“Spider-Man: No Way Home” directed by Jon Watts provides everything you look for in a comic book movie: humor, action, and emotion.

I feared this movie could never live up to the hype, but I was fortunately mistaken because it was better than I could have ever imagined.

The best part of this movie is the development of Spider-Man and Peter as characters. The constant struggle that Peter has in the comics is the responsibility he feels for stopping the villains, while simultaneously saving and helping them. This film really shows this struggle and transforms who Peter was into a way more meaningful and heartfelt representation of the character. 

The inclusion of villains from previous Spider-Man films provides an extra layer to this movie. This moves the film along, as fans don’t need the backstorys of each villain because anyone who already saw these other movies knows exactly who each villain is. This allows for more plot and action without the extra weight of each individual’s need for storytelling. It also gave fans a feeling of nostalgia.

The acting in this film is nothing short of masterful. Willem Defoe and Tom Holland provide some of the best on screen performances I’ve seen in a while. Defoe’s performance as the Goblin has an important role in his film and he is just as evil and unstable as he used to be. The effect that he has on those who interact with him in nearly every scenario is deadly. He truly is one of the best villains we’ve seen in the MCU(Marvel Cinematic Universe). Peter experiences a lot of emotion especially anger during this film and Holland’s performance perfectly portrays the struggle he faces and how he feels responsible for the people around him. This is a story of redemption and an origin for Spider-Man that was necessary in order for him to become who he was meant to be in the MCU.

WARNING— MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

The much anticipated inclusion of Garfield and Maguires Spider-Man was probably 80% of the hype that surrounded this film. The speculation around this film was that they would appear as a cameo in order to help Holland’s Spider-Man fight their villains. But what they did was much much better, they came in at the end of the second act and had about 40 minutes of screen time. Their purpose was more meaningful than a cameo appearance. It was to help Holland’s Spider-Man through his lowest point in the movie. They were a sort of emotional support in the film and they also brought along some of the best scenes in the film. From comparing web shooters and worlds, to fighting each other’s villains, the bond between these characters was brotherly.

The best part of this crossover was Garfield’s Spider-Man. They found a way to change the meaning of his previous films, redeeming him from his previous Spider-Man movies. Garfield has been noted as a huge Spider-Man fan and it shows through his performance and he truly looks happy to be playing him. They talk about how after the death of his love interest Gwen Stacy he began to stop pulling his punches. This shows how he has transferred from light to dark and back to light again and that is a journey that most spidermen go through and it makes them who they are. Most fans, myself included, are excited for his future as Spider-Man, as rumors circulate about him coming back for more of his own solo films.

The role that  Maquire played in this film was an important one. He was a sort of father/mentor figure for Maguire’s Spider-Man by helping him make the right decision in the end. This is who Spider-Man is as a character.He helps others when necessary  and puts their needs before his own. This shows his full development as a character and who he has become since the last time we saw him on screen. As a kid, I used to watch these movies almost every weekend so I was very excited to see him in this film. After all these years this movie does perfect justice to Maguire’s character by giving us insight into how his life went off screen.

Overall this has to be one of my favorite MCU films and definitely my favorite Spider-Man film. It served as a finale for all three Spider-Man stories while still very much leaving an opening for more from each of them. I would rate this movie a 5/5