It's been a while since I've written anything in this personal space of mine - and it's been over a year actually since the pandemic began and we all had to shutter inside our respective bubbles and spaces! As a result of several lockdowns and shifts in several industries, the films and movies we'd typically enjoy watching inside cinemas were moved to streaming and digital platforms. While that made things safer and more convenient, it still wasn't the same as the theatrical experience - which films like Spider-Man: No Way Home greatly benefit from and absolutely need to be seen in the big screen.
With the return of cinemas in the Philippines last November, most of Hollywood's offerings for 2021 were able to make it to theaters - including Black Widow, Shang Chi, Dune, No Time to Die, and Eternals. Spider-Man: No Way Home was scheduled for release during mid-December 2021 in most territories around the world, but unfortunately due to other factors beyond our control - the film was delayed to January 8 this year.
Thanks to Columbia Pictures Philippines, I FINALLY got to see the movie a couple of days ago in a special screening along with fellow moviegoers, fans, and webheads, and to say this is the perfect and emotional love letter to Spider-Man fans of all generations is an understatement. Literally everyone who grew up loving all the Spider-Man live-action films NEED to see this - but since we're still in a pandemic and watching cases go up as of this writing, I advise everyone to be safe and weigh in their options before going out to see this film. Mask up and make sure you're vaccinated, and like Spider-Man always says - "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility".
That being said, here's my review - and SPOILER WARNING to those who want to avoid any!
Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx
Directed by: Jon Watts
Release Date: December 17, 2021 (USA)/ January 8, 2021 (Philippines)
The third and final entry in the "Homecoming Trilogy" that began with 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and last left off in 2019's "Spider-Man: Far From Home", "Spider-Man: No Way Home" raises the stakes for Peter Parker and his double life as a superhero as his late nemesis Mysterio gets the last laugh and reveals his secret identity to the entire world. With his already tangled web even more complicated than ever, Pete seeks out the aid of his one-time ally Doctor Strange for help in restoring things and making the public forget he is Spider-Man. Unfortunately for Parker he unwittingly tampers with the Master of the Mystic Arts' spell - causing villains who have fought a Spider-Man hailing from alternate universes to appear in his world. With his loved ones in danger and facing a number of consequences because of his mistakes, Peter will face his greatest challenge yet to learn what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
As a film that literally carries a lot of expectation and weight on its shoulders, No Way Home is not only a conclusion to the trilogy of Spider-Man films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but a celebration of everything that makes the wallcrawler so beloved by fans across the world. As the trailer and several marketing promotions showed, fan favorite villains from past Spider-Man films such as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Electro make their way into the MCU and interact with Tom Holland's Spidey - with Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx all reprising their roles from the respective films each of their characters appeared in. Because the concept of the multiverse was opened and explored by Marvel Studios in recent TV Shows and films, it's open season for these variants to appear and bring things full circle for the Spider-Man film franchise as a whole. I won't go into details on what else happens in this film because that's part of the charm and surprise - but I will say that Spidey fans of all ages will be impressed and feel cathartic after seeing what goes down here. Social media might have spoiler you - but it's a very different feeling when you see it in the big screen.
Despite not being a big fan of the characterization in the MCU, Tom Holland plays his part as Spider-Man/ Peter Parker quite well and consistently since he first appeared in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War". He's a kid learning what it means to be a small fish in a big pond - and after Iron Man's sacrifice at the end of "Avengers: Endgame" he still has many lessons to learn to become a fully formed hero with responsibility. That all comes to a head in No Way Home, and it takes going to Doctor Stephen Strange (once again played by the amazing Benedict Cumberbatch) and requesting a "forget me spell" to cause all the troubles that plague our young webhead in this film. It also affects his close circle of friends and family who have been with him from the start, and Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, and Jon Favreau all play their roles well as MJ, Ned, Aunt May, and Happy Hogan. Essentially it's his fault that he's in this mess, and taking a page out of the controversial comic book stories "One More Day" and "One Moment In Time", Spider-Man faces his greatest challenge yet and things will change moving forward, for better or for worse.
Bottomline, if you love Spider-Man - go see this film. An absolute must, and a well deserved early celebration for the character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko as he celebrates his 60th anniversary later this year! Personally it's a perfect score and stands shoulder to shoulder with Spider-Man 1, 2, and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse as my favorite Spidey films ever made! Big thanks again to Columbia Pictures Philippines for inviting me and fellow Spidey fans and cosplayers to see thing - and it's now playing in theaters!
Rating - 5/5
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