‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ First Reactions and Reviews Hail MCU’s Latest as ‘Extremely Emotional’ Franchise-Best – Variety

The Los Angeles premiere of Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has officially wrapped and the first reactions to the MCU’s latest entry are out in the wild. Official reviews and social media responses are beginning to pour in, with many offering euphoric praise for the multiverse mash-up featuring Tom Holland’s friendly neighborhood superhero.

Director Jon Watts returns for “No Way Home” after directing previous “Spider-Man” entries “Homecoming” and “Far From Home.” The newest installment picks up after Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker has been revealed to the world. Peter turns to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who casts a spell to make the world forget that he’s the web-slinger, but the enchantment goes awry and breaks open the multiverse. The MCU is invaded by “Spider-Man” villains from alternate realities, including Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx) and the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau and J.K. Simmons also return for this new “Spider-Man” entry.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” will be released exclusively in theaters on Friday.

Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge called the blockbuster “a clever meta-adventure” adding that “audiences who’ve tuned out [of the ‘Spider-Man’ films] along the way will be rewarded for giving this one a shot.”

Reviewing the film for IGN, Amelia Emberwing hailed the film as a “perfect harmony of a Saturday morning cartoon and the deep drama that we’ve come to expect from these epics,” citing the blockbuster’s performances as one of the key reasons for its success.

The Playlist’s Rodrigo Perez was less enthusiastic, calling the film a “very regressive, fan-service-y ‘Spider-Man’ legacy-sequel that’s overly nostalgic for its heydays.” Comparing the film to the similarly multiverse-focused “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” the critic wrote that the film is “nowhere near as successful or inventive.”

Nick Schager offered a positive review in The Daily Beast, deeming it “the MCU’s best Spidey movie by a mile.”

On social media, Variety awards editor Clayton Davis erred on the side of caution with regards to spoilers, offering a humorously non-descriptive response that still expressed his praise.

Fandango’s Erik Davis deemed “No Way Home” the best live-action “Spider-Man” picture to date.

Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier called the film “immensely satisfying,” adding the caveat that the middle gets a little bogged down with setting up so many characters.

Decider’s Alex Zalben stated that the film works because it remains centered on Holland’s Peter Parker, even while spinning lots of fan service plates.

See more reactions below:

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