Hi there Spidey fans! No Way Home premiered this week and I just saw the movie in the movie theater. And as per usual I have to voice my opinion about the latest movie from the MCU. Hey, I did that about some of the TV shows as well (namely the OG baddie Loki), but I did that with the movies as well. Black Widow first comes to mind here.
But hey. It’s not like I didn’t announce No Way Home before. Oh no. Don’t you worry. We already devoted an entire article about the movie just last month. The trailers, the cameos and everything else were mentioned in the November article. Which you can revisit here. But now that the movie is out in the theaters, it’s time to dive in. Let’s see what was the good, the bad and everything in between in No Way Home. Oh and yes. I’ll try to keep this review spoiler-free as possible. But first I believe something else has a priority in this article.
No Way Home: The Games First, And The Movie Later
That’s right. We have some awesome Marvel-related games for you to check out. And yes. They’re games that we hope will put you in an MCU mood. Just in time for you to go out and see No Way Home. First and foremost there’s Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. One of Capcom’s finest games and one that we’d gladly recommend to any Marvel fan. You can get it here. Secondly, there’s ULTIMATE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3. A release with some of the best 3 vs. 3 tag battles ever and a release you can purchase here.
But hey, if you’re not in a mood for a Marvel-themed game then don’t despair. We have plenty of great sales you can visit here at IndieGala. Our Bandai Namco Winter Sale is still going strong. Indeed. There are more than 120 items in the sale, and you can visit them here. But now… Let’s get back to the main theme.
The No Way Home Review.
Let’s Start Simple: Is No Way Home Any Good?
Yup. Yes, it is. Very much so. But first, let me start with this article the proper way. No Way Home starts roughly right after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Peter Parker’s alter ego is exposed to the public and he’s framed for the murder of Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal). Now with the public so divided and with his future (and the future of everyone around him) in danger, he must turn to the one man he knows that can help. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). However when his „Forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man“ spell goes awry, plenty of other people will come to this timeline. Spider-Man’s old friends and enemies will all cause chaos, and it’s up to Peter (Tom Holland) to Scooby-Doo his mess. Let’s just say it’s not gonna be so easy.
And as I mentioned earlier in this section, No Way Home is good. A very good movie indeed. I did have some problems with the over-stretched ending (which took away some of my patience), but the rest was good.
No Way Home: Over-Stuffed And Boring?
No, not in the slightest. I thought that No Way Home would be like Spider-Man 3. The over-stuffed and over-crowded mess of a movie, but it’s not the case. I was pleasantly suprised. Yes, there are plenty of villains here (heroes too don’t worry), but everything works with them. They’re all given their own time to shine, and the second and third act doesn’t suffer because of them.
Don’t get me wrong, Peter Parker takes center stage here and that remains the case until the end. But it’s nice to see some of his past nemesis back and being meaner than ever. I’m looking at you Green Goblin. And yes. You might say that Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina) and the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) are true standouts in No Way Home. There are plenty of more baddies to give Peter quite a headache, but these two have the most screen time. And therefore, the most impact on the story development.
So, yeah. MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) are there as a support for Peter, but they’re kinda pushed to the side for a bit. No, they’re not ignored, but they’re kinda there as second-hand support. They don’t even follow Peter on most of the locations (like it was the case in previous movies). But they do their part and they’re a great source of humor too.
Great Characters And Fantastic Set Pieces
I mean come on! Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church) and The Lizard (Rhys Ifans). All in one place. How cool was that? And like I said, the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus we stellar, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of them were bad. Oh no. I was quite pleased to see the return of The Lizard, and yes. Sandman too. Jamie Foxx did an awesome job here yet again, and just when I was sure that we’re gonna see the Sinister Six… I was left with a huge disappointment. Oh well. Perhaps in another movie.
But speaking of great characters… Doctor Strange was outstanding here too. His humor was on point as well. But I liked his dynamic with Peter here. He’s not the mentor/father figure that Tony Stark was in the previous installments. But rather a -get to the business and move on- type of a guy. A no-nonsense type of a helper to Peter. He warned Peter about the ramifications, but hey. At least he used his head for once here. Not just his superpowers. Which is progress I might add.
But oh boy. Let me just briefly mention the set-pieces. They’re incredible here. From the bridge fight with Octopus to the mind-bending train fight with Strange. And let’s not forget the crescendo with pretty much everyone on the Statue of Liberty. I think that was my favorite one, to be honest.
A Mature And Grown Up Peter?
Yes, I think it is. For the first time in the trilogy, we see a more mature, more responsible Peter Parker. Now, Peter decides to do the right thing instead of the simple thing. And as his actions have ramifications for him and his loved ones, it’s his actions that will put this teenager through the ringer like never before. Even as Strange remarks at one point: „I sometimes forget you’re still a kid“. But the thing is, now for the first time we see the true growth of this character. He starts off as a kid, but transitions into a man by the end of the movie. We see his emotional, protective side (that goes beyond the basic super-hero stuff) and I think this is the movie in which he understands the famous saying…
-With great power comes great responsibility.
A Satisfying Conclusion Of The Trilogy?
Yes, it is. It’s more than satisfactory I should argue. It will entertain you for sure. But at the same time, it will exhilarate you. Not to mention it will make you laugh and yes. It will make you cry. At least that was my experience in the movie theater. I clapped, I cheered and I cried my eyes out. In conclusion, I loved No Way Home.
What’s Your Take On No Way Home?
Are you a fan of Spider-Man: No Way Home? What’s your opinion of it? Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know if you liked it as well. Or if you hated it.
