SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - A Spoiler-Free Look At 7 Things That Worked And 1 Thing That Didn’t

Spider-Man: No Way Home is, well, perfect, but in this completely spoiler-free breakdown of what worked so well about the movie, there is one flaw that could prove bothersome to some fans. Check it out!

By JoshWilding - Dec 15, 2021 12:12 PM EST

Filed Under: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in several countries across the world, and there are only around 24 hours or so to go before the movie swings into U.S. theaters.

By now, we're sure you've read our review of the threequel (if not, you can find it by clicking here) and know that we loved what Jon Watts did with the Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios threequel. However, we thought you might appreciate a slightly more in-depth look at what's so amazing about Spider-Man: No Way Home...without getting into any of those pesky spoilers, of course!

It goes without saying that if you'd rather not know anything about this movie, you should probably stop reading now, but you won't much here that hasn't already been revealed in the trailers!

So, to find out what worked so well - and the one thing that didn't - simply click the "Next" button.

Did Work: A Different Side To Spider-Man

When Spider-Man was brought into the MCU, the plan was clearly to differentiate this Peter Parker from those that had preceded him. That involved a close friendship with Tony Stark and a series of technologically advanced costumes with everything from an A.I. to basically his own Iron Man armour. For many fans, that's really turned them off the MCU's take on the webbed wonder.

Keeping Spidey grounded in Queens and then taking him overseas was also refreshing, but felt a little surface level. Spider-Man: No Way Home, on the other hand, does show a different side to Peter and not just because he's the most famous person on the planet after his identity was revealed.

With a considerably more emotional, hard-hitting story, the threequel is able to better explore who this Peter is as a character and exactly what sort of superhero he intends to be moving on from high school. As Tom Holland has explained in interviews, circumstances push Spider-Man down a darker, more violent route at times, and this movie, in many ways, feels like a fresh start for the hero.

Did Work: Justifying The Return Of Those Villains

Heading into Spider-Man: No Way Home, we'd be lying to say that the return of these villains didn't concern us a little. Forgiving how coincidental it is that it's these particular bad guys who find their way into the MCU, could the movie really find a convincing explanation for what brings them into this shared world and actually make it work?

We're pleased to report that it not only justifies the inclusion of Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman, and The Lizard, but actually builds on their respective story arcs. The advantage of picking up with these baddies from pretty much where we last saw them means the threequel expands on almost all of their characters - and what drives them - in new and surprising ways.

Without spoiling anything, we're sure you'll remember, for example, that Norman Osborn essentially had a split personality in 2002's Spider-Man. Well, expect to learn a whole lot more about that here.

Did Work: Fan-Service

You've all heard about those rumoured cameos by now, but you're in the wrong place if you're hoping to find confirmation here! However, rest assured that when it comes to fan-service in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it all works perfectly and never feels forced or something that's only there for the sake of it.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife, for example, was criticised for basically being a remake of the first movie that spent too much time trying to make longtime fans happy. Well, while this effort will leave you with a smile on your face (regardless of which Spider-Man franchise you grew up with), it always feels earned.

There were cheers on at least half a dozen occasions in the screening we attended, so that probably tells you everything you need to know about what to expect when you watch No Way Home.

Did Work: Peter Parker And Doctor Strange

When it was first revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch would play Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Sorcerer Supreme was described as Peter Parker's "mentor." That didn't sit well with those fed up with the MCU's Spidey hunting for a new father figure, but their relationship here proves to be a highlight (and don't fret, Strange definitely isn't a traditional mentor to Peter).

Strange remains a character with a hard outer shell, and this team-up is arguably at its most exciting when it cracks a little and we see that he does, in fact, care for this teenager.

Their fight in the Mirror Dimension - a huge part of the movie's marketing campaign - is even better than you're probably expecting, and a true delight to behold on screen. While Strange is by no means here just to set the stage for his next movie, he needed this cameo role before that rolls around.

Did Work: Spider-Man: Far From Home Fallout

In Spider-Man: Far From Home's mid-credits scene, Mysterio - via TheDailyBugle.net's J. Jonah Jameson - revealed that it's Peter Parker beneath Spider-Man's mask. One of the most shocking moments in the MCU's history, we've been waiting more than two years to see what the fallout would be.

Spider-Man: No Way Home begins where that movie ended and deals with the fallout perfectly. The immediate aftermath shows a panicked Peter in classic Spidey style, and as comical as things often get, it's impossible not to sympathise with the hero as his entire life begins to fall to pieces around him.

It almost hurts to move past this, but it remains a thread throughout the entire movie that works really well. Peter is faced with the consequences of his actions in a meaningful way, and it's fascinating to see Marvel Studios properly explore what a secret identity means in a world that has very few of them.

Didn't Work: Sandman And The Lizard

To say these two characters "didn't work" in general terms would be unfair, so we need to get a little more specific. They do bring a lot to the movie, and certainly serve a purpose in action scenes. However, the visual effects aren't exactly flawless, and it's a little mind-blowing to think that The Lizard, for example, doesn't really look much better in 2021 than he did in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man.

For almost the entirety of the movie, Sandman is, uh, made of sand. The movie never specifically addresses that, but it feels like a missed opportunity to not have made use of a comic accurate Flint Marko.

Again, we're getting a tiny bit spoilery here, but Rhys Ifans and Thomas Haden Church obviously do lend their voices to their CG villains and it feels like COVID could be to blame for them not really doing much in their human guises (Spider-Man: No Way Home was shot in the midst of the pandemic). These two are undeniably entertaining, but we'd have liked to see them receive more screentime.

Did Work: Unbelievable Visuals

Prior to the junket for Spider-Man: No Way Home, critics were only shown the first 38 minutes of the movie. The reason? Supposedly, it just wasn't finished yet, and while we suspect the real reason was to protect spoilers, it's a relief to say that this blockbuster looks flawless for the most part.

Director Jon Watts has really come into his own as a director over the course of this trilogy, and he feels at his most confident here. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings delivered some jaw-dropping action scenes, but in terms of pure superhero vs. supervillain fights, there's no beating this movie. The battles between Peter and these villains are nothing short of insane.

Throw in the Mirror Dimension battle and Watts has taken that downright perfect illusion sequence from Spider-Man: Far From Home and blown it away a hundred times over with what you'll see here.

Did Work: Some Genuine Surprises

These days, it's hard to be surprised if you're a fan. Leaks and rumours have become commonplace, and Spider-Man: No Way Home has suffered from the former, in particular, since day one. Despite that, rest assured that even if you've read every plot leak, there are still some genuine surprises to be found.

Most are minor (a status quo shift for Doctor Strange, for example), but even after a supposed Chinese plot leak that broke down the movie moment by moment, the final scene has been mentioned nowhere. Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures definitely deserve some credit for that, and those of you who have avoided everything over the past few months...well, your minds will be blown.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a movie with scenes that your brain won't believe your eyes are seeing.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A Junkyard Vulture

Recommended For You:

SPIDER-MAN Star Kirsten Dunst Reveals Whether She Was Ever Asked To Return For SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

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24 Comments

bkmeijer2 - 12/15/2021, 12:10 PM

Seeing how Lizard and Sandman were barely in the marketing, it makes sense there isn't too much to expect from them

solskulldeath - 12/15/2021, 12:22 PM

Already watch it.im not gonna spoil but it is worth to watch it.

McMurdo - 12/15/2021, 12:26 PM

So for those who’ve seen it, does Strange doing a spell to break the universe feel as dumb in the film as it feels in the trailers?

Kyos - 12/15/2021, 12:39 PM

@McMurdo - Kind of. Pretty much everything could've been prevented if Strange and Peter had just spent a couple of minutes actually discussing the spell before Strange started to cast it. It wouldn't even have been a problem at all modifying the spell according to Peter's needs. That felt a bit dumb.

Cap1 - 12/15/2021, 3:59 PM

@McMurdo - I loved the film but that bit is admittedly very rushed. It just kind of, happens, without a second thought, so yeah, could’ve been better

McMurdo - 12/15/2021, 4:04 PM

@Cap1 - thank you for sharing

RandomStuffEnt - 12/15/2021, 12:32 PM

s the Raimi Trilogy Overrated? Or Properly Beloved? - A "Spider-Man: I-III" Review

FinnishDude - 12/15/2021, 12:56 PM

@RandomStuffEnt - Both. The first two are great movies, with SM2 probably still being the best Spider-Man movie to date, but they are flawed and far from perfect, and both following Spider-Man movie franchises did things better (even the awful TASM ones). Now, naturally every movie has some flaws (I don't personally think there is such thing as a "perfect movie" in a literal sense), but the way Raimi fanboys nostalgia-wank those movies, to the point that some of them are even convinced that SM3 is actually an underrated gem, makes it sound like they are nothing but perfection and no other Spider-Man movie can ever come even close.

solskulldeath - 12/16/2021, 12:52 AM

@FinnishDude - I thought that the SM3 might have some rush storyline, but the fighting is good. for example, sandman against the venomised spiderman in the underground drain. the fighting scene was top notch.

McMurdo - 12/15/2021, 3:53 PM

@Kyos - damn man it’s really going to be hard for me to look past this. Sounds like the third act is worth the trip alone but I’m going to have to turn my brain off for this one by the sounds of it.

RegularPoochie - 12/15/2021, 1:44 PM

[frick] you mods, gtfo sissys

ManDeth - 12/15/2021, 2:22 PM

One of the worst things about all 3 Marvel Spider-Man movies is how the writers don't do a real story. They just screw around the whole movie then dump something at the end that is supposed to be huge like May discover Peter is Spider-Man, Peter's ID being exposed. The writers do it to give a sense of a story and that the movie was meaningful, when there was no story and nothing in the movie mattered. And they did it in the third movie.

One of the bad things about the entire MCU is nothing seems permanent because of their use of time travel, magic spells and so on. The moment someone dies or something bad happens to a character, your first thought is "How will they change this?". We've seen that happen to other franchises like Star Trek and the Arrowverse.

Any death or big event in an MCU movie is now cheapened like such things in the Arrowverse. The MCU is probably even more cheapened than the Arrowverse. How many times has the entire MCU universe been altered in the past few movies? More to come in Strange 2. It's a mess.

SpaceAgent - 12/15/2021, 7:05 PM

@ManDeth - Get a load of this guy.

VincentValjean - 12/16/2021, 3:41 AM

@ManDeth - Comparing the MCU with the Arrow-bullshit-verse? Really???

RubyRhod - 12/15/2021, 4:00 PM

It's ok if Josh is working for Disney,the economy is trash rn and inflation is ridiculous!

DemonTweeks - 12/16/2021, 6:50 AM

lots of bits not in the movie that were in the trailers too. dialog wise the rug was pulled again on one of the moments from the trailer that was completely different in the movie and was alot better for it in my opinion. no spoiler there but if youve seen the movie you will know exactly the bit im talking about

convoyBot - 12/16/2021, 8:28 AM

Of course the author of this article has no idea what a cameo is.

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SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - A Spoiler-Free Look At 7 Things That Worked And 1 Thing That Didn’t

Spider-Man: No Way Home is, well, perfect, but in this completely spoiler-free breakdown of what worked so well about the movie, there is one flaw that could prove bothersome to some fans. Check it out!

Did Work: A Different Side To Spider-Man

Did Work: Justifying The Return Of Those Villains

Did Work: Fan-Service

Did Work: Peter Parker And Doctor Strange

Did Work: Spider-Man: Far From Home Fallout

Didn't Work: Sandman And The Lizard

Did Work: Unbelievable Visuals

Did Work: Some Genuine Surprises

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SPIDER-MAN Star Kirsten Dunst Reveals Whether She Was Ever Asked To Return For SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

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SPIDER-MAN 4: Jacob Batalon "Hopes" To Return As Ned Leeds But Hasn't Received The Call

MADAME WEB VFX Supervisor Scott Edelstein On How Digital Domain Crafted The Movie's Epic Action (Exclusive)

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

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