Why is Spider-Man No Way Home so loved?

Spider-Man No Way Home Review

(SPOILERS WILL BE INCLUDED)

It is clear that millions of Marvel fans have been restlessly waiting for the Arrival of Spider-Man No Way home, the third movie of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Spider-Man trilogy. Directed by John Watts and produced by Kevin Fiege, this movie was released on the 16th of December in Portugal and since then it has been breaking numerous records such as 2nd biggest debut in Hollywood, 3rd fastest movie to gain $1 billion and many more. Tom Holland stars alongside Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Benedict Cumberbatch and others in this thrilling adventure.

This movie follows young Peter Parker after his identity was revealed by Mysterio, the antagonist from the previous movie ‘Spider-Man Far From Home’. With this, his life becomes miserable not only for him but for his friends and family. So, he turns to the only hope he has, Doctor Strange. With the plan of casting a forgetting spell, all is fine until Peter starts to understand the consequences of this incantation. He inconveniently asks to alter the spell however things don’t go as planned. Now, the multiverse is opened, Doc Ock, Green Globin, Electro and many others fly in to give Peter a little visit. Spider-Man No Way Home is the 6th highest grossing movie in history with $1.6 billion made globally and it continues growing.

After this movie was released, it opened so many possibilities for future Marvel projects. The concept of alternate realities brings so much potential to this film and it did not disappoint. Spider-Man No Way Home incorporates comedy and action and balances it out incredibly well, without having too much of one or the other. After the arrival from the villains of the other movies (Spiderman 1,2 &3 and The Amazing Spiderman 1 & 2) we expect to have long fighting sequences however, they don’t keep us waiting and makes the first fighting scenes very direct and easy to understand. Having shorter initial fight scenes allows to have a deeper showing of how these villains are and have changed after such a long time without seeing them on screen. To add on, Ned and MJ played by Jacob Batalon and Zendaya bring a sense of humanity into the movie and demonstrates how Peter is also a normal person like us. Additionally, having a more human side to the movie shows audience members how you don’t have to have superpowers to be helpful and make a change.

The arrival of Andrew Garfield’s and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Mans was on point and with that, us audience members received a type of chemistry that we had never seen before in previous Spider-Man movies. They brought a sense of reality and brotherhood to Holland’s Spider-Man which we can later see how important that was to him. Along with their arrival also came various funny interactions which showed their vulnerable side. The final battle scene had amazing stunts which are incredibly well executed. Their coordination and how each Spider-Man helped each other was massively heart-warming and nostalgic, being the first fight scene, we have seen with all Spider-Man together, uniting decades of this amazing superhero. This film was focused on them working together and it did not get side-tracked with inconvenient points.

Compared to Homecoming and Far From home, we can see how much Peter has grown as a person and in this movie, and how he is not so dependent on a mentor or guide. With the previous films, Peter was often not so independent, and it was harder to see how he dealt with having such a big responsibility when he had a mentor such as Tony Stark so present in his life. In ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and ‘Spider-Man’ we saw how Peter adapted his life after getting such great power and how with that comes great responsibility. In those same movies, we also get a glimpse of Peter making his own suit and getting to know the superhero life by himself. Nevertheless, in Homecoming, Stark had all that figured out for him which prevented us to see Peter exploring this new lifestyle. However, in No Way Home, we get to see Peter dealing with these problems on his own, without having a shoulder to lean on when needing help.

Nowadays, more and more movies are using fan service to attract audience, such as bringing back adored characters or remaking a movie that is loved by so many. Nevertheless, it is clear how many of these movies add these beloved features thoughtlessly, only thinking about how much more attention it’ll gain. Even though Spider-Man did have many different characters that millions of fans have deep connections with it is clear how these fan services were done considerately, and how including these characters makes the movie more effective and entertaining. Incorporating these memorable villains allows us to understand each Peter better, and how each of them delt with similar situations. Usually, fans would compare each Spider-Man always trying to find out which one is the best however, after seeing them all interact together, we can notice how each Spider-Man is unique which helps us appreciate what each one brings to the table. Adding these nostalgic icons is necessary to give the audience a deeper insight of Peter Parker as Spider-Man but also seeing these hated villains from another perspective and giving them a second chance.

This was a great way to end the year. This movie was a dream come true for Marvel fans and what we once thought was only possible imagination finally came true. I am so excited to see what the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) does next and how this universe will expand and grow. This year we can expect projects such as ‘Moon knight’ (TV show), ‘Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness’ (movie), ‘Thor Love and Thunder’ (movie) and many others. These projects will be very unique and different from previous ones, and we can expect more and more as the MCU continues to grow.

Carolina Torres 9.1