Opinion | Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ is a cinematic masterpiece

Benjamin Moscoso, sophomore documentary and broadcast journalism major

Given how variable the quality of Marvel Studios’ films has been this year, I approached Jon Watts’ “Spider-Man: No Way Home”  with a degree of cautious optimism. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. 

Watts’ latest release was the perfect reminder of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) ability to create cinematic masterpieces with their ever-expanding roster of beloved characters.

“No Way Home” picks up right where its predecessor, “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” left off, showing how Peter Parker (Tom Holland) must live his life after his identity is revealed to the world. As the public begins to turn against Spider-Man due to his involvement with the villain Mysterio in the last film, Peter attempts to find a way to make everyone forget who he is by convincing Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to complete a spell for him. 

However, instead of fixing his problem, Peter ends up making it far worse. He accidentally tampers with Doctor Strange’s spell, causing a split in the multiverse and  drawing in famous villains from “Spider-Man” films of the past, such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and Electro (Jaime Foxx). With this, Peter now must find a way to stop these villains and safely send them back to the realities from which they came.

What results is the best character development of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man that we’ve ever seen, going beyond the radical changes he dealt with after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” to provide him with more depth than we could have ever anticipated. This success can be attributed to the film’s incredibly tight-knit script, which surpasses the vast majority of superhero films.

Opposed to Marvel Studios’ recent release of “Eternals,” “No Way Home” has a sense of familiarity that audiences can connect to, making the emotional impact of Peter’s development throughout the film hit so much harder. Seeing his struggles in and beyond being Spider-Man provides the additional layers that Tom Holland’s take on the character has been begging for since his introduction to the MCU.

The film’s villains are equally as interesting. I would like to give a special nod to the magnificent portrayal of Green Goblin by Willem Dafoe in this film. For not being advertised nearly as much as Doc Ock, Norman Osborn in this piece is surprisingly complex, and Dafoe’s revival of the role really amplifies the overall greatness of the character. 

In the same respect, Molina and Foxx’s portrayals of Doc Ock and Electro encapsulate their source material wonderfully. Together, this charming rogue’s gallery makes the stakes feel higher than ever, eclipsing even the battle against Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War.”

However, while the majority of “No Way Home” is marvelous, there are still some minor issues that hold it back. While the majority of the CGI-laden visuals are incredible, some effects lack the polish we’ve come to expect from Marvel — especially during specific green screen segments and at the end of certain action scenes. 

But perhaps the biggest flaw in this film was the lack of a true connection between the plot of the villains and the plot of Peter’s revealed identity. While both of these plot lines stem from Doctor Strange’s botched spell, they don’t seem to have any impact on one another. While both of these points are certainly nitpicks, they are aspects to consider as a whole for what otherwise is a wonderful piece of cinema.

Besides the small details, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is truly a cinematic masterpiece. Its writing, acting, and character development elevate the superhero genre to new heights, and for that, it must be praised. Watts’ work on the project will no doubt be applauded by fans and critics alike for years to come.

I fully believe that this film is Marvel Studios’ peak. While I am nervous to see where the studio goes in the future in terms of attempting to one-up this piece, I can only hope that the MCU will continue to revolutionize the entire entertainment industry if it means that we all get to experience more films like this.