The first reviews for “Spider-Man: No Way Home” are in and fans are saying that the film is just as great as the trailer makes it out to be.
The film, released on Friday, December 17, 2021, had some early showings on Thursday night. After Spider-Man’s identity was revealed, Peter Parker works on trying to create a normal life. He asks for help from Doctor Strange, but when the spell goes wrong, dangerous enemies start to appear from other worlds, and Parker must step up and reveal what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
Star-Studded Spider-Man Cast
The star-studded cast list consists of Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire all reprising their role as Spider-Man / Peter Parker. Zendaya returns as MJ, Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Doctor Strange, and Jamie Foxx comes back as Max Dillion / Electro.
There are some other interesting cameos, like the return of J.K. Simmons, but the one that will really have fans talking is Charlie Cox’s return as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, which Marvel boss Kevin Feige teased earlier this month. Jon Watts continued to direct this latest installment as well.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Is Smashing Pandemic Records
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Even though movie theaters have opened, there are some who are waiting to stream new releases at home instead of heading to a crowded movie theater. However, “No Way Home” is expected to shatter expectations.
According to Box Office Mojo, “No Way Home” is expected to be the biggest opener since December 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” opened with $177 million, right before theaters worldwide shuttered their doors.
The next highest-opening came from “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” in October 2020, with a cool $90 million. “No Way Home” is the eighth live-action Spider-Man film and the third in this MCU series, but it has a shot of breaking the series’ opening weekend record, which is still held by “Spider-Man 3,” which opened to $151 million in 2007, back when Maguire was still Spider-Man.
The biggest Tom Holland debut was “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” which brought in $117 million its opening weekend in 2019. Although “No Way Home” has just dropped in the United States, “No Way Home” saw its biggest opening weekend ever in the U.K. where it grossed $10 million, making it the biggest opening day for Sony in the country.
Is ‘No Way Home’ Worth The Price Of Admission?
I genuinely think Spider-Man No Way Home is my all time favourite movie. I’m an absolute mess. Tom Holland you sir are absolutely incredible. You will forever be my Spider-Man
— Aniq (@aniqrahman) December 15, 2021
On Rotten Tomatoes, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” holds a certified 95% fresh rating and an audience score of 99%.
Linda Marric of The Jewish Chronicle called it, “A bombastic, crowdpleaser which is sharp, funny and just as chaotic as its titular character. Like a bratpack movie, it’s a film about growing up, knowing one’s place in the world and appreciating it for what it is.”
James Berardinelli of ReelViews wrote, “As superhero movies go, this one offers its share of satisfying moments and is guaranteed to warm the heart of any Spider-Man movie fan, regardless of when their fandom started.”
Dan Jolin of Empire Magazine wrote, “At the risk of getting cheesy, it won’t just make you cheer, it’ll make you want to hug your friends, too.”
Cary Darling of Houston Chronicle called it “A deft, funny and surprisingly emotional superhero adventure that manages to provide both fan service for the Marvel faithful and breezy entertainment for those who wouldn’t know Peter Parker from Peter Jackson.”
Spider-Man Criticism, Too Long
Some reviews did criticize the movie’s lengthy run time, which is 2 hours and 28 minutes.
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote, “Like almost every Marvel production, this one is too long and, at two and a half hours, overstays its welcome. But before that, the movie nicely snaps and pops.”
Still, others didn’t seem to mind it.
Adam Graham of Detroit News wrote, “Watts, who also helmed the previous two chapters in the series, mixes humor, action and human moments well, and he keeps the film moving nimbly, despite its nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time.”
