Spider-Man: No Way Home Film Review (NO SPOILERS)
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios
Tom Holland wraps up his first (and hopefully not last) Spider-Man trilogy with a major blockbuster. To put a bow on a year where movies made a comeback, what better way to do so than with a Marvel thriller that many had been looking for and hadn't received until now. Director, Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home) continues his relatable portrayal of the web-slinger in his 3rd straight Spider-Man film as he prepares to revamp another Marvel series that has yet to find its voice in "The Fantastic Four".
Synopsis:
"With Spider-Man's identity now revealed, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man."
What You See, Feel, and Hear
You can't typically create a superhero film, especially one of this magnitude, without the massive use of CGI and green screens. However, ever since the creation of Marvel Studios, Marvel has been able to implement a fluency with the way they create their action and environments to keep their films as relatable as possible, and this goes to show in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As I watch a film of this caliber in regards to the character portrayal I can't help but imagine the difficulty of authenticity as these actors and actresses perform stunts, express emotions, and share dialogue with a completely different environment than what's being shown on screen. While watching a superhero film I'm a major fan of the POV camera positioning. Very few times does the audience get the chance to look through the lens of a superhero character and No Way Home utilized a variety of camera positions to keep the audience immersed with each character which added a level of investment as the film went on.
Out of the 3 MCU Spider-Man films, you feel the most emotion with this film. From moments of major highs, and moments of major lows, Jon Watts tested the boundaries of emotions unlike his other films and each moment seemed to fit right into place. With a seamless balance of realistic humor and genuine fear we see the growth of Tom Holland within this specific character unlike we did with the first two films. Spider-Man is a relatable character, and because of his on-screen appearances since the character's creation in 1962 the audience has a greater attachment to him compared to others within the MCU such as characters from Shang-Chi or The Eternals. Because of that attachment I think there's a level of difficulty in separating nostalgic emotions vs. neutral viewership when reflecting on this film.
Dialogue and execution are major focal points. With a more well rounded chemistry between Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Zendaya's MJ, their conversations and circumstances start holding higher value than ever before. This film provides a darker energy comparable to Avengers Infinity War and likewise has an unpredictable ending. In addition, we experience the best performance and scariest interpretation of a Spider-Man villain up to date.
My Take
Up until I saw this movie twice, I believed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to be the best Spider-Man film. That has now changed. I have never put as much investment into a film as I have with this one. For a year straight I would listen and watch trusted sources dive into the story of this character and share countless predictions and I can't express how excited I was to watch this film. Because of that investment I made sure to watch the film twice; once to purely take in the experience, and once to analyze the film. Both times were exceptionally satisfying. With minor critiques on the use of CGI in certain scenes, the acting performances were great, the story was captivating, and Marvel certainly didn't disappoint with who I believe is now their biggest character.
Grade: 9.1/10