same movie over again with none of the joy and sense of wonder that the original movies had. Star Wars also misused it by bringing in an iconic character like Lando Calrissian and having him just flying around in a space vehicle and saying the most generic things.
Unlike these unimaginative films, No Way Home doesn’t do any of that. The filmmakers actually put some thought into their use of nostalgia and decided to use it for legitimate reasons that help the plot and characters move forward.
Sure, the movie is a little bit longer than it needs to be, and it is certainly no Oscar contender, but overall Spider-Man: No Way Home is a swinging good time that any Spider-Man fan will have a blast watching.