No Way Home directed by Jon Watts was released in December 2021, which stars Tom Holland as Spider-Man. According to The Atlantic “It became the pandemic’s most successful film in just three days.” As a newer Marvel fan, I was excited to see my first movie in theaters (I binge watched the rest on Disney Plus) Was it worth the trip to the theaters? And did it live up to “The best movie of 2021”?

In the past two movies, Spider-Man (aka Peter Parker) has been able to save the world while keeping his identity secret. We know from the teaser at the end of Far From Home that this is no longer the case. Peter has gone from a regular high schooler in Queens to a worldwide sensation overnight. Peter quickly realizes he can’t live two lives and goes to see Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to try and make everyone in the world forget he is Spider-Man. If you think this is insane, you’re right. This wouldn’t be a Spider-Man movie if our favorite protagonist didn’t make some questionable decisions. Anyways, troubles arise while performing the routine spell resulting in the multiverse opening. Essentially, there are “alternate universes which share a universal hierarchy” Source. In the official teaser released in August, it shows several villains from older Spider-Man movies returning from the multiverse.

These include Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) from Spider-Man 1 and 2, Dr. Otto Octavia (Alfred Molina) from Spider-Man 1,2,and 3, Electro (Jamie Foxx) from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church) from Spider-Man 3, and The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) from The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2. I would really advise you to click off this page if you haven’t seen the movie, because a big spoiler is about to be explained. These villains were mistaking Peter for the Peter Parker from their universe. Acting as sidekicks in the final scenes, Tobey Maguire (2002-2007) and Andrew Garfield (2012-2014) returned as Spider-Man to help out Holland. The trio works together so magically it is indescribable. All I can say is that the moment they entered the screen, the audience at the theater rang out in applause.

One of my favorite developments that has been constant in all three movies is the character growth of MJ (Zendaya) who is now Peter’s girlfriend. In Homecoming she was a reserved person and often was described as introverted because of her intelligence. Her love for Peter continues to grow, but so does her likability to the fans. Peter and MJ make each other better people and it is fun to watch their chemistry, since they are dating off screen as well. Their dialogue is super authentic and Holland even reveals some scenes are “improvised”

These movies would not be the same without Ned (Jacob Batalon). You can always rely on the “man in the chair” who continues to prove his loyalty to Peter while still being a goofy character. Ned never disappoints when he provides comic relief in some of the high pressure scenes.

People continue to praise this new version of Spider-Man. One of the biggest successes according to Vulture is “They really did make Peter Parker a kid”. Holland was 21 at the time of the first movie, and even looked much younger. Maguire and Garfield were 26 and 28 at the beginning of their debuts which made it harder to connect with Spider-Man’s childish decisions since it was clear they were much older. Watts (director) understands what his audience is looking for and knows how to produce quality content.

Here’s the part everyone has been waiting for: my opinion on the film. Sarcasm aside, I was blown away and it exceeded my expectations. From the high action scenes, to the more real and raw emotions that are relatable, this film is appropriate for all ages and for me, it was a breath of fresh air.

So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets and watch the best film of 2021.