Spider-Man: No Way Home has been at the center of a truly crazy amount of hype and excitement. And the truth is, all of the hype is well and truly deserved. Spider-Man has been a part of five MCU films so far, beginning with Captain America: Civil War, but Spider-Man: No Way Home truly brings the characters into his own and proves itself to be the best of the MCU Spider-Man films to date.
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME FEATURES TRULY MASTERFUL PERFORMANCES
The performances are absolutely fantastic with Tom Holland bringing depth to the role that can only be matched by his famous performance at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Zendaya fleshes out MJ showing her evolution as she has opened up to both Peter and Ned. Jacob Batalon’s Ned is hilarious as always with a surprising new element added to his character.
The dynamic between the trio is the heart of the film and their relationship, which has evolved over the course of the now three films, proves itself to be key. Benedict Cumberbatch brings the classic Doctor Strange snark and intelligence, but his relationship with Peter, especially after the events of Infinity War and Endgame, is an unexpectedly interesting dynamic.
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Willem Dafoe is absolutely phenomenal balancing pathos and menacing mania in a truly masterful performance. Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx are incredible as well with Foxx elevating his Electro performance to new heights. J.K. Simmons proves himself to be a hilarious addition once again bringing J. Jonah Jameson to life on the big screen but in an exciting new way. Marisa Tomei is a surprising stand-out as she is able to add new depth to a character that thus far has been a more minor player in Peter’s story than one might expect.
The film is cleverly self-aware especially when it comes to the villains from Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man duology and the Rami Spider-Man trilogy. The film does a truly impressive job of balancing the action, comedy, and drama. Allowing the dramatic moments time to sit in the seriousness of the events and the emotions. Spider-Man: No Way Home features some of the most brutal fight sequences that Peter Parker has been involved in to date and the emotion behind these scenes add layers to the performance that bring it beyond the standard action scenes.
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The film picks up where the previous film left off, but quickly escalates and continues to do so throughout. And while the action is fantastic, the quieter moments both comedic and dramatic are some of the strongest in the film. With how much is happening in this movie and the appearance of so many characters the pacing works surprisingly well. While Doctor Strange plays an integral role in the film, Spider-Man: No Way Home manages to keep the focus on Peter Parker. It doesn’t feel like a team-up project in the way that other MCU films, like Captain America: Civil War do. To its benefit, the film keeps the focus on Spider-Man, his motivation, and his arc throughout.
The relationships and dynamics that are explored are layered and interesting bringing out new elements of each character. The story is truly amazing, growing in complexity while still keeping to the cores of who Spider-Man is even as he continues to evolve. The film is full of truly outstanding performances as well as twists and turns that are sure to leave audiences cheering. The expansion of the MCU and continued development of the MCU Multiverse is beyond exciting and works well within the story of the film. Jon Watts’ direction makes this one of the strongest MCU films and proves why he is the perfect choice to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home is the Phase Four MCU project fans have been waiting for since the Infinity Saga came to an end. Spider-Man truly comes into his own in this film moving beyond the kid who is following in others’ footsteps. This film opens up the MCU in new and exciting ways with countless possibilities now on the horizon. The post-credit scenes are must-see with intriguing implications. Spider-Man: No Way Home is THE Spider-Man film that fans have been waiting for.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is exclusively in theaters on December 17, 2021. If you don’t want it spoiled, watch it as soon as possible because come Thursday night, social media will become a spoiler minefield. Are you excited about Spider-Man: No Way Home? Which character are you most excited to see? Are you excited to further explore the MCU multiverse? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and check back with The Illuminerdi for more MCU and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
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