First Take: Spider-Man: No Way Home - the film we needed from Sony

Spoiler free as usual. Because this is a film that doesn’t deserve spoiling.

SYNOPSIS: With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Two years ago most of the film world were unsure whether Sony would agree to that new deal for the Spider-Man character, rumours were doing the rounds that they would end their arrangement with Disney to let the web slinger loose in the MCU- but I think everyone is relieved Tom Holland made that drunken phone call in the end, as it would allow the third, and arguably strongest entry of this trilogy to be made.

Returning to direct following Homecoming and Far From Home is Jon Watts, who continues to nail it on the pacing (for a 2 hour 28 minute film it flies by), and with some heavy CG moments, he is able to blend live action and VFX incredibly well. Working to a script from Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, every character has time to shine, and considering the stakes of this film when it comes to the wider MCU, having this duo write the film was a good choice. Mauro Fiore’s cinematography also makes this film come alive, as it looked right at home in a sold out screen 6, and once you add Michael Giacchino’s score, this is a hell of a technical masterclass.

Performance wise, Tom Holland continues to evolve his iteration of Peter Parker, and it is in this film where he arguably comes of age as this generation’s Spider-Man- joining him is Benedict Cumberbatch ahead of his next solo film in May, alongside Spidey veterans Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, and thanks to the Multiverse, the returns of Alfred Molina, Willem Defoe, Jamie Foxx, and arguably one of the worst kept secrets in the industry which we won’t spoil- but this film has something for fans of the older films. If you’ve seen the animated Into the Spider-Verse, think of that, but live action- because it really is that good.

THE VERDICT

No Way Home gets the right mix of fan service and plot development for a Marvel film, and with some of the surprises in store, it’s a film that has a crucial role in the path we call Phase 4- it deserves to be seen big and loud, and it goes without staying, don’t go anywhere until the very end of the film.

RATING: 4.5/5