No Way Home Spider-Man No Way Home - Rate and Review Thread (Spoilers)

[Hunter Rider]

It's a good film, Tom, Dafoe, Molina and Zendaya were all excellent and i thought Jamie Foxx had fun with Electro. This was also the most Ned has gotten to do and he stepped up. Cumberbatch is in his groove as Doctor Strange at this pojnt and I enjoy the fact even he can't help but like Peter.
Marisa Tomei was class as usual, I never thought I would see the day where I fancied Aunt May lol, but I'm going to miss her and her dynamic with Peter and Happy, and I loved that she got to deliver the classic line to Peter before she died, nice twist on that Spidey touchstone.

The moral hook of not sending the villains back because they'd die didn't really work for me, you can't mess with timelines like that, the ripple effect is a disaster as any time travel story will tell you, but I get they were leaning hard into what a good guy Peter is. The villains themselves were certainly entertaining with Sandman surprising me with his amount of involvement. I liked Doc Ock's arc but I imagine some hardcore fans might not be pleased with how he was used. Goblin was the obvious standout with Dafoe devouring scenery and providing the catalyst for the second half of the movie after Peter is initially buddying up with the Villains to cure them, which was odd but fun.

I wasn't as excited by the prospect of the previous two Spider-Man's showing up as many fans were but I did enjoy the banter between the 3 Peter's as they set about saving the day, and Tobey Maguire was particularly good as the older, wiser Peter. I was excited to see Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock arrive in the MCU though.

The film is very heavy on the humour, most of it hit for me but there were times where it felt a tad out of place.

Peter and MJ's relationship was beautifully played and anchored the film on a human level as the multiverse crazyness went on around them, Tom and Zendaya really delivered in the key scenes, and Tom also shone in the dramatic scenes at the end between the 3 Peter's, the Peter/Aunt May scenes and the scenes with Osborn.

The finale was fine in concept and the Statue of Liberty was a great setting for it, and while Watts did a decent job of keeping track of where everybody was, it was a bit cluttered and dark, making it hard to see what was happening. The final fight between Spidey and Goblin on the giant Captain America shield was more about the internal struggle for Peter and was well done, from an action perspective their first fight where May died was better, and the Bridge sequence and mirrorverse train battle with Doctor Strange were the action highlights.

As far as the ending wiping Peter out of existence in everyone's mind.....I'm not sure, his relationships with MJ and Ned are at the heart of these films and it wipes all of his hero connections, so I'm not sure where they go from here, hopefully there'll be another trilogy to find out. Far From Home remains my favourite Spider-Man movie and I'd have liked to see Spidey as a fugitive, hunted by Kraven to follow on, but this was still entertaining with some great monents.

8/10

 

[Detective Conan]

I suppose there are several ways of looking at that.

Should Doc Ock know Curt Connors? its been a while since i watched the Raimi movies but is there some connection between the 2 or is this an assumption that the raimi world is infact a small world where everyone knows each other?

In SM2, when Ock meets Peter, he recognizes Peter’s name as the student Connors has personally told him is brilliant but lazy. So he definitely knows Connors.



Side note: I just realized by watching this clip again that Peter’s, “trying to do better” response to Ock asking how’s doing in NWH is a callback to what he says to Ock here in SM2.

Another thing is that even if Doc Ock did recognize the name... what does it matter? he is looking at a huge Lizard man. Unless he jumps in while Electro is talking to say OH I KNOW HIM!, then its not really a big deal since they are from a different universe anyway. Electro and Connors both worked at Oscorp so they do know eachother.

It’s more a nitpick than a big issue with the film. I just thought it was strange that Ock wouldn’t at least expressed some shock that’s supposed to be that universe’s Curt Connors. That would’ve fun to see some of the Raimi characters like Ock and Tobey Peter react to that big lizard creature being Curt Connors(albeit a different version than the one they know). That felt like a missed opportunity.

Did electro or the lizard acknowledge Dafoe's Norman Osborn? They surely know he technically was there boss right?

Them not acknowledging Osborn’s name is fine there since it’s not like it’s as implied they don’t know they’re own Norman Osborn as much as it’s implied that Ock doesn’t know his own Curt Connors. Ock seems genuinely unaware who Curt Connors is to the point he has to be explained who he is by Electro. I know it’s a different version but even then I would assume that the name would ring a bell with Octavius.

 

[Green Goblin]

I think the problem is that the idea for this film is very convoluted to start off with. Ultimately I think having an entertaining film is more important than concrete proof logic.

 

[GuestStar2004]

In SM2, when Ock meets Peter, he recognizes Peter’s name as the student Connors has personally told him is brilliant but lazy. So he definitely knows Connors.

Ah my bad.

 

[ragingdemon155]

I think the problem is that the idea for this film is very convoluted to start off with. Ultimately I think having an entertaining film is more important than concrete proof logic.

This.

The very nature of this film was almost guaranteeing that it would have plenty of plot holes/inconsistencies. I think the movie works a lot better when you just don’t take it serious. The fanservice, fun and nostalgia was more important.

 

[Arachnerd]

Okay, after a series of unfortunate events and delays I've finally, finally managed to watch this movie earlier today. And boy oh boy do I have thoughts.

As I'm still processing it, I enjoyed it a whole lot, though there were a few things that bugged me or in which I felt there originally longer scenes that were cut down. Seeing the three Spider-Men bounce off each other though was surreally electrifying (pun intended). I'm astonished by the great chemistry Tom, Tobey and Andrew had with each other. And Dafoe's Goblin in this I dare say was actually improved upon from the original first Spider-Man, he was really terrifying in this and I wish he was in the movie more.

And Tom Holland once again proving how much of a phenomenal actor he is and how the material he was given in the previous MCU movies sort of wasted him. I'm genuinely excited to see where his Spider-Man goes from here given that he's now in the classic status quo.

Might elaborate more soon, but this movie gets a satisfying thumbs up for me but not without its flaws. A great time for Spider-Man fans.

 

[JtheDreamer]

The highlights are definitely Holland, Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and the Spidey 3. There are also some really great character moments throughout - especially coming from Peter #1. Dafoe went full blown maniacal and I really like how they wove the spidey sense into that sequence.

However, this movie in the hands of a better script writer and director would've milked the Spidey 3 dynamic a lot more since their chemistry was the freshest, most interesting thing about the whole film. I wanted so much more of that - I'd wager early panels probably thought so too. Instead it wastes time retreading familiar waters, juggling through the first act like a sitcom, boring us with scenes catching up with annoying school faculty, the bad guys blithering about knowing each other, and pointless characters like Flash Thompson. Lack of focus on the priorities also disrupts the story line of Peter's identity being known.

In CBM's I expect some silliness, but there was droves of it here - from a standpoint of both plot, character choices, and dialogue. Some things felt rushed. Suddenly Ned after having no background in the mystics can wield Strange's rings to open up portals? All the baddies linking up at Happy's condo with a plot device called the "Fabricator" that just so happens to be able to make anything - including their antidotes? It's no wonder Strange referenced Scooby Doo, because that's what much of this film was.

Visually there was something off. I wasn't a fan of the palette at all and that final climax was too dark/dreary to look at sometimes, so much so it was ruining all the different Spidey suits. It needed to be more vibrant, especially with three wise-cracking, do-gooders chewing up scenery. My general complaint these days about the MCU is that it seems it's gotten so big that the quality control is starting to erode. I feel like they'll happily cut corners to focus more on getting a billion+ dollars rather than put out an objectively quality film.

NWH is a nostalgic, fan servicing dream. However for someone like myself who was never really that big of a fan of the prior films it's not leaving me with all the warm and fuzzies. I'm not quite sure I understand the hype Garfield is getting here. He was exactly like I remembered him and it's clear he was never the reason his own Spidey movies weren't any good. Before I forget, it is nice to see that Spidey will be returning to his roots and away from the Stark baggage that has been looming over the character since Civil War.

Currently 6.5 out of 10. I may have to see it a second time to see if it deserves a 7.

 

[JannTosh]

This.

The very nature of this film was almost guaranteeing that it would have plenty of plot holes/inconsistencies. I think the movie works a lot better when you just don’t take it serious. The fanservice, fun and nostalgia was more important.

Really wish they had done a proper rewatch of the original Spider-Man movies before writing this script though. Doc Ock and Sandman shouldn’t know Osborn was the Green Goblin and Electro never found out Peter’s identity

 

[Asr]

Finally saw this, twice over the past week. After my first viewing I think I would've rated it 8/10, but after the second, I'd rate it 6/10.

First for context, I've seen all of the Spider-Man movies since the original in 2002 during their theatrical runs. I was already a fan of Tobey's and Andrew's Spider-Man, and for a long time felt that Raimi had the definitive Spider-Man movies. That said, I agree with most of the common highlights - Dafoe as GG, Molina's Doc Ock, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland. And lots of fan service with callbacks to both the Raimi and Webb movies. Honestly though, I feel like that's where most of the highlights end.

The writing overall wasn't great IMO, and had too many internal inconsistencies too. Like others said back when the first trailer was released, seeing Holland's Peter actually bungle Dr. Strange's spell didn't sit right. Then the villains showed up, and none of them remembered anything after their last fight with their respective Spider-Man....yet, those respective Spider-Men had clearly "lived" long past their encounter with those villains (i.e. Tobey saying he'd been thinking about a way to cure Osborne). Speaking of which, the movie didn't bother to explain how Osborne or Dr. Octavius were alive either, when both of them had died in their respective movies.

None of the fights in the movie really felt long enough to me, and it really bothered me that the last fight was at night. I'm honestly getting really freakin' tired of this trend of "fights at night" in CBMs in general. It was further aggravating here in a Spider-Man movie, when I wanted to see the costumes of all the Spider-Men together in the daytime.

As the post directly above mine says, it felt like the filmmakers hadn't recently re-watched any of the previous Spider-Man movies by Raimi and Webb. Yes there was fan service to those movies, but none of that fan service really felt like it meant to honor those movies, and kinda just felt like "oh that happened so we should reference it".

Besides the fan service, the only other thing I appreciated here was the ending note it left on Holland's Peter Parker and Spider-Man. His acceptance of responsibility at the end, and becoming independent, and finally shirking off the Iron Spider armor in favor of a new home-made costume, made me hopeful that we'll see a much more adult-formed Parker/Spider-Man for his next movie.

 

[DoomRulz]

I finally saw this last night and I loved it. I loved every second of it.

I do have two nagging issues (at this time). I thought the spell at the end was simply to make everyone forget that Peter was Spider-Man as opposed to forgetting who he was entirely? Also, the mid-credits scene with Eddie and Venom was so painful because their respective mid-credits scene from Venom: LTBC was hype to the nth degree. I lost my mind when Venom saw Spidey on the TV screen and was expecting so much. To see him tossed back into his universe was upsetting, to say the least.

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I finally saw this last night and I loved it. I loved every second of it.

I do have two nagging issues (at this time). I thought the spell at the end was simply to make everyone forget that Peter was Spider-Man as opposed to forgetting who he was entirely? Also, the mid-credits scene with Eddie and Venom was so painful because their respective mid-credits scene from Venom: LTBC was hype to the nth degree. I lost my mind when Venom saw Spidey on the TV screen and was expecting so much. To see him tossed back into his universe was upsetting, to say the least.

The spell at the end was a more desperate choice than the one from the beginning of the film due to the circumstances so it was indeed to make people forget Peter Parker. That's why there were scenes like him talking to MJ and saying that he would seek her out again afterwards, which wouldn't have been necessary if she only forgot that he is Spider-Man.

 

[UltimateWebhead]

I wanted to write a review for NWH sooner but got real busy with family stuff over the holidays...

In short, I really love this movie! There are some things I would definitely change mostly involving the first half but otherwise this was really good. Not great, but good.

I feel like I saw this movie kind of late but in most cases that's my usual. Aside from a few obvious spoilers, I was pretty good about keeping myself spoiler free. I'd seen so many, many positive reactions and spoiler free reviews of this movie that it was definitely difficult to keep my excitement in check. But again I feel like I went into this with little to no expectations. Especially since I'm not really a fan of the MCU version of Spider-Man.

So for the first hour or so, I was sitting there thinking 'what in the hell was everyone talking about?' NWH starts off with the same type of nonsense that drove me away from this version of the character. It plays out more like a sitcom rather than a driven story. There's a real missed opportunity here with trying to show some depth or how much of an impact Peter's identity reveal to the world could be on both him, his family, and friends. But no. We get these incredibly stupid scenes with Happy breaking up with May, the teachers building a Spidey shrine at the school, horrible scene trashing humor, and then whatever that was with Flash. He's got to be the worst on screen representation of a comic book character ever. Complete waste.

Watching Ned/MJ/Peter lose out on their college hopes was something that makes sense given the circumstances. And I don't mind that this was essentially the catalyst for Peter going to Strange. He's upset that his life as Spider-Man is causing problems in the lives of his friends. That part at least was something true to the character...he's doing what's right for the benefit of others. I just wish the catalyst for that was something with a bit more effect. I dunno, I just feel like they really just skipped over just how stressful or difficult things could become with the reveal and aftermath.

But once Peter and Strange unleash that spell...this is where the best parts of the movie come to life. All of the returning villains shine. I especially enjoyed Molina's scenes. It was great to see him in the role once again. But this movie also does justice with Lizard, Electro, and Sandman. All really good performances and I truly loved how powerful Electro was in this.

There's no denying Dafoe was the highlight of the villains. Just like JK Simmons is the perfect JJJ casting, Dafoe is definitely the perfect casting for Goblin. His performance was exceptional and I love how they ditched the mask in favor of a more classic look. His face, the expressions are so good for Goblin. I think that's something many fans, myself included, have talked about over the years and now we've got the proof we always knew was there. He cemented the idea that Goblin is indeed Spider-Man's nemesis.

Aunt May's death was really well done. The acting was solid, it was definitely a heart tugging scene and I don't mind that in this version May is the one that gives the great power great responsibility line. At least it wasn't Stark doing it. But at the same time this was a really good scene it was also unearned. For two straight movies they completely avoided any real drama or stakes. They avoided any real depth with the supporting characters to a point where it feels like a push to make you care about something that wasn't even there prior to this moment. That said, the scene works and I gotta give credit to Holland. His performance was tops.

So, magic hands Ned can now open portals? There's so many things in this movie that made me either eye roll or scratch my head. Lots of convenient stuff or plot issues...

However, the portals open and both Andrew and Tobey return and neither disappoint. This movie succeeds not just because of the fan service but because these characters were integrated into the story so well. Their moments were true and heartfelt. Talking about the past, the success of relationships, the grief over lost loved ones, their failed responsibility...etc. It all lands with a nostalgic thud but it still manages to feel natural. I definitely enjoyed both but imo Andrew takes the cake. He did great and I really felt like he earned a redemption for his Spider-Man. When he saves MJ...you are right there with him in that moment. I loved his line about not pulling punches anymore. He drove home the message that with a good writer and direction he could be a successful Spider-Man. I'd love to see him in the role again.

The interactions between all 3 Spider-Men was without a doubt the absolute best thing about this movie. The responsibility line from Tobey, his back issues lol, their discussions in the lab, the teamwork...I could watch a movie with this 3 all day any day.

I loved how Holland's Spider-Man decides to save the villains. It's so true to the core of what makes this character great. I get why he invited them back to the apartment. He shouldn't have...you know stuff is gonna go bad but if he didn't, it just wouldn't be part of what makes him Spider-Man. There's been times in the comics where Peter has trusted people you know he shouldn't but he does so because he wants to do what's right and sees the good in people. Call it a flaw or whatever.

In closing, I feel like I loved this movie but maybe I loved it for the wrong reasons. Villains and characters from past movies is what makes this movie great. I think the story did a good job of keeping Holland's Peter/Spider-Man at the center but just like the first two movies, he can't stand on his own. The fawning over Stark, the lack of any real substance, terrible humor, bad characterizations, poor writing, direction, no drama, no consequences...but maybe these 3 movies together are supposed to represent his origin story. I just wish they'd devoted more time to showing some real drama prior to NWH. That said, the end of the movie gives me hope.

What I like about the end of the movie is it essentially moves the character of Spider-Man away from a version that's consistent with the likes of Quesada/Breevort/Wacker/Slott...a sort of man-child that had to be led around by the nose, with lighthearted stories, gadgets and costumes, and into a more classic depiction that resembles the likes of Ditko/Lee/Romita.

While I'm hopeful with how things ended, I'm also worried that they're gonna mess this up.

Either way I still enjoyed this film, 7/10.

 

[Venom 1988]

So even though I saw this a week ago, I'm just finally getting around to rating it and after thinking about it on and off I'm gonna have to give it a 9/10. I loved it and I had such a good time watching this in the theater. There's already a bunch of people that have similar views as myself, so I'm not gonna try to write out a whole essay on it lol but I do want to highlight some stuff.

* While the idea of Tobey and Andrew returning was the big draw for a lot of people, for me it was Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina. Those 2 are tied for the MVP of the movie for me. They both fell back into their respective roles as if no time had passed since they were last on screen.
* I had no issues with Tom Holland's Spidey in the previous movies but he outdid himself here. This was hands down his best portrayal of the character.
* The first scene with Tobey on screen didn't push my nostalgia buttons as much as I thought it would. It wasn't until his conversation with Tom that finally pushed it. But what really did it was the scene with Tobey and Alfred near the end of the movie. That was the scene that transported me back to 2004.
* I know some people point out the first act of the movie being slow but I got to disagree. I thought the pacing was great and honestly I wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more of that period of Peter being outed. Which dove tails a bit to my next point.
* Matt Murdock was great in his 1 scene but not gonna lie, wish we had at least one more scene with him, maybe in court or something.
* While I knew it was coming from all the leaks I've read, that Aunt May scene still hit me pretty hard. While I was initially on the fence if it was a good idea to kill her off or not prior to the movie, I thought it was executed pretty well.
* I was also on the fence about the identity wipe prior to the movie, but again I thought executed pretty well and it was actually a great way to end the movie.


Anyway I'll stop there lol. Don't know what the future holds for this iteration but I feel they have a lot of possibilities

 

[Immortalfire]

Watching no way home reminded me of one thing, after all these years Tobey still has the best costume.

 

[HammerDown]

8 out of 10. A strong MCU upper tier film.
Several moments of brilliance coupled with some messy elements.

The film's strongest aspect is the use of Spider-man's character and historic likability/popularity to great effect dramatically. Because we are so familiar with that world and characters the emotional beats work so well. In part we can attribute it to nostalgia but there's also well crafted beats that go beyond that. The drama works and it packs several impactful and rewarding moments.

The action was alright. The bridge sequence was good, others where just fine like the DS stuff... the finale was a bit distracting because of the video game nature of it all, too many CGI elements, too many suits and creatures on a dark setting and not enough weight to the action. Overall i was relatively prepared for the wonky CGI but it still detracted from the movie's overall quality.

The humor was fine. Definitely some good funny moments but nothing out of the ordinary. The pacing was pretty solid. Overall the first half and the set up was a bit messy but it really kicked into gear afterwards and it kept a good level throughout that latter half without dipping too much.

Tom Holland and Zendaya performances and the character's relationship are the biggest highlights. I thought Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina where pretty good and it was nice seeing Toby Maguire back. Doctor Strange was dumbed down for the sake of the story and everyone else was ok. I didn't care much for Andrew Garfield's SM.

Overall i really enjoyed it. It was nice to reconnect with the love for the character of Spider-Man and while "nostalgia is one hell of a drug" i think the film actually managed to transcend that.

 

[Immortalfire]

Also, eight Spider-Man movies in 19 years, and still no Wheatcakes

 

[Albright]

seen it now. It was everything I expected: mostly a fan service movie and showcase for great but already used actors.

I always wanted it to introduce lesser known villains like Kraven and Scorpion and slowly set up a Sinister Six event level movie.
They could’ve developed a story where May was killed by someone else and Peter begging Strange forget everyone about him as a result.

Nevertheless some scenes were fun (3 Spider-Man swinging together) and Strange is my favourite Hero (besides Iron Man and Spider-Man)

But I really hope the next movie will be more like this movie should’ve been

 

[Batmannerism]

I give it a 9/10 just because the fan service is done so well that audiences around the world are all cheering - its quite a thing to be in a cinema and feel that spontaneous explosion of joy.

But.....it's not perfect. I have 2 major gripes, but otherwise I loved it.

GRIPES:
The biggest problem is the central plot device of the spell and Dr Strange's behavior around it.
The entire plot of the film rests on Strange making an incredibly stupid decision.

I've had arguments with people who are like " Strange is cocky, it's totally in character for him to cast this spell"

Honestly, watching all of his appearances so far.....it isn't. Remember the guy who told Tony that he'd let him or Spidey die to protect the time stone ? Remember the guy who let Tony sacrifice himself to save everyone ( because he knew it had to happen that way ) ? Sure Strange is arrogant, but he's not stupid.

Casting a spell that could break reality if it goes wrong, and not explaining the consequences to Peter before doing so....yeah, not smart.

Also people saying " it was a simple spell, until Peter messed it up."

Ummmm...how can it be a simple spell, but if it goes wrong it breaks reality ? That's us being told one thing and shown something else.

Once you get past those issues the movie is just enormous fun and also manages to have real stakes.

In terms of fan service....well it is, but the way legacy characters are blended in works brilliantly, better than I've ever seen done before in any film series - especially since these were characters from entirely different continuities.

It's like the last 5 minutes of Mandalorian season 2 ( which made people cry with joy) expanded into a mini movie. It was joyous and hats off to the writers for getting it so right.

BTW if you want to see bringing back legacy characters done wrong, check out Matrix 4

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Late to the party for reasons...

We were all just on pins and needles for this film. I no less than everybody else and especially after a rather disappointing run with major block busters with the likes Dune and Bond (Just speaking for myself) I was worried a bit this would make me feel the same, and it wouldn't be the first time an MCU film left me cold. Hell, I REALLY dislike Far From Home.

So, what did I think ultimately of this film?


This was a home run for sure. While I wouldn't say it reaches the heights of Endgame they certainly pulled off an Endgame type film for the solo hero of Spider-Man, a tribute to the two decades of live action and animated Spidey movies on the big screen. We get Tom, Tobey and Andrew in a film taking some obvious cues from Into The Spider-Verse so there's even an oblique summoning of respect to Miles' game as a hero for the masses in the 21st Century.


The big worry was... Will the gimmick of multiple Spidey's not work in live action, and even if it did, would it be a small, perfunctory meeting of our three Parkers in the third act that amounts ot nothing more than glorified cameos?

Welp this film answered our fears with a resounding "We got you fam."


Picking up right were we left Peter and MJ the film gave us the return of Charlie Cox as a certain blind lawyer (Which... It was great to see him but... That scene was a bit too much with how they did the "Tip the audience he got powers" scene. But... If Matt's coming to the MCU proper we should expect the comedy crutch Marvel employs for almost all its output. But then we get into the meat of the story and from Cumby's Strange to Happy, the villains and of course the meeting of our three Spidey's the film revs on all cylinders. Truly the actors for both the baddies and the heroes all earn their checks despite there being some obvious issues with pandemic hindrences. Yes, there were some roughish looking CGI and production values here and there which... I'm sorry the MCU has the resources to go above and beyond at all times so the less than stellar VFX can often clash with what is otherwise a pretty decent looking movie. A stand out sequence however was MCU Spidey's fight with the villains in Happy's apartment. Truly a great high impact super fight with a villain in Dafoe's Goblin at the height of his madness and powere. Dafoe BRUNG it. And may I add that Strange's heartfelt "Those of us that love you" moment squeezed all my heartstrings in a death grip. It showed that he felt a both a bond and a responsibility to Peter and his life. ( @Batmannerism for me THAT is the ultimate reasoning behind Strange casting the spell. He truly likes and respects Peter and wanted what's best for a very young colleague who wasn't even asking for himself but to make sure his friends' hard work was allowed to stand on its own with no connection to the controversy surrounding Spider-Man. Yes... The film lamp shades how Peter jumped to a magic fix before he tried normal avenues that Strange perhaps realistically would have asked about before messing with all of time and space. I think again though this is a case where Stange's arrogance was mated to a sincere appreciation for another human being, possibly two, since I can see where Strange would also be looking out for Peter as a way to honor Tony Stark, whom I am sure Strange feels some kind of guilt over.)

Now a rather large issue I do have with a movie that mostly hits its marks is the death of May. Now I'm not against the death and it was handled well with Holland tearing your heart out with his reaction. There is a big problem for me though... If May, like so much in the MCU, had been handled LESS like a comedy character and more often like a real living breathing human deeply connected to Peter and his life the scene of her death would be one for the ages. The record shows however that from the start they put her into a strange category of "Flirty Over Forty/Flighty Over Forty". In HC she and Peter have a small heart to heart meal that doesn't amount to much dramatically and even then there's a quick pivot to "Aunt May is hot" jokes. We get the progression of May learning Peter's secret and her acceptance of it ALL OFF CAMERA. Then for all of FFH's runtime she's in a very dumb sub plot about how she's acting like high school girl in regards to her relationship with Happy. Then... Out of nowhere you want May to be this strong mentoring and inspiring figure in Peter's life when there's nothing like that evidenced in any way before. It, sorry to say, shaves off a lot of points in regards to her death. This isn't fatal to the film, but it's a noticeable thing. You should feel SO much more than what we all did during Tomei's death scene.

But then we shift into the reveal of the other two Spidey's and then the film kicks into another gear. Tobey truly felt like his Peter matured, centered, less uneasy with himself and his role. Andrew was a smide off... MCU goofiness was smeared all over him but I get it, especially given the criticism of his first film (Which led to a foolish overcorrection in TASM2... But that's for another very old debate...) that they'd soften him some but even then Garfield nailed it and I would say he's got a stronger arc than Tobey, though, again, Tobey's quiet and calm added so much to the mix. Tom rises to the challenge and he is far more proactive and adult in this film, though ultimately, I'm sorry, the "Aw Gee, Shucks" side of him is kinda what sets the ball in motion as Strange points out, he's being so inoffensive he couldn't even fathom taking his own very strong case to the MIT addmissons himself. But this film does give him plenty of growth and if you want to judge a film by how much a character or their circumstances change, boy howdy does this film teach a class on that.

It is interesting that Feige and Co., along with the suits at Sony, really leave us in a place where we could NEVER see this version of Spidey in the MCU again and it would be a fitting end. Spidey is still out there, but with no one in the super hero community or elsewhere able to aid him he's left to his own cunning and skill to make it as a solo hero from here on out. OBVIOUSLY that can change in a stroke of a writer's pen as well. I mean, it's a great set up for Peter to develop both some cynicism and resentment that is good grist for the mills of drama and the potential of having him reunite with MJ and Ned in a future installment practically writes itself.

Given all the moving parts and the circumstances of the world for the past two years it was a miracle this turned out to be so legit good in so many aspects. I'm not entirely sold on Jon Watts for FF but this was a definite mark in the "pro" category. A solid, solid 8 of a film that often flirts in scenes with a 9. A wonderful gift to all the world's Spidey fans.

 

[psylockolussus]

This movie was amazeballs!

It made me teary eyed!

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Finally saw it and loved it, this was the movie where MCU Spiderman finally hit home for me, there were real consequences to his choices that aren't just magically waved away like in the previous MCU movies, this is stuff that will effect Peter for some time and probably even forever in some cases. I love that they finally gave Tom Holland some real dramatic scenes to chew on also, and as expected he excelled with them.

LOVED seeing the Raimi movie cameos as that was my Spidery trilogy as a young adult. It was so surreal seeing Tobey but he slipped right back into character, as did Molina and Defoe who were great.

Garfield was really good in this as was the new version of Elektro.

But this movie also set up the future so well. It ends with Spiderman being his own hero and not relying on anyone or anything else but just himself and his own heroic nature, I really can't wait for the next few movies now. I also liked the bittersweet ending with MJ and Ned, who were both really good here.

My only gripes was I wanted more of all 3 Spidermen on screen but that's just me being greedy.

But also after getting excited to see Venom in this universe they just send him back? Are we getting a black suit Spidey with a different version of Venom now? Slightly confusing.

But overall loved NWH it's one of the MCU's best for sure. 9.5/10

 

[The Cat-Man]

So I don't post here all too often, but I just wanted to say watching this film in theaters opening weekend was one the most enjoyable experiences I had at the cinema... <3

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

My podcast discussion review for NWH:

Podcast Episodes — TO BE CONTINUED... (A Fanboy Podcast)

 

[FunkMiller]

A solid eight for me, now I’ve finally got round to seeing it. The plot is full of huge holes, characters make some idiotic decisions that don’t ring true, and the fan service gets in the way of itself at times, but boy is it a cathartic train ride through expertly crafted nostalgia. Garfield also surprisingly amazing for the first time.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

My podcast discussion review for NWH:

Podcast Episodes — TO BE CONTINUED... (A Fanboy Podcast)

I have a podcast too and NwH is gonna be the next episode of it. The last one was Hawkeye