Marvel ended 2021 with a bang by releasing the long-awaited Spider-Man No Way Home in theaters on December 17, 2021. The movie has now gained over almost half a billion dollars in the box office worldwide and is now the 3rd highest-grossing movie on opening weekend. This made the movie surpass hits like Star Wars Force Awakens and Black Panther and has set the record as the 2nd highest-grossing movie on opening day.

Spider-Man No Way Home is a movie featuring Tom Holland as Peter Parker, Zendaya Coleman as Michelle Jones Wattson. The movie takes place directly after Spider-Man Far From Home where in it, Spiderman’s identity is revealed. Naturally, this affects Peter’s life as his friends and family around him are suffering the consequences of his alter ego as the masked vigilante. This leads him to seek help from Dr. Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Peter and Dr. Strange came up with an idea to cast a spell that makes the world forget that Peter Parker was Spiderman, solving all of his problems. However, Peter started to have second thoughts on the matter mid-way through the spell. As he voices his second thoughts, he disrupts the focus of Dr. Strange, botching it up. This leads to villains from all over the multiverse coming to Peter’s world and it’s up to him to stop them.

The movie is a love letter to all Marvel fans as many references to older movies and iterations of Spider-Man are found in the movie or incorporated into the plot. For example, older Spider-Man fans would be glad to know that William Dafoe and Alfred Moline would reprise their roles as Green Goblin and Doc Ock respectively. References to new Marvel projects shows, and movies are spread throughout the 2-hour length film, and saying where they are or what it is would only spoil it. The movie also answers problems many fans had with the appearance of Peter Parker in the MCU, as he never really was his own hero and never faced problems like the other Spider-Men did. Throughout the movie, Peter’s struggle with having the power to be Spider-Man without the responsibility of being a hero is what the movie is built on. His negligent and selfish actions cause the events of the movie to happen and he sacrifices a lot to fix it.

As someone who grew up with the franchise, I can say without a doubt that this movie is by far the best iteration of Spider-Man and one of the best Marvel movies ever. The fact that this movie deals with the topic of maturity so well is something that I still can’t get over. Watching this movie’s Spider-Man grow from a boy wanting to be a hero to a man withholding such responsibility could make even the newest fan of the series cry, and for someone who rarely cries to movies, it says a lot. The audience’s reactions to scenes in the movie were also the best, as you can see and hear the joy and excitement everyone had throughout the screening. Throughout the film, I could hear other people whispering to their peers about specific references, excitement when characters are revealed, and cheering and applauding when certain events throughout the movie happened. 

Overall, I believe Spider-Man No Way Home was one of the best if not the best movie of 2021. Since its announcement in 2019, fans eagerly waited for it to come. To see the hype and how it brought the Marvel community together is something I don’t think would be re-created in a while. Aside from the cameos, references, and other details, the overall plot of the movie is what brings it together. Seeing how The Spider-Man trilogy ends and how maybe new ones begin makes it more of a reason to watch it. The overall plot is great, the effects are stunning, and the experience of watching it is something that would rarely be re-created in a lifetime. New or old, this movie brings something to all demographics as it is a culmination of what the Spider-Man franchise is all about. If you are deciding whether or not you should watch it, do it. What are you waiting for?