Spider-Man: No Way Home- Review

"With great power, there must always come great responsibility" - Aunt May

    Spider-Man: No Way Home - directed by Jon Watts. Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Marissa Tomei, William Dafoe, and Jaime Foxx. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third film in the Spiderman MCU trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular character. Following the events of the previous film, Spider-Man's identity as Peter Parker is revealed to the world, turning his life upside-down. In an attempt to help his friends and family,  Peter seeks help from Doctor Strange, which leads to a multi-dimensional issue that invites Spiderman villains from different universes. (Potential Spoilers Ahead)

Since the film was announced back in Summer 2020, Spider-Man: No Way Home became the most highly-anticipated film of the year, and quite possibly one of the most anticipated films ever. Speculation of the film's plot circulated the internet for the entire year leading up to the release. The anticipation grew even higher after the release of the teaser trailer for the film, which is now the most viewed movie trailer in YouTube history. 

Spider-Man is on the pantheon of most popular heroes ever, right next to iconic comic book heroes such as Batman and Superman. Since 2002, there have been eight live-action Spider-Man films. Factor in the animated films, tv shows, and video games, plus the numerous appearances of Spider-Man in the MCU films, there has been no shortage of Spider-Man-related content for fans to indulge in. However, the hype surrounding this film was unlike any other, partially due to the rumor of the potential return of the former Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. However, some people, including myself wondered if the film could ever live up to the expectations that fans had created for the film. 

Without giving away too much of the film, Spider-Man: No Way Home definitely lives up to the hype. The film is the epitome of fan service, a blockbuster movie. There has been no film since Avengers: Endgame that has created such an enjoyable experience for audiences. (Watch this link to see theatergoers' reaction to the film) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnKZ-gzhPvg

While many cinephiles have been critical of the superhero film genre (See Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, etc. ), it is refreshing to see how special the theater experience can be for viewers, superhero fanatics or not.