Spider-Man: No Way Home - Theatrical Review

Spider-Man has no doubt made a big impact on the big screen through the decades. Most recently, Spider-Man was introduced in Civil War and became an Avenger. Audiences have seen this Peter Parker grow into the hero he was supposed to become and after the infamous blip by Thanos, Spidey met his next foe in Mysterio. At the end of the last Spider-Man film, Mysterio magically convinced everybody that Spider-Man was a villain and revealed his identity to the world. In this third film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker is now known to everyone and is causing major problems with those he loves with his newfound fame and of course, the media is not playing nice with their once friendly neighborhood Spider-Man's real identity either.

MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) continue to support and help their friend through this mess. But once their lives become impacted for just knowing Peter, the web-slinger tracks down Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and asks a small favor. This favor entails casting a spell that would make everyone forget Peter Parker's alter-ego is, including his friends, Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), and even Dr. Strange himself. But instead of losing those closest to him, Peter persuades Dr. Strange to alter the spell so everyone but the three people he loves to forget his identity, but chaos ensues and invites some unwanted visitors from other universes and timelines into this particular Cinematic Universe. 

 As his relationships and future all come to a head with life and death choices that must be made, Peter Parker is thrown through the emotional and physical wringer this time around, more so than any other obstacle he's faced. In each stand-alone Spider-Man film, the youngster learns a valuable lesson. A lesson that is tough to accept and with No Way Home, the stakes are higher than ever before. With returning writers and director Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, and John Watts respectively, navigating this web of emotion and physical brutality, along with a strong message that's been the cornerstone of Spider-Man since the comic books, No Way Home hits a home run on every single level. 

There are big blockbuster-style action sequences and some extremely intimate, small moments between the characters everyone's grown to love over the past few films. It's a great balance of sacrifice, romance, and becoming the ultimate hero. For being a film that runs at 148 minutes, the pace is so quick that it feels half that time - which is excellent! Holland's performance is incredible. Not only does his wit and charm carry certain sequences with childlike amusement, but the highly emotional moments of coming to terms with dire consequences are truly astonishing and prove why Holland is one of the most versatile actors working today. 

The script is tight, smart, and wonderfully funny when it needs to be. Zendaya and Jacob turn in fantastic supporting roles and really carry the film when Spider-Man is not on screen. MJ and Peter's romance is in full blossom and feels realistic in this modern age. It's a sight to see unfold in this sequel. There are so many moments in No Way Home that will have audiences reacting in a big way, none of it seeming forced or on the nose, but truly earned, much like how Avengers: Endgame got it right with its delivery and pacing. Don't forget to stay through the credits for two extra scenes. Spider-Man: No Way Home is simply incredible. MUST-SEE! 

 Advance Screenings Start Thursday 12/16 - Order Your Tickets On Fandango!