Spider-Man: No Way Home

Sony did it.

They pulled it off.

I have nothing left to say.

Y’all seen’t it by now.

Y’all know what happens. 🙃🙃🙃

.😄

Thomas Stanley Holland is the best live-action Spider-Man. (…to me)

Thomas Stanley Holland’s Spider-Man movies are my favorites. (…my favorites)

Thomas Stanley Holland continues to impress me.

Thomas Stanley Holland convinced me that he can take the emotion to where it needed to go after [REDACTED] delivered the line about “responsibility” and “power,” and whatnot. 😔😔

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” raised the stakes, and it needed to. I think Marvel and Sony knew the pressure was on after “…Endgame” (2019). Phase IV of the Marvel Cinematic Universe needed to engage at least two current main profiles (Spider-Man and Doctor Strange), sprinkle in references from other associated properties [REDACTED INFORMATION], and open the possibility for crossovers.

Mission achieved. 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

Holland’s “Peter Parker” needed to experience something—some sort of heightened trauma that was more specific to his personal life and in addition to him losing his mentor, Tony Stark.

I knew this film would push Peter to the edge, but I was surprised at how the artists and producers achieved this incredible feat.

I thoroughly enjoyed how director Jon Watts and the cinematographer Mauro Fiore elevated the “Peter tingle” for this film. Each time Peter felt that something was amiss, the camera zoomed in on his face and the background noise suddenly silenced so that the audience could engage and share in his anxiety.

The Mirror Dimension battle with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) was worth the ticket and hypes “Multiverse of Madness” even more. (I was already fangirl-ing, but now!!!)

Using math to trick Doctor Strange, a f*cking surgeon and the former Sorcerer Supreme, was peak nerd, and I thank the screenwriters for their service. 🏅

Some negs 🤨🤨🤨:

1. I enjoyed the screenplay bringing MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jason Batalon) in on the action. The crux of Peter’s dilemma was to help his friends after their affiliation with his past actions negatively impacted their futures.

Cool. Dope.

I’m with it.

I appreciated that we remember that Pete is a teen, a supremely intelligent high school senior, in fact. He continued with his brand of annoyingly dense naïveté, which played right into the villains’ hands.

Just perfectly.

And that was my biggest grievance with this screenplay.

So, check this—the stakes are high, right?

Peter recruited Doctor Strange for help to cast a ruin to make everyone forget “Peter Parker is Spider-Man.”

Mmmmm’kay…

(Quick aside: did Peter specifically mention everyone in the universe forgetting he exists as “Spider-Man” or just his Earth?)

Anyway, how is it that Peter lives through the whole Mysterio fiasco, endangers the lives of the folks closest to him, regrets doing so, and then immediately trusts and cares about the well-beings of villains from other universes?

My guy was just recovering from Mysterio’s deception, and then fell right back into this gullibility loop.

In his recent past, he helped “fight” Thanos, blipped for five years, saved the universe with Doctor Strange and Co., saw Tony Stark become a martyr, and when an opportunity presents itself for him to learn from his past, he just…doesn’t.

It’s tragic.

Like, I totes understand that’s his character, but it is so annoying, bruh.

When will he learn?

Must everyone he loves die??!

2. The villains’ dialogue, aside from “Green Goblin,” felt dated. Not sure if that was a narrative device to call back to the time their films were produced, but Jamie Foxx’s character felt like he was chanting his lines. Like he was reading cue cards or something—I don’t know. Was it his acting or was it the screenplay? 🧐🧐

3. I think the film was a little bloated—that runtime was ummm…not necessary. Epic production. Loved the content, but wow. Some of the runtime should have been cut.

In all, this film is my favorite of the Holland trilogy. I was impressed with nuances of MJ and Peter’s relationship. She was still stoic and a bit cold, but she was tender with her feelings and it matched Peter’s energy. I loved the disappointment in her eyes when Ned would include himself in their shared space that was intended to be intimate.

I love the mystery of the “next steps” for this cast. MJ’s police interrogation scene is sticking to me and begs the idea that Marvel will develop something around her later. And honestly, I’d love to see Zendaya as a super, so give my girl a hefty ass bag, Disney + Sony! Y’all should be used to cutting her a check! Sis ain’t been off the payroll since she started in the game!

For your reference, my “Spider-Man” film ranking (from Beyoncé to Farrah):

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Spider-Man (2002)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)