Following its Los Angeles premiere on Monday night, the first wave of reviews have started pouring in for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and they’re the best reviews of the trilogy.
Tom Holland first made his debut as the teenaged web-slinger in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, before his first stand-alone movie, 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, which earned an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes from 394 reviews.
The 25-year-old actor returned as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, which earned a 90% RT score from 451 reviews, but the first wave of Spider-Man: No Way Home reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are the best yet at 97% out of the first 75 reviews.
Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer features Doc Ock & Green Goblin
Rave reviews: Following its Los Angeles premiere on Monday night, the first wave of reviews have started pouring in for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and they’re the best reviews of the trilogy
Critical hit: The 25-year-old actor returned as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, which earned a 90% RT score from 451 reviews, but the first wave of Spider-Man: No Way Home reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are the best yet at 97% out of the first 75 reviews
Towards the end of the second film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man’s true identity, Peter Parker, is revealed, the first time that has happened in any of the previous film iterations.
This leads Spidey to reach out to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to ask him for a spell that would make the world forget he was ever Spider-Man.
However, when that spell gets botched, it opens up the multi-verse even further, with villains from previous iterations of Spider-Man showing up.
Zendaya hangs out with Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon backstage
Identity: Towards the end of the second film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man’s true identity, Peter Parker, is revealed, the first time that has happened in any of the previous film iterations
Doctor Strange: This leads Spidey to reach out to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to ask him for a spell that would make the world forget he was ever Spider-Man
Villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and The Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) are confirmed, while there have been hints at Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Lizard (Rhys Ifans) appearing as well.
The result, according to many of the first critics to chime in, can be rather convoluted at times, but ultimately effective.
Variety’s Peter Debruge called Spider-Man: No Way Home a ‘system overload’ featuring elements from the previous eight Spider-Man movies.
Tom Holland jokes about brother’s scene cut from ‘Spider-Man’
Villains: Villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina, above), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and The Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) are confirmed, while there have been hints at Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Lizard (Rhys Ifans) appearing as well.
Still, Debruge praises returning Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts for turning, ‘the unwieldy premise into a consistently entertaining superhero entry, tying up two decades of loose ends in the process.’
Deadline’s Pete Hammond even went so far to predict it will be the first movie since December 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to cross $1 billion worldwide, and in doing so, helping to ‘save the movie business.’
He also called it the best movie in the Spider-Man series, ‘but truly one of the yearโs best movies’ as well.
Zendaya and Tom Holland at Spider-Man: No Way Home premiere
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Entertaining: Still, Debruge praises returning Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts for turning, ‘the unwieldy premise into a consistently entertaining superhero entry, tying up two decades of loose ends in the process’
Best movies: He also called it the best movie in the Spider-Man series, ‘but truly one of the yearโs best movies’ as well
Still, the movie was not without its problems, with several critics – even in positive reviews – critiquing the overly long middle section of the movie.
The Los Angeles Times’ Justin Chang called it the, ‘wobbly, draggy midsection,’ while also calling the action set pieces, ‘murky.’
Still, the film manages to overcome these obstacles, with Chang stating that, the smug, depersonalized air that often mars those glorified cinematic frat parties is notably absent,’ referring to other Marvel Cinematic Universe adventures.
Jamie Foxx poses at the ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ premiere
Long: Still, the movie was not without its problems, with several critics – even in positive reviews – critiquing the overly long middle section of the movie
Of the first 75 reviews, only two were ‘rotten,’ one from United Press International’s Fred Topel and another from Now Toronto’s Radheyan Simonpillai.
‘Unfortunately, most of the movie settles on the gimmick of seeing all these characters together, a form of cinematic giggling at “Can you believe this?”‘ said Topel in his review.
Simonpillai likened the movie to WrestleMania, where at any moment a surprise character can show up.
Marisa Tomei shines at ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ premiere
Rotten: Of the first 75 reviews, only two were ‘rotten,’ one from United Press International’s Fred Topel and another from Now Toronto’s Radheyan Simonpillai
‘Familiar faces โ some who I thought we agreed we were tired of โ make surprise appearances to fanfare that commands excitement and rewards fealty,’ he said.
Also surfacing on Tuesday was box office projections from Deadline, claiming Spider-Man: No Way Home should take in at least $290 million globally during its opening weekend.
It’s expected to take in somewhere between $130 million and $175 million domestically this weekend, while it’s expected to cash in with anywhere between $160 million and $180 million in foreign markets.
Benedict Cumberbatch arrives at the ‘Spider-Man’ premiere
Box office: Also surfacing on Tuesday was box office projections from Deadline , claiming Spider-Man: No Way Home should take in at least $290 million globally during its opening weekend
