#REVIEW: “SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Opening exactly where we left off, Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) identity as Peter Parker has been revealed to the world. With his future irrevocably destroyed and his closest family and friends caught in the fallout, Peter seeks out the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Strange offers to perform a spell that will have everyone forgetting who the web slinger is, but Peter messes it up – and now familiar villains from other universes have started appearing and they are none too happy to see Spider-Man.

The anticipation and fervor around SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME has been increasing at an almost unprecedented rate and the sheer weight of the expectations surrounding it is intense and practically suffocating. People online are excited about this Movie and with all the rumours, alleged reports, pap photos and speculation, it is not hard to figure out why. Did returning Director Jon Watts (the rare MCU Filmmaker who made an entire Trilogy of films) and his behind-the-scenes team prepare in advance for how outrageous the fan reaction would be?

Perhaps they did, because when you boil it down to its most basic structure, NO WAY HOME feels like a delicate balancing act that could go wrong at any second. It instinctively knows where past Spider-Man sequels stumbled in their overstuffed exposition, introductions and future franchise set-ups – something the MCU has been guilty of more than once – and boldly offloads much of that baggage. Yes, there are too many characters here (and some you might miss if you blink), but the Film wastes practically no time introducing them nor their backstories. In fact, it pokes fun at many of the most ridiculous moments from Sam Raimi and Marc Webb’s previous Spidey entries, and peppers in plenty of nods and references that fans will either enjoy immensely or wish they had completely forgotten. NO WAY HOME does not have time to catch you up on everything; it just wants to keep propelling itself forward at all costs.

Without getting into specifics and ruining the moments that had me smiling and chuckling endlessly, the nostalgia that fuels so much of NO WAY HOME feels careful and precise. It never feels overused, overdone nor superficial. Cheesy and sometimes overly-cloying; never superficial. The fan service is plentiful and the plethora of mic drop moments will have the sold-out crowds screaming with delight this weekend. And while I would love to describe how great the banter is here between many of the characters, I will just sum it up by saying it is the funniest of any Spider-Man movie. Period.

Beyond having my expectations both met and subverted, what really surprised me about NO WAY HOME was how gritty and emotionally mature it is. Homecoming and Far From Home did their very best to avoid the darker moments, inserting more jokes than reflection. This time out, the Film seems to revel in its darkest moments and genuinely attempts to have its characters contend with what happens. It is nowhere near as nihilistic as the downer ending of Avengers: Infinity War, but having actual stakes and consequences gives NO WAY HOME a strength and resonance that is missing from much of its MCU brethren. Much like Peter himself, Watts and returning Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have learned from their mistakes and have grown over the course of this new Spider-Man Trilogy. I admire the chances they take here, and sincerely hope Producer/Braintrust Kevin Feige allows other MCU Filmmakers to do the same in the future.

Everyone who shows up here, whether they are new, old, or somewhere in-between, are great and incredibly comfortable in their roles, no matter the time that has passed. Holland continues doing wonders as Peter and Spider-Man, and Zendaya continues to be a terrific MJ. Their chemistry is wonderful and their complex teenage emotions feel richly developed. Cumberbatch has fun as Doctor Strange, and it was nice to see Jacob Batalon getting a bit more to do as Peter’s best friend and “guy in the chair” Ned Leeds. J.K. Simmons’ seminal performance as J. Jonah Jameson is just as outstanding as you hoped it would and the unhinged madness of Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin is spectacular. The bipolar, chaotic energy he brings to the Film is top-notch and not easily replicated, instantly reminds you why he will always be one of Spider-Man’s best villains.

The Film is far from perfect though and I could go on criticizing the breathless pacing, the sometimes-muddied CGI, the odd out-of-character moments or some of the gee-whiz antics of the Second Act. I can forgive all of those things, if only for the Film’s bittersweet last few moments. Watts and Company put the pieces in place for the next adventure, leading up to a final scene that reminded me a lot of Iron Man back in 2008. The Film that kicked off a series unlike any before or since ends on Robert Downey Jr. delivering the immortal words, “I am Iron Man”. The sheer rush I received from those words gave me goosebumps and made me infinitely excited for whatever came next. It left me wanting more. I had that exact feeling, those exact goosebumps watching SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME conclude. And sure, the two stingers in the credits are fun glimpses of what’s to come, but those last seconds prior to the credits – well, they were the real moments that have me positively buzzing at the prospect of what comes next for Holland’s Spider-Man. Hopefully we do not need to wait too long to find out what that is.

Having said all of that, I recommend you leave your expectations and baggage at your cinema’s doors, and prepare to bask in the most epic Spider-Man film ever made. It is the ultimate crowd-pleaser for new and long-time Spidey fans and is the singular must-see event of the holiday season.

Sony Pictures Canada release SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME on Friday, December 17, 2021.

*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre*