This is it. This is not a drill. It is the one you have been waiting for with bated breath. The movie event of the season is here. Quick! Zip-zap and get those octopus arms waving in the air because you are not ready. We repeat. YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THIS ONE!
Regardless, since the movie is here, we’ll just let you know what we thought about it, without any spoilers of course. We promise you that. That’s our great responsibility to you.
Amusingly enough, the wall-crawler has had quite a journey of his own between the last “Avengers” outing and the events of “No Way Home”. “Far From Home” was a lighthearted palette cleansing after the heartbreaking events of “Avengers: Endgame” which dealt with Peter’s loss of his mentor and grappling with keeping his double-life on the down-low. The multiverse was teased then but soon it was revealed to be a ruse concocted by Jake Gyllenhaal’s cunning Mysterio.
Meanwhile, who could forget the real-world battle surrounding the rights of the wall-crawler? The entire corporate lack-of-a-deal threatened to snatch the wall-crawler away from the MCU, away from home. Thank goodness the heart attack was only for a week or so as Tom Holland spoke to Disney’s CEO while he was drunk and was instrumental in convincing the studios to unite for one more day.
Regardless, we are thankful that Tom’s trilogy of “Spider-Man” films has actually come to fruition and we are definitely crawling up the walls with glee.
“No Way Home” picks up right where we left off in “Far From Home”, at the very point that the identity of the wall-crawler is exposed to the entire globe. Mysterio gets one last laugh and the situation is even direr for Peter Parker as the one thing he has kept close to his bosom is torn asunder.
So, naturally, when Peter realises that his entire life is in ruins, and that extends to his closest peers, he goes to the Sanctum Sanctorum to seek a mystical solution. Dr. Strange does some wizarding and eventually, that leads to villains hopping in from other dimensions. Doc Ock, Electro, Sandman, Lizard, and the Green Goblin (gosh, just saying those names are giving me tingles up the spine) are back to wreak havoc in this universe, and only Spider-Man can stop them.
Now, a major criticism of the MCU’s Spider-Man is that he’s had too much help from Tony Stark to the extent that Peter is essentially Iron Man Jr. We do agree. Yes, it is cool to see the Iron Spider suit. It is great to see sleek spandex being churned out with some high-flying technology. But can Peter survive without all that? Can he still bring be that hero without all of the fancy gadgets?
Nevertheless, while “No Way Home” still does feature Stark tech, it does take this very criticism into account. It aims, it fires, and it never looks back. Yes, Peter Parker has driven to new heights once again. Part of why that works is because Tom Holland proves that he has the chops to be more dramatic. He really shines both as Peter Parker and Spider-Man and the maturity he has shown throughout each of his appearances continues to flourish on-screen.
As for the multiversal shenanigans, of course, we know that “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” dealt with a similar universe-shattering perspective that featured a ton of villains. And while we probably prefer how that film balanced and handled its characters, “No Way Home” does that decently well. Barring some contrived motivations, it was great to witness every single one of those villains on-screen once again.
That being said, just like how Kingpin was the major driving force behind the Spider-nemeses, in “No Way Home”, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin takes the spotlight. We won’t reveal how things transpire with our familiar emerald foe but Dafoe does excellent work in revisiting the character. That hearty cackle. Oh holy sweet cheese balls, it’s music to the ears (chef’s kiss*). That’s why we love him so much.
Source: Sony Pictures/Marvel StudiosVisually speaking, it’s one of the most bonkers thanks to the mystical arts of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. Having the wall-crawler swing into this aspect of the MCU makes for a trippy experience, one that fans will be happy to see after the much-praised Mysterio sequence in the previous sequel.
As we have promised, we’re keeping our lips shut when it comes to spoilers. And we’d like to extend a friendly neighborhood reminder to our readers here to do the same once you have watched the movie. As we all want to experience the film’s twists and surprises to the best effect, let’s all work together to maintain our silence for the sake of our friends and neighbors who have not had the opportunity to do so just yet.
Do not be that one bummer who yells out that Iron Man di- (oops, spoiler alert)… (oops again, that movie was two years ago).
Truly, the scale of this movie is a wonder of its own. You’ll cheer. You’ll weep. Indeed, there’s no better experience than to watch this in a theater with a crowd. There are tons, and we mean TONS of surprises to cheer for.
It just feels spectacular to be reminded about how much Spider-Man means to people. He’s not just been a staple of comic books, but the recent Spider-renaissance has definitely given fans and general audiences the best Spidey-feasts that we could dream of.
There’s no doubt that the hero will remain an important element of history and cinema. With entire elements from the character’s mythos being pushed to the forefront, we’re sure to see zanier things in the future.
Again, we cannot stress how much we enjoyed this. Sure, comparatively, there might have been better stories featuring the wall-crawler pieced together but the thrill of the ride made us feel so many emotions all the way through. It’s a culmination of Tom Holland’s arcs that feels very well-earned and emotional.
Indeed, Tom has truly poured his heart and soul into establishing the youthful naivety of Peter Parker and the relentless benevolence of Spider-Man. Oh yeah, we can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next.
Go get em tiger.
Update (20th December):
Spider-Man swung into the local cinemas last week as the biggest blockbuster movie this year with record-breaking Box-Office performances and is now one of Sony Pictures’ Biggest Opening Day Releases of All Time. It also recorded a high 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes; the highest among all Spider-Man movies.
“Spider-Man No Way Home” bagged a big chunk of Malaysia’s box office on its first day with a Box Office of RM 4.1 Million, the highest collection in a single trading day since March 2020. In just under two days, an estimated half a million Malaysians flocked to catch “Spider-Man No Way Home” in cinemas, which is coined as The Event Of The Year by fans of the franchise and general moviegoers.
“After the year we’ve had, it’s so great to be back in the cinema, made better by this being such a significant release. With all the excitement around this film, we wanted to do our part to elevate the experience of our movie-goers with initiatives like an interactive Spider-Man encounter at select cinemas as well as lighting up the city with Spidey-sightings across iconic landmarks. We’re thrilled to see that everyone is as excited as we are,” said Simon Foo, Managing Director of Sony Pictures Entertainment Malaysia.
Our friendly neighbourhood web-slinger also swung by Malaysia’s First Ever 360o LED Building – the TS Law Tower – where onlookers were treated with a spectacular visual treat during the special full night takeover from 15th – 18th December.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is currently playing in cinemas nationwide. As always, stay webbed to your seats till the very end!
The Review
The fact that No Way Home exists is a triumph on its own. The sheer scale and pleasing factor of this flick is unparalleled. Nevertheless, the star of the Spidey franchise himself, Tom Holland, proves that his passion will continue to spur him and his character forward.
