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For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero's identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.
★★★★★
Directed by: #JonWatts
Produced by: #KevinFeige #AmyPascal
Starring: #TomHolland#Zendaya#JacobBatalon #BenedictCumberbatch #MarisaTomei
Released: 15th Dec 2021
Film review by: Ahmed Abbas | Published: 15th Dec 2021 | Edited: 24th Dec 2021 Almost exactly two years prior, I sat perched on the very same seat in Leicester Square’s IMAX for the end of a popular saga, one obnoxiously riddled with attempts to please the fans and ultimately left viewers very underwhelmed. Yesterday, in that same seat, I witnessed a masterclass of how this should be properly executed, a masterclass created by director Jon Watts and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal, known to the masses as Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Spider-Man: No Way Home achieves something I’ve never seen any movie ever do to the same level. When watching the movie, you can really feel the energy on set as the stars bring their A-game. Every actor truly gives their all, allowing for this movie to have the best acting out of all the Spider-Man instalments, if not all comic book movies; this is especially true for the leading actor. Every movie in which Peter Parker (Tom Holland) features in, Holland is given an intimate scene to display his acting tour de force, and each subsequent performance tops the last; this makes sense, as Holland develops his acting ability through more and more experience in his early years. Each of his performances come closer and closer to breaking my lifelong tradition of never shedding tears in a movie, with his latest finally achieving the impossible. No Way Home features Holland’s crème de la crème in acting and is worth the price of admission alone – he truly cements why Marvel made the choice to recast the role just four years after the previous reboot and shows they were justified – Tom Holland gives the performance of a lifetime.
Spider-Man: No Way Home undoubtedly has the largest scope of the trilogy but manages to simultaneously have the most personal storyline to Peter Parker – a true character study – the movie breaks him down, shows his vulnerabilities and what makes him tick, and builds him back up with new motivations and sense of purpose. The supporting characters have more to do, despite the extended cast, and not only that, but each character has a defined arc in line with their last appearance, giving the audience an emotional journey with each of them.
The step-up in cinematography only adds to the emotion. Scenes are beautifully and befittingly lit, with flawless chroma key compositing and stunning set design. Paired with the scenic attributes, is a technological achievement through flawless de-aging that I didn’t notice or even consider for the briefest of moments, despite the fact I knew it was being used beforehand. Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios clearly pulled no punches in the production of this instalment.
The film is not formulaic and is certainly the least formulaic of all Spider-Man movies, which is one of the few, yet most recurrent criticism of Marvel movies. The movie feels like a breeze and at no point ever drags. It manages to keep the fun, vibrant feel of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and the classic comics (which I believe is essential to this interpretation), while going deeper in both story and emotion than any MCU or Spider-Man movie, with the most interesting premise. It addresses any and all criticisms of the previous movies and the character as a whole. The writers left no room for the same complaints to circulate the Twitter space.
No Way Home is the only movie I’ve ever seen that, coming out, I instantly wanted to purchase another ticket and see the next screening. The film gave me everything I wanted as a Spider-Man fan, and a Marvel one. I’d go as far as saying it gives everyone what they want, but in a meaningful way that makes sense both logically and with the direction the franchise is moving in, unlike the other saga-ender I mentioned in my introduction, which threw characters and references at viewers without meaning or explanation. I had high expectations, and No Way Home not only met them, but shattered the ceiling. In every possible aspect, Spider-Man: No Way Home has reached the top of my tier list for Spider-Man movies, as well as for comic book movies, and it will be a difficult feat for the next movie to top, but I find myself saying that approximately twice a year. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the gift that kept on giving – the perfect Christmas delight!
With Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the majority of their releases had fans stating that each respective movie couldn’t be topped, and said the same at the next, and the next, finally culminating in the masses proclaiming this for one last time with Endgame. For No Way Home, fans will once again go back on their word. Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have done it again, and truly raised the bar for the blockbuster market. As other movie studios will now inevitably be taking notes, Spider-Man: No Way Home pioneers a new era in cinema.
Having seen how the movie ends and what it sets up, I’m extremely excited for the future of Spider-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Please see this movie before any spoilers make their way to you, and do your best to avoid them, as clips and images are all over the internet, despite the movie only releasing in one territory the morning of writing.
As has become commonplace in my reviews, I suggest the ideal format to experience each film, and No Way Home, with its format-exclusive aspect ratio of 1:90, simply must be experienced in IMAX Digital, which has now become a must for MCU instalments. Like Endgame and Infinity War before it, Spider-Man: No Way Home was filmed entirely in IMAX, which is a very rare feat in cinema. The scale of this movie deserves the bigger screen & taller expanded aspect ratio – visiting your nearest IMAX guarantees 26% more picture. If anything deserves the IMAX experience, let it be Spider-Man: No Way Home.