NOTE: Spoilers for the film are contained within the end of this review, clearly headlined and seperated from the rest of the spoiler-free copy.

TWO adaptations of Marvel’s web-slinging friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man have come and gone in the last two decades with both leaving their mark on superhero culture as we know it.

Now, Tom Holland’s third and what we possibly believed to be final outing in his portrayal of Peter Parker goes where no other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film has gone before- the multiverse.

No other Spider-Man has surpassed three films, but after No Way Home, a betting man would think there is no chance of that happening again.

After Peter Parker’s identity is revealed to the entire world in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the now world-famous superhero is put in a position which audiences have never before witnessed. The stakes are higher and with the 17-year-old high school student preparing to go to college his world is turned upside down, leading him to seek help from the New York’s favourite sorcerer, Doctor Strange.

Unfortunately, a spell gone wrong throws Peter's life into further chaos as villains who are experienced in combat with the web-slinger come pouring into the MCU.

However, No Way Home is not a typical story of good vs evil, but instead aims to show the true character of what makes someone a selfless superhero, and Peter instead tasks himself with helping these mislead souls, as opposed to sending them to their demise.

But with super-villains being super-villains, there are obviously going to expected obstacles thrown in his way, and the on-screen results are nothing short of perfection.

There was always going to be doubts in the back of fans heads that this film could make the same mistake as previous Spider-Man adaptations by involving to many villains. Thankfully, there was never anything to worry about, as each villain is given appropriate screen-time which doesn’t take away the real focus of the story.

Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon all deliver the usual professional acting performances that we are used to as Peter, MJ and Ned Leeds. Nobody should forget Marisa Tomei’s portrayal of Aunt May, and Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan, with both characters delivering quick-fire moments that have viewers in stitches.

The Herald:

However, the stand-out performance certainly has to be Willem Dafoe’s return as the Green Goblin. The veteran actor brings back everything you loved about the 2002 bad guy in a big metal green suit but introduces a whole new outlook to the character at the same time. It is made all the more impressive by the recent revelations that the 66-year-old actor performed his own stunts.

Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home is almost impossible to talk about without mentioning spoilers, which is why we have included a spoiler section below, and this is your first warning if you have not had the chance to see it yet.

Spider-man: No Way Home, stays true to the quirkiness and light-hearted tone of the previous two feature films directed by Jon Watts, but successfully raises the stakes to a whole-new level which puts it in contention with Avengers: Endgame.

All the while it is easy to compare it to the blockbuster Avenger films, this movie is as close to a superhero masterpiece we will ever see and sets itself apart from the rest of its kind. No other words need be said apart from Tom Holland’s own when he described it as a ‘labour of love which celebrates three generations of cinema’.

It may just go down as the best Spider-Man film of all time, and if the ending is anything to go by, fans can rest assured they will see Tom Holland spinning more webs and fighting more bat-shit crazy villains again.

Herald Rating: 5/5

 

SPOILERS AHEAD.

This is now your final warning of spoilers for Spider-man No way home.

The Herald:

As previously said, it is almost impossible to talk about Spider-Man: No Way Home without spoiling the story and the hugely anticipated moments fans have waited years for.

This movie is without a doubt the perfect combination between a love-letter to past Spider-Man films and an original story which sets out limitless possibilities for what we could see in the future.

Fans may have been slightly expecting it, but very few words can describe the feeling of seeing not one, not two, but three Spider-men on screen at the same time.

Movie theatres all around the world have been cheering since its release, and it is safe to say as you are reading this it is likely that even more cheers of joy and surprise are echoing around cinemas.

To see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield return to their roles and team-up with Tom Holland on-screen is something Spidey fans will remember for the rest of their life.

After the final act of the film, all heroes and villains are sent back to their own universe, but at great personal cost to Peter Parker. The whole world forgets who he is and will never know how he saved them. Sure, it might have been his fault in the first place, but nobody wants a sad ending for Spidey.

Not even his best friend or new girlfriend remember who he is, and with Aunt May gone he is now totally alone.

Although Peter’s final interaction with MJ leaves the audience with a flicker of hope that he may one day salvage the relationship, it is hard not to feel robbed of the close friendships and bonds that have been cultivated in the previous MCU Spider-Man movies. It is very much a clean slate which could see some interesting developments in the spider-verse, but we will have to wait and see.

One thing is for sure; it is a hell of a time to be a Spider-Man fan.