Spiderman: No Way Home was by far the most anticipated movie of 2021, and it is one of the biggest movies of all time. Due to the COVID pandemic, many films released had to be pushed back. This movie, originally due to come out in November of 2021, was delayed until December 2021.This allowed for an entire year of speculation and rumors to spread about the movie. Fans were hoping to see a reunion of the three Spiderman actors: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland in a worlds collide, multiverse movie. It was confirmed that villains from past Spiderman films would be in the movie, so naturally fans wanted more. The secrets were kept air-tight by the studio, to the point where there was barely any marketing for the movie.

No Way Home picks up from the end of the last Spiderman movie, Spiderman: Far From Home, when Peter Parker’s identity was revealed to the world. Peter then has to go to Doctor Strange for help, wanting to create a spell that makes everyone forget he is Spiderman. However, the spell goes wrong and villains from old movies begin to show up in Peter’s universe. The returning villains are Electro (Jamie Foxx), The Lizard (Rhys Ifans), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina).

The movie delivers much nostalgia to fans, while also creating a compelling story for Tom Holland’s Spider Man. It is the first time that he faces true pain and loss, which is something that his first two movies were criticized for. The movie also develops Peter’s and Aunt May’s characters more than the past movies have, creating a more traditional story for Tom Holland’s Spider Man. The best acting performance in the movie comes from Willem Dafoe, who is just as menacing, if not more than he was in the original Spiderman, from 2002. Dafoe even insisted on doing his own stunts, showing his talent and dedication to the role.

Although No Way Home is one of the most crowd pleasing movies to date, it is not without its flaws. Because the second half of the movie is so fun, it is easy to forget the flaws of the beginning of the movie. The basic setup often feels like a cheap way to bring in these old villains. It is as if the producers knew what they wanted to do with the second half of the film so they let the setup fall by the wayside. Doctor Strange impulsively helping out Peter in the way he does is very out of character for him, as he is someone who rarely does anything carelessly.

Even though the movie has its flaws, it is one of the most fun and exciting movies of the year. There were some shortcuts to get to the ending, but it was still one of the best additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.