Spider-Man: No Way Home review round-up: What are the critics saying?

‘Spider-Man fans will absolutely lose their minds when they see this,’ one reviewer said

Spider-Man: No Way Home is out now – and the review are in.

On Monday (13 December), the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie was unveiled in Hollywood, with spoiler-free reactions rolling in on social media soon after.

There has been a particular sense of excitement surrounding this release due to the secretive nature of its production.

After it was revealed that several non-MCU characters from previous Spider-Man films would be in the film (including Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Electro), many assumed that former Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would show up in some form.

Largely, critics are happy with the outcome of the film, which sees Tom Holland return as the web-slinger alongside Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange.

The Independent – three stars

“Holland’s best moments as Spider-Man have always tapped into that ingrained desperation to be seen and loved – and there are plenty of those moments to be found here. But having him tussle here with phantoms of past franchises also puts him and the film at a constant disadvantage. No Way Home has no idea what to do with the villains from the ill-remembered Amazing Spider-Man films. It also reaches for, and fails to acquire, the baroque tragedy of Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and its thrillingly executed action pieces.”

Empire Magazine – five stars

“There is far more to the movie than wittily executed fan service. While it piles the villainy and jeopardy high, it doesn’t neglect the series’ heart: Tom Holland‘s Peter, and his ongoing struggle to do the right thing by his friends and family... This isn’t just a light-hearted knockabout. No Way Home has a massive emotional blow to deliver”

Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (Marvel Studios / Sony Pictures)

The Times – four stars

“As satisfying to watch as it is perilous to discuss (it’s a spoiler minefield), this latest big screen adventure for Marvel’s web-slinging superhero is a dynamite blast of smarty-pants postmodernism that never once abandons its emotional core.”

The Guardian – three stars

“Jon Watts does a pretty solid job here, tasked with a considerable upping of the ante while bringing back numerous baddies from the previous Spider-Man universes, delivering a propulsive, slickly choreographed adventure that will appease a broad fanbase this Christmas.”

Rolling Stone – mixed review

“There’s a button for you that’s being pushed. Fan service is being performed here, as with most modern superhero movies, but it now spans generations of fans. Why have one Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film coyly asks, when you can have several?”

Tom Holland and Zendaya both star in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Other journalists couldn’t praise the film enough.

Journalist Scott Menzel called No Way Home “the best Marvel movie of all time”, adding that “fans of the web-slinger will absolutely lose their minds when they see this”.

Tessa Smith wrote: “Spider-Man: No Way Home didn’t meet my expectations, it EXCEEDED them. This movie is worth every excruciating moment we had to wait!”

“It’s hard to imagine topping this one,” Brandon Davis stated. “Like, genuinely, hard to imagine getting more than this movie gives you as a #SpiderMan fan.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home is out now. If you can’t see the film for a while, here are the best ways to avoid spoilers about the film.