Directed By Jon Watts

Starring – Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch

The Plot – With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, Peter (Holland) asks Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover the great responsibilities that stem from great risks.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, some adult language and brief suggestive comments

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME – Official Trailer (HD) – YouTube

POSITIVES

“No Way Home” is not only a culmination for the current trio of MCU-established Spider-Man films, but a fitting resolution for the five previous efforts spanning two respective timelines that never got the fitting goodbye they so rightfully deserved. In cementing such a concept, the film brings with it a barrage of creatively earned fan service in the realm of its Spider-Verse reaching across different dimensions and bringing with them more than a few familiar faces that enriched the experience. What’s important is that despite the barrage of universe-spanning characters, this is still Tom Holland’s story in the foreground of the narrative, and one he uses to solidify not only his finest performance as Peter Parker to date, but also some of his hardest hitting emotional chops in the entirety of his first act career. In attaining such, this truly feels like the fully realized evolution of Parker becoming the superhero he was born to become, and finally shedding the reliability of the Stark nameplate that has allowed him to walk on his own for essentially the first time in the MCU. It’s also a showcase for the talents of Zendaya as the lovestruck M.J, who with more responsibility in the context of her character, supplants a deeper emotional arc than either of the previous films, all the while balancing a magnetic chemistry with her leading man, on and off screen, that transfers seamlessly towards our interpretation. As for big name cameos, to which this film has no shortage of, I found it a satisfying return to form for Willem Dafoe as Norman Osbourne, but particularly the Green Goblin. Dafoe’s familiar mayhem and corresponding maniacal intensity is certainly there, but it’s the depth supplanted to his character that permeates stakes and consequences as a result of donning the suit, all the while fleshing out the most mentally unstable villain put to a Spider-Man film that this world has ever seen. As far as technical merits go, these are some of the more creative and interactive action set pieces that the MCU have attempted, bringing with them a sense of urgency and inescapable stakes that resonate seamlessly from the impactful direction of Watts, but also the invasive cinematography from Marco Fiore, whose first time helming the property produces no shortage of artistic merit in a vast, substantially stimulating color pallet. Likewise, the absorbing score from masterful composer Michael Giacchino is among the most expansively pleasing compositions of the entire series, channeling the instruments and tones of previous Spider-Man films and corresponding villains in a way that registers their influence while on-screen, but all the while creating something entirely innovative that doesn’t audibly plagiarize previous composers. The audible themes themselves certainly comprehend the balance of the many worlds hanging in the balance, but also zero in on the concepts of love, loss, and rage from Peter, without taking away the integrity of the performance at the forefront of the interaction. The script itself isn’t perfect, especially in balancing the tonal consistency of scenes early on, but it does provide a mirroring evolution in maturity to that of its web-slinging superhero, especially during the film’s gritty, grueling second half, which triggered feelings for the MCU that I haven’t felt since “Avengers: Infinity War”. Adding to these aspects are a series of unexpected directions and bittersweet resolutions that certainly provide insight towards the future of the series, but simultaneously wrap up arc’s and conflicts for this installment in a way that leaves the focus where it rightfully should be; in the realm of the film that we’re currently watching. Finally, no film in the MCU would be whole without the Easter Eggs of post-credit sequences, to which this film has a duo of such. The first one is alright, although I have to be honest in saying I’m not quite on-board with where the future of this character is headed, but I digress. The second one is downright incredible, for both its length, but also the transfixing visuals that push the envelope for cinematic achievement in special effects in the same way “The Matrix” did over twenty years ago.

NEGATIVES

While a great film that I couldn’t stop blushing over, it’s not without its faults, primarily in the realm of its duration, which highlights more than just small problems with the duration of its run time. The time itself, at nearly two-and-a-half hours, certainly isn’t a problem, as the pacing is crisp and tight to containing a bottled momentum that it never relents on. Instead, the problems start with the humor itself, which for my tastes is maybe 50/50 at best because rarely does it ever feel as natural as the previous two films. There’s certainly a try-hard emphasis to their deliveries, especially in the direction of a couple of the cameos themselves, but for my money the bigger problem persists as a result of the clumsy editing, which often hangs onto scenes with a punchline so long that it takes away the sting of the delivery. In fact, the editing for the entirety of the film is a bit strange in scenes, sometimes erratic during action sequences, and sometimes lazy during dialogue, when the scene could use a tighter transition. The humorous material itself is alright, I just feel like it felt inappropriate during certain instances, and alludes towards a growing problem within the MCU, where every film has to be a comedy to ensure people had a good time with it. I can see it for the first two Spider-Man’s, but here it directly contradicts the growth and maturity of its titular character, and only periodically earned my gut-busting release. In addition to this, the gimmick of the spell itself brought forth many corresponding questions that the film itself even addresses, but never in a way that resolves the issue of its logic. Without stating spoilers here is very difficult, so I will just say that a couple of character appearances make no sense with the way their characters were resolved in their franchises. Likewise, it follows the ages old superhero trope, in that it creates a plot device every half hour or so, to resolve matters in a way that doesn’t require explanation towards the audience. This is seen in a magic box, a fabricator, and magic elixors that dramatically underscore the impact of the corresponding conflicts, and raise a bigger question in logic, as to why they weren’t addressed or brought up in the first place when everyone was crying about the stakes of the spells that arose.

OVERALL

“No Way Home” hits all of the sweet spots as the MCU’s newest entry. Its impact on the universe as a whole, as well as all of the earnest emotional beats all feel satisfyingly earned as a result of an evolution with certain characters spanning three films, but others even further. Though it struggles with a few tired superhero tropes, and an over-reliance on humor, it more than soars as a contextual love-letter to the character, and all of its universe-spanning incarnations in the web of expectations that its fans have swung patiently by. In growing up with this character, regardless of the version, Watts has touched into something sweetly sentimental that far transcends nostalgia, giving us a hearty final act to this impactful trilogy that all began with Peter Parker coming home to where he belongs.

My Grade: 8/10 or A-