After "Avengers: Endgame", I didn't think we'd reach similar hype levels for an MCU film until the next Avengers film inevitably arrives. But here we are with "Spider-Man: No Way Home", the third MCU Spidey film we're very lucky to get after the brief dissolution of Sony and Disney's partnership over the character after "Far From Home". Given the scope and expectations for this film, there was a lot that could have gone wrong considering how Sony has screwed the pooch before with the franchise. Now that everything's said and done, "No Way Home" has brought a movie experience that rivals and exceeds the levels of excitement of "Endgame."
"No Way Home" had me cheering harder and got the strongest emotional reactions than any film I've seen before. Along with a strong story and amazing fight scenes, the journey Peter Parker goes through is executed brilliantly, highlighting the traits that make Spider-Man such a unique character and why he is so beloved by fans.
Of course, the biggest draw of the film is the colliding of worlds as the universes of Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man films crossover into the MCU's sacred timeline. As each past villain appears, the crowd in the theater I saw the movie in exploded with excitement. Said excitement is well founded as each returning actor haven't skipped a beat as their characters. Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin truly stands out as this film firmly cements his character as the king of Spider-Man villains. And for the sake of keeping this review spoiler-free, the appearance of other "certain characters" a lot of us were expecting or had a pretty good idea would be in the film got the biggest pops of all. There was literally no limit to how entertaining it was watching all these characters from across three universes interact with one another. Some may feel the film relies too much on fanservice or need to point out plotholes, but I see this is a case where you just need to stop overthinking things and enjoy what's being delivered.
Something I really loved doesn't really have to do with the film itself but with the crowd's reactions to it throughout. The Spider-Man film franchise has had some ups and downs over nearly twenty years, but despite all the misgivings and debates over each series, seeing each aspect of the past films appear and be cheered shows how loved the franchise as a whole is and was really heartwarming for me. I'm not saying I believe this will end all bad blood between hardcore fans of whatever series they love, but I like to think the fan community as a whole has grown a little closer.
While there's a lot to be excited about, for what it's worth, "No Way Home" is without a doubt the darkest Spider-Man film yet. With the multiverse aspect being most prominent in the film's promotion, it may be easy to forget that Mysterio outing Peter's identity in "Far From Home" is the catalyst for all the film's events. And unlike how things went with Peter's identity going public in the comics, the MCU doesn't just sweep it under the rug like it never happened. Consequences and responsibility are a big theme that reverberates for this film and will for years to come. Compared to the triumphant note "Endgame" concluded on, "No Way Home" ends more bittersweetly; it's a heartbreaking end to one era but a promising beginning to a new one. Plus, if the partnership between Sony and Disney goes sour again, it'll at least end on a more definitive note compared to where things could have been left off at with "Far From Home".
Overall, much like how "Avengers: Endgame" was the culmination of over twenty films over ten years, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is a testament to twenty years of films starring the character that will satisfy and move fans no matter which version is their favorite.
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