christian movie review spider man no way home

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Reviewed by: Shawna Ellis CONTRIBUTOR

Feeling defeated, insecure and pessimistic

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Villains teaming up to destroy a hero

Does everyone deserve a second chance? When does something wrong become “our” problem?

A s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” opens, we are in the immediate aftermath of the previous film in the franchise, “Far From Home.” Sensationalist newsman J. Jonah Jameson has just revealed Spider-Man’s secret identity as well as accusations of wrong-doing to the entire world. Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ) is wrestling with this unwelcome notoriety as he just wants to get on with school and his blossoming relationship with MJ (delightfully portrayed by Zendaya ).

Public feelings about Spider-Man are mixed, including those of the admission staff at MIT, which is the school of choice for Peter, MJ and Ned ( Jacob Batalon ). Peter has just saved the world, but it feels as if everything in his life is unraveling. The once-optimistic young man struggles with the weight of these and other issues, driving him to seek help from Dr. Stephen Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ). What could go amiss when you combine potent but sensitive magic and the impulsivity of youth? Suddenly Peter has more than college admissions to consider as dangerous and powerful enemies begin seeking out Spider-Man.

This has been a much-anticipated film with more than the usual amount of speculation and hype. In an effort to not spoil the film for those who have not seen it, I won’t reveal more of the plot and characters than was seen in the theatrical trailer. It is best watched without foreknowledge of who is in the film and what exactly transpires. I’ve never enjoyed giving spoilers in reviews, and will instead try to focus on content.

Just as Tom Holland’s portrayal of Peter Parker has grown and matured since his first appearance in “ Captain America: Civil War ,” we see continuing maturation of the character in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” While still making mistakes due to his immaturity, Peter is entering the world of adulthood with increased burdens and responsibilities, including what to do with the problems created when he disrupts Dr. Strange’s spell.

His Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei ) tries to remind him that helping people is what they do, but Peter is not always so sure. On a few occasions we hear an exasperated and over-burdened Peter say, “It’s not my problem.” Biblically, we read in James 4:17, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin .”

How can I know what is RIGHT or WRONG? Answer

How can I DISCERN whether a particular activity is wrong? Answer

What is SIN AND WICKEDNESS? Answer

What is GOODNESS? Answer

What is RIGHTEOUSNESS? Answer

What is HOLINESS? Answer

Are we living in a MORAL STONE AGE? Answer

All of this chaos leaves Peter in need of guidance from those who are older, wiser , and who understand what it means to balance power and responsibility, relationships and danger, morals and bitterness, mercy and revenge. It is heartening to see young Peter learning what it really means to be Spider-Man, but this also means that the film has a darker tone with choices that will have greater and more lasting consequences for the character.

Peter’s attempts to set things right often seem to lead to more problems, as well as accusations of weakness. One character cruelly jabs that Peter is “… strong enough to have it all, but too weak to take it.” Often we mistake mercy or even morality for weakness.

But the ultimate mercy-giver, Jesus Christ , was not weak. He had ultimate power but willingly chose to set that aside to make a way to save us ( Philippians 2:6-8 ). And we definitely need saving ! Over and over again, God’s Word shows us that we can’t fix things on our own.

One villain in this film rejects Peter’s offer of help, claiming “We don’t need you to save us! We don’t need to be fixed!” Too often we in the real world have these same attitudes, and it is not until we see our desperate need for a Savior that we can accept Christ’s offer . We should be thankful that we have a God who offers us a second chance through the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Jesus !

The audience with which I viewed the film cheered and clapped as the movie progressed, and I heard many praising the film for being simultaneously fun, heartfelt, and nostalgic. I found it to be very entertaining, well-acted and surprisingly moving in a way that greatly exceeds the previous installments. Unfortunately, though, it has some of the same problematic content as the other two MCU Spider-Man films. This is especially troubling because Spider-Man is a character with so much appeal for young children.

Content of Concern

LANGUAGE: There is vulgar and crude language peppered throughout, with several uses each of the usual vulgarities. Sometimes these are used repetitively for extra comedic effect (such as Strange telling the teens twice to “Scooby-doo this sh*t”). In another instance a few of the characters repeat a vulgar phrase in turn, making it highly “quotable” for younger viewers. It was good to see that they stepped down the near-use of the F-word which they had toyed with in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” but at one point Dr. Strange is holding a coffee cup that replaces that word with a picture of a fox to read, “for fox sake.” There were also multiple misuses of God’s name, including one paired with damn. Profane language includes several uses each of damn and hell.

SEXUALITY: Aunt May refers to her relationship with Happy Hogan as a “fling.” Adults walk in on Peter and MJ while she is helping him change out of his suit and assume that there is something more happening. Peter is shirtless and wearing boxers in this scene, but even after donning a shirt he spends the next few minutes with no pants. Another male character is naked for some time but not seen below the waist. Some of May’s clothing reveals cleavage. When discussing organic rather than mechanical web shooters, someone asks if he can shoot it out of “anywhere else” in a way that seems a bit suggestive. A couple shares a few kisses. In a mid-credits scene a character suggests going skinny-dipping.

VIOLENCE: Expect a similar level of violence as previous films in the franchise, with characters thrown, beaten, crushed, shot at, stabbed, electrocuted, and nearly blown up. There is frequent peril to both regular humans and those with powers. Some blood is shown, but nothing overtly gory. A character dies and others are sometimes presumed dead. Some monstrous images and scary villains might frighten young children.

OCCULT: There is heavy use of fantasy magic, including a spell with physical components such as stones and mysterious liquids. The unbiblical theory of the existence of a multiverse is explored. There is talk of fate and destiny. One character likens himself to a god, saying, “Gods don’t have to choose, we take.”

OTHER: A mid-credits scene takes place in a bar with a character who is drunk .

Despite the negative content, this film has powerful messages about redemption , responsibility, sacrifice, compassion, teamwork, loyalty, the worth of a life, and what it means to consistently choose to do the right thing. It is too bad that these wonderful themes are tainted by the addition of problematic language and situations, but even so, this would not be a film for young children due to peril, frightening imagery and confusing situations involving magic.

Teens and young adults will probably be particularly drawn to the young heroes of the film. Tom Holland ’s sensitive portrayal of Peter captures all the confusion and angst of a boy growing up in a unique situation, MJ is likable and relatable as she tries to help the one she loves, and Ned is a great and loyal friend.

Technically, the movie is well-made, although almost visually overwhelming at times (in the typical fashion of Marvel movies). We are taken from frenetic battles to intimate conversations, from light-hearted banter to grief and angst, and I found that it all worked. The characters were believable for the most part (although Dr. Strange’s motivations could be questioned at times), and the nostalgia element was delightful without being too much for a casual uninvested viewer. I left this movie thinking it has been my favorite Spider-Man movie, and even after a second viewing today it lost none of its initial charm and heart.

• Violence: Heavy
• Profane language: Moderately Heavy— • “G*d d*mn ” • “Oh G*d” • “Oh my G*d” (3) • “Good G*d” • “G*d” • “ h*ll ” (5) • “ d*mn ” (2)
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderately Heavy— • possible F-word and a euphemism for one • “Butt-a** naked” • S-words (4) • A** (7) • “Screwed up” • “We s*ck”
• Occult: Moderate
• Nudity: Mild— • Man is apparently nude, but his lower half is not shown • Shirtless men • Cleavage
• Sex: Mild— • “It was a fling and we flung” • Peter and MJ swing into his bedroom and May finds him in his underwear standing next to MJ. Thinking that this is sexual, May reminds Peter of the importance of safe sex. • A published story suggests that Peter seduces MJ • A schoolmate asks MJ if she and Spider-Man are going to have spider babies. • Kiss and a near kiss
• Drugs/Alcohol: Minor

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

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Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

NEW YORK (CNS) — Action, humor and drama are skillfully combined in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Columbia), the lavish final installment of a trilogy of films starring Tom Holland as the Marvel Comics superhero.

Pure catnip for fans of the webslinger’s saga, the movie will engross even those less committed to his history and carries sufficient ethical gravitas to make it probably acceptable for older teens.

Opening scenes find the human arachnid’s alter ego, Brooklyn teen Peter Parker, in a pickle. Not only has his secret identity been revealed, he’s also at the center of a raging public debate, fueled by sensationalist reporter J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), about whether he’s a crimefighter or a murderous villain.

After this controversy turns out to have a seriously adverse effect on the lives of both his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya), and his best pal, Ned (Jacob Batalon), Peter — with his previous patron, Tony Stark, dead — turns to sorcerer Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. But the wizard’s spell goes awry, and he inadvertently allows a quintet of Spider-Man foes from throughout the multiverse to come to earth.

As these extraterrestrial troublemakers — including Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) — unleash havoc, Peter must weigh whether to send them back where they came from in a manner that could be fatal for them or choose a more challenging, but more humane, alternative. Predictably, he gets solid guidance from his loving guardian, Aunt May (Marisa Tomei).

Returning director Jon Watts serves up giddy visuals and high-budget special effects. Below this glossy surface, meanwhile, co-writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers’ script delves into themes of altruism, the desire for revenge and, of course, the great responsibility that attends great power. They do so, moreover, in a way entirely congruent with Judeo-Christian morality.

The value of the life lessons our youthful protagonist learns along the way to a surprisingly poignant wrap-up may sway many parents to allow those in the same demographic to absorb them as well. All the more so since his adventures are virtually gore-free and his heartfelt romance, throughout a series of vicissitudes, refreshingly chaste.

The film contains steady but stylized violence, at least one sexual reference, a single profanity, several milder oaths, a handful of crude terms and occasional crass language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.    

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Spider-man: no way home.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 68 Reviews
• Kids Say 316 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Fun, funny, touching Spidey sequel has comic book violence.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland and the 27th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It's fun, funny, exciting, suspenseful, surprising, and very moving and is sure to please Spidey fans. Violence includes a lot of comic book…

Why Age 11+?

Lots of comic book-style fighting and peril, with characters getting slammed and

A character says, "what the ffff." A few uses of "s--t," several uses of "ass" a

Brief sex-related dialogue when Aunt May finds a shirtless Peter alone with MJ a

Lego toys -- including Lego Star Wars toys -- shown more than once. UPS truck br

In a scene during the end credits, a Marvel character is seen at a bar, declarin

Any Positive Content?

Core message comes from Aunt May, who believes that everyone deserves a second c

Spider-Man/Peter remains heroic and brave but impulsive, sometimes rushing into

Main characters (and most characters) are White males, but cast has a wide range

Violence & Scariness

Lots of comic book-style fighting and peril, with characters getting slammed and bashed around, falling from high places, etc. Punching, choking, kicking. Explosions. An important character dies. Heroes briefly attempt to kill villains. Destruction of property. Bloody cuts and scrapes. Brief guns and shooting. Brief jump scare.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

A character says, "what the ffff." A few uses of "s--t," several uses of "ass" and "hell," uses of "damn," "butt." Exclamations "oh my God," "God," "goddamn," "good God" and "oh God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Brief sex-related dialogue when Aunt May finds a shirtless Peter alone with MJ and assumes, wrongly, that they were preparing for sex. Kissing. A character is said to be "nekkid" after reverting from energy to human form, but he's only shown from the chest up.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Lego toys -- including Lego Star Wars toys -- shown more than once. UPS truck briefly shown. M&Ms candies shown. Part of the vast MCU franchise, which has tons of off-screen product tie-ins and merchandise available.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In a scene during the end credits, a Marvel character is seen at a bar, declaring that they are "drunk."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Core message comes from Aunt May, who believes that everyone deserves a second chance, that people who have means should help others who don't. Also argues that good deeds last forever because they inspire others. Theme about how revenge doesn't solve anything, only creating more bad feelings and regret. MJ's theory is "expect disappointment, and that way you won't be disappointed," but she learns to hope for the best. "With great power comes great responsibility" is here too, in a big way.

Positive Role Models

Spider-Man/Peter remains heroic and brave but impulsive, sometimes rushing into things without thinking them through and making mistakes along the way. Ned is a supportive, loyal best friend. Most female characters (Aunt May, MJ, Maria, Betty) remain in important but still supporting roles.

Diverse Representations

Main characters (and most characters) are White males, but cast has a wide range of diversity in supporting roles, with characters representing a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and body types. Girls and women are important to the story and have agency but are not in lead roles.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Spider-Man: No Way Home is the third Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland and the 27th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It's fun, funny, exciting, suspenseful, surprising, and very moving and is sure to please Spidey fans. Violence includes a lot of comic book-style fighting and peril, with characters getting slammed and bashed around, falling from high places, etc. There's punching, choking, kicking, explosions, bloody cuts and scrapes, and brief guns and shooting. Characters die (one death is particularly sad), and lives are threatened. There's also brief sex-related dialogue, kissing, and nongraphic partial nudity. Language includes uses of "s--t" and "ass," and a character says "what the ffff." Characters learn from their mistakes and demonstrate perseverance, and messages revolve around the importance of second chances, helping those in need, the lasting impact of doing good deeds, and, of course, the connection between power and responsibility. Note: An extended cut of the film released as Spider-Man: No Way Home - The More Fun Stuff Version has content beyond what's covered by this review. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (68)
• Kids say (316)

Based on 68 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME picks up moments after the ending of Far from Home , in which J. Jonah Jameson ( J.K. Simmons ) revealed Spider-Man's secret identity to the world. This bombshell upends the lives of Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ), MJ ( Zendaya ), and Ned ( Jacob Batalon ), even resulting in their applications to MIT getting rejected. Peter decides to go see Doctor Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) and ask for a spell. There is one, but it will cause everyone to forget who Peter is; it would be as if he'd never existed. While they attempt to modify the spell to exclude Peter's loved ones, things spin out of control. Before long, supervillains from alternate universes descend upon Spider-Man's world, and his hands are full. He's going to need some help.

Is It Any Good?

This Spider-Man sequel has all the necessary ingredients for a top-notch superhero movie, including hilarity and heart, action and anxiousness, and some happy surprises. There's so much in Spider-Man: No Way Home to try not to spoil, but, given that the three Tom Holland Spidey movies all play on the word "home," even the title holds some clues. At its core, the movie is about families (including the "found families" we make along the way), doing the right thing, and helping out. Peter makes a most unusual decision in the story, steering away from what might be the "normal" choice in a comic book story and choosing something more unconventional, perhaps even uncinematic, because it's the right thing to do.

Yet the filmmakers don't let things get preachy or self-righteous. There's plenty of time for some of the funniest bits of dialogue in any of the Marvel movies so far, as well as moments of undeniable warmth between characters who've become so soothingly familiar. Unsurprisingly, Spider-Man: No Way Home is also technically superb, with exhilarating effects sequences, expert cinematography, and a breathless music score. (It's still a little untidy here and there and can't quite reach the dazzling perfection of the thematically similar Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse , but what can?) Overall, this 27th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe feels in some way like part of a great Spider-Man TV show, built on characters we really care about, whose trials and tribulations are truly affecting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Spider-Man: No Way Home 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

Who are the role models in Spider-Man: No Way Home ? In addition to courage , what other character strengths do they display? What does Peter learn about himself and his role as a superhero?

Is it true that good deeds can live on and inspire others? Can you think of any examples?

How do you feel about the idea of the multiverse? If you could meet someone from an alternate universe, who would it be? What would you expect?

What would you want to see in another Spider-Man sequel? For those familiar with the previous Spider-Man installments: Which Spider-Man series is your favorite? How about which Spider-Man actor, and why?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 17, 2021
• On DVD or streaming : April 12, 2022
• Cast : Tom Holland , Zendaya , Benedict Cumberbatch
• Director : Jon Watts
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors, Multiracial actors
• Studios : Columbia Pictures , Sony Pictures Releasing
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes
• Character Strengths : Courage
• Run time : 148 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sequences of action/violence, some language and brief suggestive
• Awards : Common Sense Selection , Kids' Choice Award
• Last updated : July 11, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Far from Home

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Doctor Strange

Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Movies and TV Shows in Order

Best superhero movies for kids, related topics.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home

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.

Dove Review

As Christians, we all want to forget those things that are behind us and press on toward the call of Jesus Christ. As a superhero, Spider-Man wants a little forgetfulness too, only his seems like a bigger ask — he wants the entire world to forget that he’s really Peter Parker, a little secret that Mysterio and J. Jonah Jameson let out of the bag in a slander-laden revelation from the last thrill-packed adventure.

Getting a secret back in the bag, however, is like getting the toothpaste back in the tube: You can’t. And would you really want to brush your teeth with it if you could? It would probably only make things worse.

Guess what? That’s exactly what happens in No Way Home — things get worse. Recruited for a favor by the now-outed Parker, Doctor Strange had one job — to cast a spell that would make the world come down with Spider-amnesia. That’s a pretty big favor and the reluctant doctor proceeds, only to open the door to multiple Spider-verses for a seemingly never-ending who’s who of Spider-villains of yore to walk through.

Parker had good reason for wanting to go back to the way things were: In addition to restoring a staple of all good superheroes (the secret true identity) he and those associated with him — most notably his friends, MJ and Ned — can’t get into MIT, or any of their second-choice schools as a result.

But like many good intentions, the unforeseen unintended consequences show up as well. In No Way Home , it leads to a wild, rollercoaster ride of a film that’s certain to please its core base of Spider-Fans.

For those of you just wanting to know the cautionary Spider-elements, maybe those are unintended consequences of the moviemakers trying too hard to appeal to the base. The language is concerning, the violence — being that it’s almost expected in a superhero study — a little less so. Some will have a problem with occult overtones, with the casting of spells and all.

The language is the element that steers No Way Home into the Not Approved Dove-verse, but given all the action, they’ll certainly have a chance to clean it up for the next installment, which this movie — like its predecessors — leaves plenty of room to inhabit.

The Dove Take

Knowing the previous installments in the Spider-Man franchise would be a real good idea, and fans likely will find No Way Home one of the most intense, emotional and sometimes wrenching rides of them all.

Dove Rating Details

Themes of redemption and of making things right

Aunt May sees Peter in his underwear with MJ and, assuming they are about to be intimate, warns them to be safe.

GD, “sh-t,” “d-mn,” “p-ss,” “a–,” and “h-ll.” An attempt to slip one past the censors with a mug that says, “Oh for Fox sake,” which sounds like something else. A WTF gets cut off in mid-sentence, but you get the idea.

Ferocious fights, lightning bolts tossed around, explosions, jump scares — some of it causing a vengeful Peter to get bloody, wild even by superhero standards, in a scene that brings a wrenching, emotional toll.

Man in bar is drunk.

Peter is seen in his boxers.

Casting spells as Peter tries to reverse damage done when his secret, true identity was revealed.

More Information

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The Surprisingly Christlike Call of Spider-Man: No Way Home

Bobby angel, january 4, 2022.

Home › Articles › Institute Fellows › The Surprisingly Christlike Call of Spider-Man: No Way Home

My childhood superhero allegiance constantly shifted between Spider-Man and Batman. A photo exists of me at age five sporting the 1980’s Michael Keaton-Batman logo head-to-toe, so the bat claims longevity. But Spider-Man swung into my adolescent life with the 90’s cartoon, and I learned every obscure storyline the Marvel comics offered about this web-headed hero. The latest film, Spider-Man: No Way Home is breaking all kinds of box office records and resonating with fans young and old (and “geriatric millennials,” like me). Here’s a mostly spoiler-free rumination on the heavier themes within this latest film, which closes actor Tom Holland’s solo trilogy and brings us a Spider-Man who, in facing the unintended consequences of his actions, rages at his own limitations and finally embraces a call to love selfishly. In fact, in No Way Home , Peter Parker is walking his own via dolorosa , his own way of the Cross. 

Tom Holland’s consistently charming portrayal of Parker picks up right where we left him in Far From Home . Doctored footage from a battle overseas exposed his identity as Spider-Man, and Peter must navigate finishing his senior year of high school with the eyes of every smartphone on him and every media outlet at his doorstep. His friends suffer from their mere association with Peter, and the negative consequences befall his only living family member, Aunt May, played by Marisa Tomei. Aunt May, as both Peter’s legal guardian and director of the local homeless shelter, is Peter’s moral compass. She instructs him to always do good, even while carrying the burden of being misunderstood and the ire of others. “This is what we do ,” she tells Peter, “We help people.”

Still, Peter wants to fix the situation at hand. He seeks out Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) a wizard who casts a spell that will undo the world’s knowledge of his superhero alter-ego. The spell misfires and villains from across the Spider-Man cinematic canon appear to seek Peter out. Upon learning that sending many of these villains back to their original universes will result in their deaths, Peter takes on the daunting task of attempting to rehabilitate each adversary of their evil compulsions. No one is too far past atonement: “Everyone deserves a second chance,” Peter asserts. Literary and cinematic echoes of this undeserved redemption reverberate from Jean Valjean to Ebenezer Scrooge, from Luke Skywalker redeeming his father to Frodo Baggins staying his blade against the undeserving Gollum. Every great redemption story is rooted in the biblically true story of our God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) 

Of course, we can’t be redeemed against our will. What happens when we refuse to cooperate with the good and instead stay in the corruption of evil? 

William Dafoe is, in a sea of rogues present in this film, the archvillain who, like the serpent in the Garden of Genesis 3, slithers in to manipulate his way into a position of trust. His character and alter ego, the Green Goblin, goads Peter for “struggling to have everything you want while the world tries to make you choose. Gods don’t have to choose. We take !” Dafoe’s power-hungry Goblin is the foil to Aunt May’s selfless goodness. “No good deed goes unpunished!” he taunts, as he eventually unleashes chaos upon Peter’s world. He prompts moral questions we viewers must answer: What is the moral response when evil pervades the world in the face of our good and righteous actions? Do we still bother being moral agents of goodness? Shouldn’t we fight fire with fire? Is our morality truly choking, as the Goblin asserts? Why shouldn’t we fight evil with evil so that good might come ? 

The fight scenes in this film are brutal; this is a Spider-Man betrayed, enraged, and thus fully unleashed, not pulling any punches. In the comics, neither Spider-Man nor Batman employ guns, for their “one rule” is to never take a life, but in this movie Peter Parker walks right up to that line of lethality. It’s a rage we can all identify with—one we experience when we’ve lost control, when our loved ones are hurting, or when all our good intentions and deeds end up making things worse. 

“Deception, division, diversion, and discouragement: four strategies of Satan as he tries to prize us away from God,” writes Fr. Billy Swan , and Peter Parker experiences all of these in No Way Home . “The devil urges us to do like Jonah: to run away from our prophetic calling, to opt out for an easier life and conform to the opinion of the crowds.” Isolated and beyond despondent, Peter is tempted to throw in the towel completely.

“Humility is the proper attitude towards all true greatness, including one’s own greatness as a human being,” Karol Wojtyla (before he became Pope John Paul II) wrote in his treasured work Love and Responsibility . Magnanimity, knowing one’s greatness of soul, begins first with the humility of knowing who one is before God—nothing more, nothing less. Moments of humiliation when our guards and gates are finally down are often when we permit God to bring his healing balm to our deepest wounds. Despairing and humbled, Peter Parker’s comfort comes from the rallying of his friends who meet him in his sorrow. They call him out of himself and back to his mission of being a bringing of the good. “You have a gift. You have power,” Tom Holland’s character is affirmed, “And with great power, there must also come great responsibility .”

Most of our generation know this Spider-Man motto by heart. It sums up the entire ethos of who Spider-Man is. We all resonate with this call to step forward into greatness because we are literally made for such a task, to go out of ourselves and love responsibly, as a gift for others. As Wojtyla wrote, “A person who has a vocation must not only love someone but be prepared to give himself or herself for love.” This is precisely the sacrificial choice that Peter embraces (and every great story’s hero must make) by the movie’s end.  As Peter recommits himself to the good that Spider-Man will always work towards, so should we also “not grow weary in well-doing” (Gal 6:9), even in the face of disappointment and failure. Jesus implored us to not despair in the face of the earthly evil we face: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matt. 28:20). This geriatric millennial left the theater smiling from ear to ear. There’s plenty to be theologically mined from Spider Man: No Way Home ; it’s full of fan service in all the right ways. Spider-Man continues to resonate with each new generation because, just as with the Gospel challenge of Christ, we are all called, despite our faults and flaws, to be bringers of the good—to practice great love, coupled with great responsibility.

Sacrifice and Salvation in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Zachary Lee • January 11, 2022

Unmasked and facing multiple threats, Peter Parker must decide what he’s willing to give up for the sake of the greater good.

Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

There’s a line in Spider-Man: No Way Home that perfectly captures the web-slinger's lasting appeal, while also underscoring the inherent tragedy of the character.

About midway through the film, Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn/Green Goblin sneers at Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, “Peter . . . you're struggling to have everything you want while the world tries to make you choose.” Indeed, Spider-Man has always been defined by the difficulty and dichotomy of his choices: Be in or of the superhero world? Have a stable relationship or a secret identity? Keep his family safe or protect the city?

As much as Spider-Man may have wanted it all, there was always a tension between the responsibilities of his vocation and the desires of his own heart. Yet each time he put on the mask to fight crime, it represented a commitment to die to self for the good of the world. While Spider-Man: No Way Home boasts multiversal and cross-franchise spectacle galore, it is first and foremost a paragon of this theme of sacrifice. The ending of the film sees the city saved and the neighborhood restored, but at the cost of Parker’s own community, belonging, and loved ones. In its sadness and sense of hope, the movie beautifully parallels the joyful sacrifice Christ made in his own death, as well as the power and hope of his resurrection.

No Way Home picks up right where Spider-Man: Far From Home left off: with Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker being revealed to the watching world. Understandably for a character whose main concern has been to keep his personal and “professional” life separate, this spells calamity. Holland has always done a good job of making Parker's personal concerns feel just as big as the world’s, let alone the neighborhood (read: your prom date’s dad is actually a supervillain ). The revelation of his true identity underscores that tension. In the wake of the unveiling, Peter commissions Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell to make the world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The spell goes awry due to Parker’s interruptions, causing villains from across the multiverse to come crawling into the MCU.

Each time Peter put on the mask, it represented a commitment to die to self for the good of the world.

In the film’s climactic sequence, these villains have all been defeated (some even reformed), but there remains the problem of the cracking multiverse. Due to the botched spell, even more villains threaten to invade Peter’s world. Realizing that this is because they know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, Parker asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell that will make the whole world—including those closest to him—forget who Peter Parker is. As Strange casts the spell, Peter tearfully says goodbye to his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), knowing that, to them, he won’t even be a memory. The spell is cast, the sun rises, and multiversal allies and villains are sent back to their universes. While there’s victory, the day extracts a heavy toll, as Spider-Man is reborn into anonymity.

Perhaps what remains most tender in this sequence is Peter’s own attitude towards his sacrifice. While he laments that saving the world has to come at the cost of his belonging, his greater love for all eclipses his own wants. Some time later, after the spell has been cast, Peter goes to visit MJ at a cafe, with the intention of reminding her who he is. As she greets him, Peter notices the healing wound on her head, which was sustained during the film’s climax. “It doesn’t hurt anymore,” she tells him, unaware that he knows exactly how she was hurt. Peter then painfully accepts that perhaps those he most loves are able to live their best lives with his absence. He smiles as he leaves the cafe, not regretful of his sacrifice and grateful MJ and Ned remain safe.

Even while acknowledging the limitations of Christ figures , it is hard not see the parallels here to Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection. Despite knowing not only the physical pain he would have to endure, but also the spiritual agony of being separated from the Trinity, Christ took on flesh to redeem the world; “ for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. ” He died a death he did not deserve for those most undeserving, yet he did it out of love and devotion, knowing full well that he might be forgotten and rejected by those whom he most deeply loves. He rose anew on the third day, yet even then his friends failed to recognize him.

Spider-Man: No Way Home powerfully paints a picture of a character who remains committed to saving the world, even if that world might reject his saving. You can’t get a better gospel parable than that.

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Spider-man: no way home - redemption and second chances.

• Film Review , Superhero , Action/Adventure
• 1/10/2022 1:08:00 PM
• View Count 4033

The films coming out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the past year have been OK, but not great. The third film in the Jon Watts-directed Spider-Man trilogy remedies that situation with "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

The film picks up where 2019's "Far From Home" left off with vanquished villain Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), spilling the beans about Spider-Man's identity and accusing him of numerous crimes. Now Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) seems to be the most hated superhero, egged on by J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons, who was born to play the cynical character), who has morphed from the editor of the Daily Bugle of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films to the star of his own show, giving voice to everyone and everything that is opposed to Spider-Man.

More importantly, though, is how all this negative publicity effects Peter and those closest to him. The media is camped outside his Aunt May's (Marissa Tomei) apartment building. Best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), and girlfriend MJ (Zendaya), have been denied admission to MIT due to their association with the webslinger.

Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."  © 2021 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved. 

With the naiveté of a teenager (after all, Peter's still a high school senior), Peter seeks to fix the problem by calling on his magical pal, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). He wants people to forget he's Spider-Man but Strange's spell gets botched when Peter realizes that there should be a few exceptions to the general amnesia regarding his alter-ego.

The magic-gone-haywire sucks characters from the "multiverse" into this one and now Peter has to deal with new/old villains (well, new to anyone who hasn't seen the Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield Spider-Man films and old if you have). The trailer shows that Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and Electro (Jamie Foxx), at least, make an appearance.

Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, and Alfred Molina in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." © 2021 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved. 

Strange is ready to zap them all back to where they belong but what happens next is what sets this film apart from all the others that have been made over the past two decades. I don't want to give out any spoilers but just be ready to be astounded by your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He's growing up to be an amazing human being.

Tom Holland gives one of the best performances of his life as his Peter Parker learns to deal with grittier subject matter, with the consequences of his choices as well as makes decisions that call for an amount of maturity well beyond his years. Experience is showing him that life is complicated and made up of joys and sorrows.

Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."  © 2021 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved. 

Audience members of faith will be pleased to see the treatment that the value of every human life receives, even the lives of those who have done terrible things.

Of all the things I could have thought of while watching "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the Catholic Church's teaching against capital punishment came to my mind. The Church opposes the death penalty because of the inherent dignity of every human person and the belief that everyone deserves a shot at redemption. It seems like Spider-man, as penned by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, believes that, too. No one of us is perfect and we've all done things that deserve some degree of punishment. It takes a special kind of person to see beyond another's wrongs to the dignity they have as people (and children of God) and offer them a second chance. If a Marvel movie can show us that kind of person, the kind who wields their great power responsibly, then I believe we're better off for that story.

About the Author

Sister Hosea Rupprecht is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul, a religious community dedicated to evangelization with the media. She holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto and an MA in Media Literacy from Webster University in St. Louis. 

Sr. Hosea is director of the East Coast office of the Pauline Center for Media Studies, based in Staten Island, NY, and speaks on media literacy and faith to catechists, parents, youth, and young adults. Together with Father Chip Hines, she is the co-host of Searchlight, a Catholic movie review show on Catholic TV. Sr. Hosea is the author of  How to Watch Movies with Kids: A Values-Based Strategy,  released by Pauline Books & Media. 

For the past 15 years, she has facilitated various film dialogues for both children and adults, as well as given presentations on integrating culture, faith and media.

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SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

"a multiverse of second chances".

Is Spider-Man: No Way Home Marvel At Its Best? SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME is filled with fun surprises and twists, plus lots of action. There’s also plenty of serious jeopardy leading to stirring, sad and tearful moments. But are there any cautions for families? Posted by Movieguide on Thursday, December 30, 2021

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Villain deceives the good guys, and a newspaper publisher and news anchor slanders Spider-Man and Peter Parker, seeing everything they do in the worst possible light.

More Detail:

In SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, the lies that Mysterio spread about Peter Parker have seriously damaged the futures of him and his friends, MJ and Ned, so Peter tries to fix everything by having Dr. Strange create a magic spell to make people forget Spider-Man’s secret identity, but the spell goes wrong and unleashes several supervillains from the multiverse. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME is terrific fun, with lots of action, many laughs, multiple surprises, and strong tearful moments, but it has many light obscenities and profanities, strong violence and occult content that mar the movie’s powerful, redemptive main message of doing the right thing.

As the movie opens, Peter and his friends, MJ and Ned, are suffering the consequences of Mysterio’s lies from the last SPIDER-MAN movie. Half the people on the street believe Mysterio’s lies that Peter is the one who killed him with small flying drone bombs stolen from Tony Stark’s company. Since everyone now knows that Peter is Spider-Man, Peter can’t walk down the street without hearing some boos and cheers.

Meanwhile, Peter, MJ and Ned are about to start their senior year in high school. They’re also waiting to hear from the places where they applied to college.

When they all get turned down by every college, including the one they hoped to attend together, MIT, Peter decides to take action. He goes to Dr. Steven Strange to ask him to reverse time. However, Dr. Strange says he can’t do that because he no longer has the Time stone the Avengers used to defeat Thanos. So, Peter asks Strange for a spell that would make everyone forget Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Strange says he can do that, but, as he tries to do the spell, Peter keeps thinking of exceptions to the spell. After all, he doesn’t want MJ and his Aunt May to forget who he is.

The spell goes crazy and starts bringing supervillains from other multiverses who, like Aunt May, discovered Spider-Man’s secret identity. Soon, everybody has their hands full.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME is filled with fun surprises and twists, plus lots of action. There’s also plenty of serious jeopardy leading to stirring, sad and tearful moments. All the performances are perfectly melded with the story’s twists and turns, including some surprise appearances. NO WAY HOME is clearly one of the more entertaining superhero movies from Marvel and may be considered the best SPIDER-MAN movie since SPIDER-MAN 2.

NO WAY HOME has a strong moral, redemptive premise that everyone deserves a second chance, even supervillains. In the movie, Aunt May inspires Peter to do the right thing and give the supervillains a second chance to set things right. Eventually, with help from his old friends and three new ones, he comes up with a plan to do just that. However, the plan comes with a heavy price and a big fight. NO WAY HOME also promotes teamwork, sacrifice and has a strong message against revenge.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME has many mostly light obscenities and profanities, intense action violence and occult content, however. Though Peter Parker and others come to regret his attempt to use magic to change their circumstances, Dr. Strange does need to do another spell to solve another plot problem. Also, Ned gets hold of one of Dr. Strange’s portal rings that can transport people to another location.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

The best of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” reminded me why I used to love comic books, especially the ones about a boy named Peter Parker. There was a playful unpredictability to them that has often been missing from modern superhero movies, which feel so precisely calculated. Yes, of course, “No Way Home” is incredibly calculated, a way to make more headlines after killing off so many of its event characters in Phase 3, but it’s also a film that’s often bursting with creative joy.

Director Jon Watts and his team have delivered a true event movie, a double-sized crossover issue of a comic book that the young me would have waited in line to read first, excitedly turning every page with breathless anticipation of the next twist and turn. And yet they generally avoid getting weighed down by the expectations fans have for this film, somehow sidestepping the cluttered traps of other crowded part threes. “No Way Home” is crowded, but it’s also surprisingly spry, inventive, and just purely entertaining, leading to a final act that not only earns its emotions but pays off some of the ones you may have about this character that you forgot.

Note: I will very carefully avoid spoilers but stay offline until you see it because there are going to be landmines on social media.

“No Way Home” picks up immediately after the end of “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” with the sound of that film’s closing scene playing over the Marvel logo. Mysterio has revealed the identity of the man in the red tights, which means nothing will ever be the same for Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ). With an almost slapstick energy, “No Way Home” opens with a series of scenes about the pitfalls of super-fame, particularly how it impacts Peter’s girlfriend M.J. (Zendaya) and best bud Ned ( Jacob Batalon ). It reaches a peak when M.I.T. denies all three of them admission, citing the controversy about Peter’s identity and the roles his buddies played in his super-adventures.

Peter has a plan. The “wizard” he met when he saved half the population with The Avengers can cast a spell and make it all go away. So he asks Dr. Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) to make the world forget that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, which, of course, immediately backfires. He doesn’t want M.J. or Ned or Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei ) to forget everything they’ve been through together, and so the spell gets derailed in the middle of it. Strange barely gets it under control. And then Doc Ock ( Alfred Molina ) and the Green Goblin ( Willem Dafoe ) show up.

As the previews have revealed, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” weaves characters and mythology from the other cinematic iterations of this character into the universe of the current one, but I’m happy to report that it’s more than a casting gimmick. My concern going in was that this would merely be a case of “ Batman Forever ” or even “ Spider-Man 3 ,” where more was often the enemy of good. It’s not. The villains that return from the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films don’t overcrowd the narrative as much as they speak to a theme that emerges in the film that ties this entire series back to the other ones. For a generation, the line about Spidey was “With great power comes great responsibility.” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is about the modern Peter Parker learning what that means. (It also helps a great deal to have actors like Molina and Dafoe in villain roles again given how the lack of memorable villains has been a problem in the MCU.)

So many modern superhero movies have confronted what it means to be a superhero, but this is the first time it’s really been foregrounded in the current run of Peter Parker, which turns “No Way Home” into something of a graduation story. It’s the one in which Parker has to grow up and deal with not just the fame that comes with Spider-Man but how his decisions will have more impact than most kids planning to go to college. It asks some interesting questions about empathy as Peter is put in a position to basically try to save the men who tried to kill other multiverse iterations of him. And it playfully becomes a commentary on correcting mistakes of the past not just in the life of Holland’s Parker but those of characters (and even filmmakers) made long before he stepped into the role. “No way Home” is about the weight of heroic decisions. Even the right ones mean you may not be able to go home again.

Watts hasn’t gotten enough credit in his other two Spider-Man movies for his action and “No Way Home” should correct that. There are two major sequences—a stunner in a mirror dimension in which Spidey fights Strange, and the climactic one—but it’s also filled with expertly rendered minor action beats throughout. There’s a fluidity to the action here that’s underrated as Mauro Fiore ’s camera swoops and dives with Spider-Man. And the big final showdown doesn’t succumb to the common over-done hollowness of MCU climaxes because it has undeniable emotional weight. I also want to note that Michael Giacchino ’s score here is one of the best in the MCU, by far. It’s one of the few themes in the entire cinematic universe that feels heroic.

With so much to love about “No Way Home,” the only shame is that it’s not a bit more tightly presented. There’s no reason for this movie to be 148 minutes, especially given how much the first half has a habit of repeating its themes and plot points. Watts (and the MCU in general) has a habit of over-explaining things and there’s a sharper version of “No Way Home” that trusts its audience a bit more, allowing them to unpack the themes that these characters have a habit of explicitly stating. And, no offense to Batalon, turning Ned into a major character baffles me a bit. He always feels like a distraction from what really works here. On the other hand, this is the first of these three films that has allowed Zendaya and Holland’s chemistry to shine. In particular, she nails the emotional final beats of her character in a way that adds weight to a film that can feel a bit airy in terms of performance.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” could have just been a greatest hits, a way to pull different projects into the same IP just because the producers can. Some will see it that way just on premise alone, but there’s more going on here than the previews would have you believe. It’s about what historic heroes and villains mean to us in the first place—why we care so much and what we consider a victory over evil. More than any movie in the MCU that I can remember, it made me want to dig out my old box of Spider-Man comic books. That’s a heroic accomplishment.

In theaters on December 17 th .

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

• Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
• Zendaya as Michelle 'MJ' Jones
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange
• Jon Favreau as Harold 'Happy' Hogan
• Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
• Marisa Tomei as May Parker
• Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus
• Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon / Electro
• Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin
• Tony Revolori as Eugene 'Flash' Thompson
• Angourie Rice as Betty Brant
• Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington
• Hannibal Buress as Coach Wilson
• J.B. Smoove as Mr. Dell
• J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
• Benedict Wong as Wong
• Chris McKenna
• Erik Sommers

Cinematographer

• Mauro Fiore
• Michael Giacchino

Writer (based on the Marvel comic book by)

• Steve Ditko

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4 Things Parents Should Know about Spider-Man: No Way Home

• Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
• Published Dec 17, 2021

Peter is a talented teenage boy who wants what most boys his age want: friends, a girlfriend and anonymity.

At night, he fights crime under the protection of a red and blue suit. The public knows him as “Spider-Man.” But in the daytime, he’s a regular high school student who is striving for good grades while he hangs with his girlfriend, MJ, and his best friend, Ned.

Peter’s two worlds never collide.

Until now. That’s because Spider-Man’s nemesis Mysterio blows his cover by telling the news media the truth – “Spider-Man’s name is Peter Parker!” Even worse: The news media falsely reports that Spider-Man is to be blamed for a wave of murders and mayhem.

Overnight, Peter, MJ and Ned are blackballed. Because of that, colleges reject their applications.

But Peter has a plan. He’ll get his superhero friend Doctor Strange to cast a spell to erase everyone’s memory of him. The world will forget Peter is Spider-Man!

Unfortunately, though, the spell goes awry, and multiple villains from other universes are released into our world.

Can Spider-Man/Peter Parker save the day once again?

The new movie Spider-Man: No Way Home (PG-13) tells this latest saga about our favorite spider hero. It stars Tom Holland as Spider-Man, Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

Here are four things you should know:

1. It Begins Where Far From Home Ended

The opening of Spider-Man: No Way Home picks up with that scene, showing Spider-Man’s reaction the moment after his true identity was made known to his New York City fans – many of whom now believe he is a bad guy. The media even labels him “Public Enemy No. 1.”

This is the eighth live-action stand-alone Spider-Man movie from the last two decades. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield starred as Spider-Man in those earlier films.

2. It’s All About Second Chances, Regret and Infotainment

Sure, Spider-Man is tempted by vengeance from time to time, but he is largely driven by selflessness and an innate desire to save lives. “Your weakness, Peter, is morality,” a bad guy tells him in No Way Home .

Peter takes his altruism to the next level in No Way Home , believing he can turn the movie’s five villains (Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, Lizard and Electro) into good guys. When Doctor Strange warns Peter about the dangers of such an experiment, Peter rebels and takes matters into his own hands. 

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” he says. It’s a message at the core of Scripture, even if Peter’s strategy involves not a change of heart but instead a unique chemical potion created specifically for each villain. Supposedly, that potion will change their hearts. (In a reflection of the real world, some villains tell Peter they’d rather have evil powers than be good: “These are not curses. They’re gifts.”) 

The film spotlights tragedy and regret. After Peter blames himself for the death of a companion, two new friends share their own stories of the trials of life. (“It took me a long time to learn to get through that darkness,” one says.) Soon, Peter is tempted by feelings of revenge.

The movie raises a series of post-credit discussion questions: How do you move past tragedy? How do you forgive those you hate? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Peter’s desire for anonymity raises another thought-provoking question: Would you rather be famous or have friends? (Doctor Strange’s solution to Peter’s problems comes with a tradeoff: None of Peter’s friends will remember him.)   

3. It’s (Rightly) Rated PG-13

No Way Home is rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, some language and brief suggestive comments.

The violence mostly stays in the realm of previous Spider-Man films: Spidy punches and kicks villains until they submit. The bad guys destroy things. We see lots of explosions. The villains aren’t all that scary-looking: One is composed of sand and another of electricity. One looks like an adult lizard. 

But a few scenes include content that could trouble young children: A character dies, and blood is seen. Spider-Man, in a fit of rage, repeatedly punches a villain in the face, apparently with the intent to kill. There’s discussion of a villain having come back to life as a ghost. Of course, No Way Home includes Doctor Strange, which means we see magic and hear plenty of discussion about spells. 

No Way Home includes a moderate amount of language (details below), including an interesting change in the dialogue of Doctor Strange from the trailer, which had him saying “crap,” twice, when the film replaces both with “s--t.” 

The film’s suggestive content takes place in the opening moments, when Aunt May walks in on MJ and Peter, who is wearing only underwear after changing out of his suit. (May falsely believes they had been having sex, and we briefly hear a discussion about sex, too. Actually, Peter had been out fighting crime.)  

4. It’s Packed with Surprises and Cameos

No Way Home has the types of jaw-dropping surprises and cameos that lead to spontaneous applause in a movie theater. (That’s what happened in mine.) They’re the types of surprises that aren’t included in movie trailers but can be easily found if you (accidentally) dig too deep on Google. Don’t worry: I won’t spoil them. For Spider-Man fans, they’re on the same level as Darth Vader’s “I am your father” moment.   

Like its two predecessors, No Way Home  shines because it explores Peter’s high school life – and the hilarious fallout of a now-public superhero attending a public school. Crowds and reporters gather around the entrance, hoping to get a glimpse of him. Some students like him. Others, though, don’t. (After all, the media says he’s a villain.) A few of Peter’s classmates even assemble a hallway trophy case to display mementos from their famous colleague. 

If you’re curious, No Way Home also includes mid-credit and post-credit scenes. 

At nearly two hours and 30 minutes, No Way Home  isn’t a short film. But in an era when superhero movies are seemingly as prominent as clouds in the sky, No Way Home stands near the top. It’s one of the best superhero movies of the past two decades. 

Language details: S--t (5), OMG (7), a-- (5), h-ll (5), d--n (3), GD (1), screw (1), an unfinished “what the” (1) .

Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Family-friendly rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home Director Explains Walking Away From Marvel

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Spider-Man: No Way Home , the third installment in Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man series, was a major critical and commercial success, so a sequel starring Tom Holland and Zendaya is just a matter of time. However, franchise director Jon Watts will not return to direct the film.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter to promote his upcoming film, Wolfs , starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, Watts also explained his departure from the MCU. No Way Home grossed almost $2 billion at the box office, a major success after the pandemic, and the entire trilogy grossed nearly $4 billion. Add in the positive reactions from fans and critics, the Spider-Man trilogy was a major success, and Watts played a big role in it, but now he wants to focus on more original projects.

'We Made It to Be Seen in Theaters': Wolfs Director on Apple Sending the George Clooney Film to Streaming

Starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, the film was set to premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival, but will now only stream on Apple TV.

Spider-Man 4 is in early development , although details about its production start are still unclear. Without a director attached, the film doesn't have a release date, but the latest reports claim it might hit theaters in 2026 , the biggest gap in the series, as the first three films were released within two years of each other. Watts has good memories of 2021's No Way Home , and he didn't anticipate all the good reactions. "That was such a specific moment in time, and the reaction to that movie was just so unbelievable," remembers Watts. The positive reception was also one of the reasons why he might not come back, realizing that, " It’s never going to be like this, ever again ."

On the Marvel movies, you split up the work because there’s so much to be done.

The director was also supposed to return for Spider-Man 4 and helm the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps , but he exited both projects. The reason was his upcoming film, Wolfs, the action-comedy he wrote. " Sometimes you do an action movie, and all the fun action stuff is given to the second-unit director ," Watts explained. " On the Marvel movies, you split up the work because there’s so much to be done . Rarely do you get the Christopher Nolan opportunity to do all of it. On this one, I was like, 'I want to shoot every single shot.' "

Further explaining his need to direct more original projects, Watts explained that he only had one indie film before 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming , the Kevin Bacon-led 2015 crime thriller Cop Car . "I was just getting started and Marvel came along — and I take full creative ownership over all those films — but Spider-Man is always going to be Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's creation ," he noted. " This was the chance for me to go back to my voice and my vision and my style . Wolfs is mine, and that’s a really good feeling."

Marisa Tomei Reveals Favorite Part of Filming the MCU's Spider-Man Trilogy

It's also one of the most relatable Spider-Man reasons.

Spider-Man 4 Doesn't Have a Director Yet

Tom Holland is officially tapped to return as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, as well as Zendaya as MJ. However, further details about the upcoming sequel are being kept under wraps. Marvel president Kevin Feige confirmed there is a "likely" change in directors for the upcoming Spider-Man 4 because Watts is busy with other projects, but didn't reveal further information on who might take Watts' place.

As for everything related to the MCU, Spider-Man 4 's director is up for speculation. There have been many rumors that original Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi might return to helm the new film, but there was no confirmation about it, especially as he is busy with the horror film Send Help . Other rumored directors are Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, known for their work on Ms. Marvel . They are among the favorites to take Watts' place and their recent summer hit Bad Boys: Ride or Die is proof they can deliver quality actions that audiences would love.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home Review: A Gloriously Satisfying Turnaround for the Friendly Webslinger

The debate about finding out the best Spider-Man can go on forever. While some of us millennials are too attached to the charisma of Sam Raimi’s 2000’s outings, others are too attached to the charm of Andrew Garfield (no matter how ‘lame’ those movies were). However, simply no one could say no to the fact that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man actually embodied what the superhero truly stands for. I mean let’s be honest here and say that Spidey is, in fact, an emotional dude. Most of his power stems out from the fact that his past and his present are built upon trauma. In spite of his superhero antiques, he is a child who is understanding the world around him and at the same time, learning to control this unwanted responsibility that has been weighed down on his shoulders.

While the other two live-action Spider-Man renditions were older and had a little more time than Holland’s Peter Parker to actually get to live an ulterior identity (outside of their superhero shenanigans), the MCU dropped him directly into a world of demi-gods and super-dudes fighting among themselves before he could be human. Coming from that perspective and being blatantly disabled from having any sort of origin story, indie director Jon Watts bestowed him with a more hearty, charming, and light-hearted makeover in Spider-Man: Homecoming. This was essentially a story about a kid with special ability, trying to navigate the hard life that a teenager has to go through in high school.

This further grounded Spider-Man as not just the friendly neighborhood web-slinger, but as a little boy who just wants to do good, while having some fun that kids his age usually have. The sequels and MCU’s other outings (including the last couple of Avengers movies) further put Spidey in situations with high-stakes. I mean, not just on a cosmos level but on a more human level too. Holland’s Peter Parker and his bond with Iron Man alone left viewers in a state of a complete emotional wreck.

With Watt’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which begins almost immediately after Jake Gyllenhall’s Mysterio revealing Spider-Man’s true identity out in the open in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the stakes get further enhanced for Peter. However, if one knows director Jon Watts and his gleeful but funny self-aware humor, increasing the stakes momentarily means that Peter and his friends have to now struggle to get through to college of their liking.

Since colleges have taken the recent identity reveal and Ned (Jacob Batalon) & MJ’s (Zendaya) involvement in Parker’s life into consideration, the trio is now struggling to get into college. When Peter realizes that his true identity has messed things up for his two closest people, he impulsively decides that there’s only one man who can change things for him.

Replaying his latest gig with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) where the group turned back time to fix things, Peter reaches Strange’s doorstep for a fix. He literally begs him to do a spell where everyone in the world forgets that he is actually Spider-Man, only to botch up the spell that Strange is doing with his hasty, naive, last-minute changes.

This mess up to a very strong magic spell causes a literal tear in the fabric of reality. As Strange puts it, the spell going wrong means that everyone in every other universe who knows anyone by the name Peter Parker has had an effect due to it. So much so, that the concept of a multiverse (something that has been teased numerous times in the past), finally gets to see the light of the day.

In all its glory and grand and epic scale, Jon Watts still manages to keep his film running on human emotions. Take Peter’s inability to finally have a nice little moment with the love of his life as an example. The entire second film was made up of moments that lead up to MJ finally knowing who Peter is, only to slip that away from the two. Not being able to get into college just because he is not a simple kid from Queens but Spider-Man: One of the many superheroes who saved the world, is another conflict that relies on the small scale of the film. Thirdly, and most importantly, even when the scope moves into the multiverse level, Spider-Man’s real conflict relies on the fact that he is his Aunt May’s kid who believes in helping people. Even when the threat moves into the grandness of villainous showdowns, Spider-Man’s intentions are always humane.

Death, trauma, and loneliness of the character from the comics are on full display in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The fact that ‘Home’ has different meanings in all the three MCU Spidey outings, makes the overall trilogy and this film, in particular, an emotionally moving and gloriously satisfying movie-watching experience.

Jon Watts is spot on with his humor. The film, even in its darkest, most bleak sequences feels like it’s floating on a feather-band. The quick, back and forth between characters with typical MCU self-deprecating comedy really jells into Holland’s Spider-Man and the people around him. The action sequences, especially the Doctor Strange mirror dimension and the bridge sequence are breathtaking. In contrast, the last 40-minutes (which are packed with one fight sequence after another) is a total CGI-fest that doesn’t really match up.

As far as the casting is concerned, there are some surprising new additions that mostly feel like they have earned a part in the bigger scheme of the story here. They are not forced cameos that barely do fan-servicing and then vanish into oblivion. All of them have a reason, a specific aim to be here and Watts makes it incredibly easy for us to root for every single one of them. However, the biggest catch of Spider-Man: No Way Home remains its ability to understand finality. In its own metaphysical form, the movie pays homage to the legacy of Spider-Man as a hero; leaving long-time fans with a wholesome feeling of Christmas arriving a few weeks early, and new ones with a smile as wide as Times Square on a sunny day.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Spider-Man: No Way Home

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• December 17, 2021
• Tom Holland as Peter Parker; Marisa Tomei as May Parker; Zendaya as MJ; Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange; Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius; Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn; Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon; Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds; J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson

Home Release Date

• March 15, 2022

Distributor

• Columbia Pictures

Movie Review

Peter Parker is a hated guy. Not only did the villian Mysterio  falsely pin him with the blame for murder and mass destruction (as chronicled in Spider-Man: Far From Home ), he also revealed that he was secretly Spider-Man . Peter’s life has bottomed out. And his close friends, Ned and M.J., are outcasts because of their association with him, too. And that makes Peter feel all the more rotten.

But that’s not the worst of it.

Peter went to his mystical friend Doctor Strange for some help. And one accidentally miscast spell later—OK, it was all Peter’s fault—and suddenly all kinds of reality-cracking things started happening and these terrible bad guys began showing up.

“Trust me, Peter,” a large lizard-like creature hisses from within a magical prison cell. “When you try to fix someone, there are consequences.”

Of course, Peter doesn’t realize that this captured Lizard character (aka Dr. Connors) knows well of what he speaks.

But, see, that’s the real rub. This Peter Parker has never heard of Dr. Connors, or the Lizard. He doesn’t know anything about a Dr. Otto Octavious who sports powerful mechanical arms, or some supercharged dude named Electro. He hasn’t got a clue about any of the baddies that have appeared after Doctor Strange cast that spell.

All he knows is that they somehow know Peter Parker— or, at least, know a Peter Parker And they want to take him on and blow up the world around them. Are these villians from some other dimension, some other universe?

And  if so, what would Spider-Man in a different universe do to set things right? For that matter, how does he get these people back to where they belong? And how can he keep other supervillians from popping up and causing even more havoc?

To be honest, Peter doesn’t even want to deal with these guys. But I guess that’s what Peter’s Aunt May means when she notes that you have to shoulder the burden and help others, no matter how heavy the load.

I mean that’s what heroes–those gifted with great power–have to do. They have to step up and take responsibility.

Positive Elements

Peter and this film both encourage viewers to think about doing the right thing by others. No, you can’t necessarily fix someone else, the film tells us—especially if they really don’t want to change their stripes—but you can try to help. You can share. You can give of yourself. That’s the right thing to do, No Way Home says, even when that giving effort ends in your own loss or pain. The film also notes that the desire for revenge—which can feel natural in the heat of pain and loss—is never the right choice. Rather, working with others and leaning on friends can help wounded people find a way through difficult times. Several characters also share their own stories of loss with Peter, helping him (and viewers) see that even when you do everything right you can run into painful circumstances … but you must do good anyway. For instance, in one scene Peter wants to walk away from the needs of a seemingly disturbed individual in Aunt May’s charity shelter. But she stops him. “Look around you; this is what we do.” And her comment is clearly meant for herself and for Peter’s sake. Peter expresses his love for his friends, and ultimately he makes choices that benefit them over his own needs.

Spiritual Elements

As crowds in the street become more enflamed, Aunt May and Peter move into the apartment of Happy, one-time assistant to Iron Man and Aunt May’s former boyfriend. “Welcome to the spiritual oasis,” he intones when ushering them in. Peter goes to ask Doctor Strange to turn back time to before Mysterio revealed his true identity. That’s not possible, however. Instead, Strange decides to cast a memory spell (complete with sprinkled dust and, apparently, magic runes that circle the air) that goes terribly awry. It’s the beginning of quite a bit of spell casting and magical events that take place as the story unfolds. (He and Peter also hop through alternate dimensions.) Ned ends up with a ring belonging to Doctor Strange and realizes that through his own limited magical ability—purportedly from his grandmother’s side of the family—he can open magical portals. Peter’s spirit is temporarily separated from his physical form. J. Jonah Jameson signs off a report with the words, “Goodnight, and God help us all.” The movie raises interesting questions about fate and the ability of a “bad” person to find redemption or make a positive change in their lives. Ultimately, Peter’s choices and actions—in spite of great loss—suggest that change is always possible if an individual will take the steps to try.

Sexual & romantic Content

After Peter whisks girlfriend M.J. back to safety in his room, he starts stripping out of his Spidey suit—standing dressed just in his boxers—when Aunt May peeks in and thinks there’s something more intimate happening. (Flustered, she asks them to practice safe sex.) Peter stays dressed like that for a few moments before throwing on a T-shirt. We hear casual references to the possible physical relationship between Aunt May and her one-time boyfriend Happy. Rumors swirl that Peter has a male spider’s ability to hypnotize and seduce females.

Violent Content

This being a Spider-Man pic, packed with a number of villains from past generations of Spider-Man films, we find lots and lots of thumping and slamming violence on screen. Characters are hit with large, heavy objects, zapped with immense blasts of electricity, hit with explosive bombs and thrown spiraling and thumping over great distances. Otto Octavius, for instance, crushes multiple cars and trucks with his mechanical arms, endangering hundreds of people. Peter barely saves the lives of a family in a car that Octavius tosses and a woman trapped in another crushed vehicle.. In another sequence, Spider-Man and the Green Goblin pound and throw each other around so violently that they actually smash through walls and down through the floors of an apartment building. After this battle, Peter ends up tattered and bloodied. An innocent individual gets caught up in the violent mix and dies. Peter tries to help, and his hands get covered in blood. Peter is involved in several highly destructive battles with the various villains and is always accused by J. Jonah Jameson—who’s positioned himself as an Internet media star—as being a “web-headed war criminal” and the like. Peter carries M.J. at one point, jumping off buildings and swinging in front of subway cars, etc. She is terrified by Peter’s death-defying hurtling movements. The crowds around Peter, M.J and friend Ned get more angry and violent, too. A protestor throws a brick through Aunt May’s window, for instance. Peter is shot by police officers.

Crude or Profane Language

No f-words, but there’s one unfinished exclamation of that stripe that’s cut off. There are four uses of the s-word, seven uses of “a–,” and a handful each of “d–n” and “h—.” God’s name is misused nine times, including one pairing with “d–n.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

A scene during the movie credits features a man in a bar who is rather drunk.

Other noteworthy Elements

Peter strives to change some people and help them transform their live for the better. Doctor Strange, however, is directly opposed to Peter changing the “intended” fate of any individual, suggesting that it would be better for them to die if that is their fated lot. “Their sacrifice means infinitely more than their lives.”

Fan Service is defined as: “Material in a work of fiction or in a fictional series which is intentionally added to please the audience.” Under that definition Spider-Man: No Way Home is decidedly comic-book-movie fan service with a smile. It uses its multiverse (or Spider-Verse) plot device to pull in so many Spider-Man references—and weave so many loose, gossamer, past movie plot threads into a very tidy web—that you can’t help but enjoy it if you’re somewhat aware of all things Spidey. If that’s not you, well, you’re probably leaning toward something else on the movie marquee menu anyway. But, as is the case with most superhero movies, we have a few negs to note. This film covers a lot of ground so it felt to my spider-senses to be a bit rote and packed with too many characters at first. But once it really started swinging—tossing about inside jokes and bouncing around with wall-climbing glee—viewers only needed to web themselves in and hold on for the ride. From a parenting perspective, we hear some language (see above) that didn’t need to make the cut. We see a rather bloody death scene that could prove disturbing for little fans. The movie makes a few sensual winks—with Peter Parker parading around in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts at one point. And we deal with quite a bit of magical mumbo jumbo, ripping open dimensions and casting circling rune spells on masses of people. However, if you and any kids or teens in tow can make it past the sticky bits, there are some very interesting lessons here about choosing the hard path of good over the corrosive and angrier things of life. And this pic’s overall message of redemption and sacrifice could easily lead to more thoughtful discussions when you stop for a burger on your way home.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home (United States, 2021)

Note: This review contains no overt spoilers beyond what can be found in the trailers and other officially sanctioned publicity material. However, if you read between the lines, you may sniff out a few things. Proceed with caution.

Spider-Man: No Way Home completes the Tom Holland Spider-Man/MCU trilogy begun in Spider-Man: Homecoming and continued in Spider-Man: Far from Home . Once again directed by Jon Watts and featuring another high-profile Marvel character (following in the footsteps of Iron Man and Nick Fury), No Way Home brings the three-part arc to a resounding conclusion that may be a little more “sound and fury” than substance. Nevertheless, 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.

With a movie like this, there’s usually the question of whether the final product can match the expectations generated by a brilliant marketing campaign and the seemingly boundless enthusiasm among potential viewers. For the most part, Watts succeeds in scaling the peak, although it’s fair to wonder how much better No Way Home might have been had its various piece-parts been kept under wraps. But with possible spoilers revealed as part and parcel of the publicity onslaught, the movie is forced to rely a little more on the narrative than might otherwise have been the case and, as is often true with superhero movies, that proves not to be the film’s strongest point.

Watt’s handling of the roughly half-dozen high-profile action scenes is a mixed bag. His touch is perfect during some of the one-on-one struggles, especially the one that introduces Doc Ock to the MCU. However, the more pieces that are put on the gameboard, the more scattershot things become and the Battle Royale is as confusing as it is exhilarating. It’s almost impossible trying to figure out who’s who and what’s going on. It’s necessary to wait for a pause in the action to take stock of what just happened.

The interesting wrinkle in No Way Home is the necessity for some of Spider-Man’s oldest and deadliest adversaries to work alongside the web-slinger when their goals coincide. But the tenuous alliance has foundational cracks from the beginning and there’s something Shakespearean in the way that Peter’s ego becomes his tragic flaw. Watts gives us just enough to recognize that sometimes superheroes are their own biggest enemies. I’ll admit to being frustrated by the character’s stubbornness at times.

Of all the recent films to arrive with a similarly stratospheric level of expectations (particularly The Force Awakens and Avengers: Endgame ), No Way Home is the most successful. It suffers from many of the common pitfalls of comic book movies but one thing that Watts understands are the characters . He has shepherded them through three films (to-date) and, despite the long shadows cast by past Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, he has enabled Tom Holland to come into his own. The chemistry between Holland and Zendaya easily matches that of Maguire/Dunst and Garfield/Stone. The supercharged CGI effects are fine and the battles are eye-popping, but the character interactions make No Way Home work.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home First Reviews: Ridiculous and Ridiculously Fun

Critics say tom holland's third solo outing as peter parker is as full of easter eggs as anticipated, but also surprisingly emotional and strengthened by an epic third act..

TAGGED AS: Film , films , Marvel , marvel cinematic universe , marvel comics , Marvel Studios , movie , movies , spider-man , spider-verse , Superheroes

The eighth live-action solo Spider-Man movie and the third starring Tom Holland within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (of which it’s the 27th entry), Spider-Man: No Way Home promises to be a culmination of everything fans have seen before. Somewhat literally, as the Multiverse brings in characters from other runs of the Spidey franchise for a nostalgic mash-up of sorts.

Does it work? Considering the movie’s high Tomatometer score out of the gate, the answer seems to be yes. However, while some are calling it one of the best superhero movies of all time, others do see some problems in the storytelling. But hey, imperfection is part of what makes Spider-Man such a relatable fan favorite, right?

Here’s what critics are saying about Spider-Man: No Way Home :

Has Marvel done it again?

Spider-Man: No Way Home  isn’t just the best of the eight live-action Spider-Man films, it’s one of the superior films of the entire Marvel Studios franchise. – Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files

One of the best MCU films and easily ranks up there with the top Spider-Man films. – Jon Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

I not only loved  Spider-Man: No Way Home  but believe it to be the best Marvel movie of all time . – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

My favorite Marvel film thus far . – Diandra Reviews, diandrareviewsitall.com

Simply put,  Spider-Man: No Way Home is the best film in the MCU.  – Sheraz Farooqi, Cinema Debate

The best superhero movie of all time, and easily the best Marvel Cinematic Universe film yet… Easily the best live action Spider-Man movie . – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

(Photo by Columbia Pictures)

How does it compare to the last two Spidey movies?

It is a definite improvement from the last film . – RAchel Wagner, rachelsreviews.net

No Way Home  feels more like a Spider-Man movie. It’s a bit corny yet endearing, heartfelt and incredibly fun — which is as it should be . – Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

While not quite as utterly delightful as  Spider-Man: Homecoming , it matches and often exceeds the already strong  Spider-Man: Far From Home . – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

From a visual standpoint, it’s the biggest of the three. From an actual story perspective, it’s the weakest . – Luke Y. Thompson, SuperHeroHype

Will hardcore Spider-Man fans be happy?

These filmmakers really understand Spider-Man . – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

Spider-Man: No Way Home is everything we can wish for in a Spider-Man film . – Jon Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

This film brilliantly pays homage to the legacy of Spider-Man . – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

No Way Home  is a reminder that Marvel Studios undeniably gets the Marvel Comics characters down to the core . –  Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files

Will you need to have seen the other Spider-Man movies?

Director Jon Watts makes sure that viewers who have only followed Holland’s Spider-Man films aren’t lost . – Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files

Spider-Man: No Way Home is an epic superhero feast for fans, but it should not be the first Spider-Man movie that people should see . – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

The connection and understanding of the previous movies’ plots are essential . – Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

This film does base a lot of humor and emotional beats around the idea of audiences connecting with what’s happening based on previous films . – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment

Spider-Man: No Way Home is at its best and its worst when it's recalling other movies. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

Is there a lot of fan service?

While there is a lot of nostalgia and fan service, the film doesn’t rely solely on that . – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

There’s a ton of callbacks and plenty of fan service but it’s always in service of the story at hand . – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation

Fan service doesn’t necessarily need to be a bad thing, especially when it services a larger thematic purpose: grappling with Spider-Man’s legacy . – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

Even those uninterested in the film’s White-House-lawn–sized supply of Easter eggs can enjoy Holland and Zendaya’s teen-romance chemistry and Holland and Batalon’s buddy-comedy banter . – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

Sadly the film trades real storytelling for crowd-pleasing Easter Eggs . – Scott Mendelson, Forbes

Does it feel like a live-action version of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ?

The film is a celebration of the character on the screen, like a live action Into the Spider-Verse , though not quite as overwhelmingly stunning . – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation

No Way Home  feels like a live-action retread and reworking that’s nowhere near as successful or inventive . – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

Is it all that different from 2018’s Oscar-winning  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ? The difference I see comes through in the filmmaking . – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment

It often plays like if  Into the Spider-Verse  cared more about the cameos than about Miles Morales . – Scott Mendelson, Forbes

How is it to see the old villains again?

It is such an amazing reminder of how good the Sam Raimi  Spider-Man movies were to see Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina in their roles . – Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool

These characters are not back just to put fans in seats, they are actually used incredibly well in the story. Every one of them has a story, a plot point, and an arc in this movie . – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

What would have made the film stronger, however, is Peter getting his own villain rather than solely having to fight the ones from the past (as good as it is to see them back) . – Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

Are there too many villains?

It never quite crosses that threshold… It always manages to bring the focus back to Peter Parker and his problems . – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

While this creates an interesting juggling act for the film, much of what is impressive about it is both how it handles all of them, and how it puts the story in a position to reflect on the totality of the character’s big screen legacy . – Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

Multiple villains invariably do water down the central conflict. When everyone’s a compelling movie star, and the story has to find screen time for all.  – Luke Y. Thompson, SuperHeroHype

How is the script?

Director Jon Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers performed a miracle here juggling the drama, humor, action, and emotional elements of the story. – Lupe Rodriguez, Haas CineMovie.tv

Peter makes one bad decision after another… But that’s Spider-Man in a nutshell. – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

When the film dares to ask heady questions about fate and humanity – debating whether these things are immutable – it falters, providing superficial answers akin to a Magic 8 Ball . – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

If you poke too many holes in the narrative, Spider-Man: No Way Home starts to become undone . – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

Does the movie get emotional?

The film will have you reaching for tissue paper . – Lupe Rodriguez, Haas CineMovie.tv

The most somber story we’ve seen yet centering on Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. The threats are more extreme than anything he’s previously faced alone, but also amped way up are the emotional stakes and maturity . – Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend

Certain moments are very emotional, and I was surprised by how powerful those scenes were . – Scott Menzel, We Live Entertainment

Does it take a while to get going?

The first half of the movie really weighs things down and not in a good way . – Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool

For much of the first 20 minutes of the film, No Way Home is astonishingly low stakes . – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

There also is a lot of time in this movie with people in rooms talking . – Rachel Wagner, rachelsreviews.net

But does the third act redeem that slow start?

The first and second acts are very messy, but the third act pulls it together to pack one hell of an emotional punch . – Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool

The final act [is] one of the more breathtaking of any recent superhero film . – Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files

The final act of Spider-Man: No Way Home is joyful in the best ways, dark in other ways, and overall the most fun the MCU has in years. For many, this third act will stand as the best in the franchises’ history, and they wouldn’t be wrong . – Sheraz Farooqi, Cinema Debate

How is the action?

The battle scenes are MASSIVE… There are several big action scenes, and they just get bigger and bigger as the film goes on. Each one topping the previous one, which feels impossible, trust me . – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

The action of  Spider-Man: No Way Home  is often quite dazzling . – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation

Some of the best Spider-Man action we’ve ever seen . – Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool

A lengthy part of the movie that takes place on the Statue of Liberty will be talked about by fans for years . – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

The action is more brutal than ever before, trading some of the fantastical web-slinging action to more hand-to-hand combat and bloody brawls . – Sheraz Farooqi, Cinema Debate

Are there any issues?

As for the CG fest, it feels more awkward than usual at times. Certain scenes look as if they utilized blue-screening solely so the actors on set wouldn’t even know what was happening . – Luke Y. Thompson, SuperHeroHype

They are presenting a perfect world… where nobody is evil or bad and everyone can be redeemed or “cured” of their sociopathic or evil tendencies. That’s just not reality . – Rachel Wagner, rachelsreviews.net

The only major stumbles are in the mid-credit and post-credit scenes, when the franchise overlords have to impose their corporate will to whet appetites for the next movie while we’re still digesting the one we just saw . – Sean P. Means, Movie Cricket

Is the movie worth seeing in spite of its flaws?

There is only 50% of an excellent movie here, but that 50% is worth showing up for . – Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool

Spider-Man: No Wy Home is a mixed bag… Equal parts fantastic and frustrating . – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

Spider-Man: No Way Home will probably be a “love it or hate it” film . – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

Spider-Man: No Way Home  is the very definition of the sum being less than its parts . – Scott Mendelson, Forbes

While the whole may not exceed the sum of its parts, some of those parts are great indeed . – Luke Y. Thompson, SuperHeroHype

Will it leave us wanting more Tom Holland Spider-Man movies?

It sets the stage for a promising second trilogy that brings the character back to his cinematic roots and builds upon the foundations set forth today . – Diego Andaluz, AwardsWatch

If they’re handing off the baton to other filmmakers to continue Spidey stories this is a good way to do it. There’s closure and surprises galore here, but also a clear avenue for further adventures . – Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

If it is the end of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, I am OK with that. I don’t want that to happen, but it gives fans a closure . – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters on December 17, 2021.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home

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. 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. 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.

• Chris McKenna
• Erik Sommers
• Tom Holland
• Benedict Cumberbatch
• 6.1K User reviews
• 439 Critic reviews
• 71 Metascore
• 35 wins & 71 nominations total

Top cast 99+

• Peter Parker …

• Doctor Strange

• Happy Hogan

• Max Dillon …

• Norman Osborn …

• Dr. Otto Octavius …

• Flash Thompson

• Betty Brant

• Agent Cleary

• MIT Assistant Vice Chancellor

• Coach Wilson

• Mr. Harrington
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Benedict Cumberbatch admitted to not reading the full script, wanting to surprise himself with the final product.
• Goofs (at around 13 mins) When Peter goes back to his high school and walks up the stairs, there is a mural behind him. Part of the mural contains a chemical structure, however, one of the carbons has five bonds. This is impossible as carbons cannot exceed four bonds.

Matt Murdock : You may have dodged your legal troubles but things will get much worse. There's still the court of public opinion.

[Matt catches a brick thrown through the window]

Peter Parker : How did you just do that?

Matt Murdock : I'm a really good lawyer.

• Crazy credits SPOILER: There is a scene in the closing credits: Eddie Brock and Venom from the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters are talking with a bartender. When the multiverse is restored, Brock and Venom are re-transported back to their universe, leaving a bit of symbiote behind.
• an introduction by Holland, Maguire, and Garfield
• additional scenes of Parker and May being interrogated by the Department of Damage Control
• the scene with Holland's brother Harry as a thief that was cut from the original release
• additional scenes of Parker at school; Brant interviewing Parker, his teachers, and his classmates
• Daily Bugle reports of Parker's first day back at school and the arrivals of Dillon and Marko
• additional scenes in the basement of the New York Sanctum
• a scene featuring May, Parker, and the villains in an elevator while on the way to Hogan's apartment
• an additional scene with Murdock and Hogan
• additional scenes of the three Parkers
• new post-credits scene of showing how Peter Parker has been erased from history in a new edition of "Betty's Corner with Betty Brant" begins playing that recaps their high school years with all the footage and pictures missing Peter.
• Connections Edited from Spider-Man 3 (2007)
• Soundtracks I Zimbra Written by David Byrne and Brian Eno Performed by Talking Heads Courtesy of Sire Records By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User reviews 6.1K

• Dec 14, 2021
• How long is Spider-Man: No Way Home? Powered by Alexa
• Does James Franco make an appearance as New Goblin?
• Will Michael Keaton return as Vulture?
• How are they doing the filming during COVID pandemic?
• December 17, 2021 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Spider-Man: Sin Camino A Casa
• Columbia Pictures
• Pascal Pictures
• Marvel Studios
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $200,000,000 (estimated)
• $814,866,759
• $260,138,569
• Dec 19, 2021
• $1,926,899,310

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 28 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• IMAX 6-Track

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Spider-Man: No Way Home

Where to watch.

Rent Spider-Man: No Way Home on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

A bigger, bolder Spider-Man sequel, No Way Home expands the franchise's scope and stakes without losing sight of its humor and heart.

Packed with action, emotion, and surprises, Spider-Man: No Way Home is franchise fan service at its finest.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Tom Holland

Peter Parker

Benedict Cumberbatch

Doctor Strange

Jacob Batalon

Jon Favreau

Happy Hogan

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