First of all: Spoiler ALERT!!!!
This post will contain spoilers from the movie as it will be difficult for me to explain the logical holes in the movie without spoiling the movie. This is your warning to leave if you haven't watched the movie.
I remember when I left the movie and during it, I had a big smile on my face. As for most Marvel movies, I could always guarantee myself that I will have great fun. The editing is great, the humor, while not always well-timed, keeps the movie light and watchable for me.
However, much like many of the Marvel movies, I still find myself looking at many logical loopholes, whether they were dynamic, technical, or the actions of characters in the movie.
Not that big of a deal
Let me state that I don't exactly find those loopholes never really took me out of enjoying a Marvel movie. The reason for that is they are often covered with humor.
One of my favorite franchises in movies is the Saw franchise. The Saw franchise is essentially torture porn, however, the reason I love the franchise is due to the aesthetic in its ending. A Saw movie follows a simple step-by-step manual. The ending of a Saw movie is always a plot twist that remains hidden until the very end, accompanied by cool thrilling music and a nice montage to wrap things up.
Now, would I ever say that the Saw franchise makes a great film, even though they are a favorite of mine? No, the same goes for Marvel movies.
The Rating Issue
This has been a problem of mine with many of the Marvel movies, but it intensifies with Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie currently has a rating of 8.9 on IMDB and a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
I could never really accept movies getting that high of a rating within days of their release. But, it is a problem that can't be solved really.
This is your last chance to leave if you haven't seen the movie as we are entering spoilers territory soon.
The Nostalgia Aspect
This movie was very nostalgia-based, there's no two way about it. I am not saying that's bad as I am a big fan of Tobey Maguire/Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, actually the first two mainly. So, this was a great trip down memory lane.
Also, I think incorporating the Raimi influence into the movie has really added the cinematography in this one. The previous two Tom Holland Spider-Man has really lacked quality in terms of any of the scenes that didn't involve a fighting scene. The shots in those two were really stale and basic.
I am happy Jon Watts stepped up his game as his previous work really had more character than what the previous two Spider-Man movies have shown.
The cool part about the nostalgia in this movie is that it was fan-service essentially. The movie mostly went with new ways to showcase the old characters instead of just recreating scenes and lines. The ending concluded many characters' arcs. The problem is many plotholes surfaced in order to accomplish that.
While mostly the nostalgia was good in this movie. There were a few scenes that were not placed well, recreating past scenes in previous Spider-Man movies in a rather cringy way.
Aunt May saying "With great power comes great responsibility" as she died was a rather out of place moment as an example
The Many Plot Holes
This starts with the very cause of the plot in the Spider-Man movies. Dr. Strange is interrupted by Peter as he does the spell. The miscommunication is rather doll-caused and lazily-written as it is caused by Dr. Strange not telling Peter what the spell does. Something that was easily avoidable.
It is also not explained why he couldn't just redo the spell and go with another one. That results in people not remembering who Peter Parker is but remembering Spider-Man which opens a whole can of worms when it comes to logical loopholes.
The Spell Affected Memory but not the Physical World
Aunt May remained dead but everyone still doesn't remember Peter Parker. The issue that creates is establishing that only people's memories are affected. The issue lies in the fact that there are many recordings of Peter Parker, even podcast episodes. There is physical evidence of Peter Parker exists, doesn't matter if people remember him or not.
The Other Two Spider-Men Understand Everything
When the other two Spider-Men showed up they seemed to have a complete understanding of everything that happens. It is unrealistic and at best not explained how they know all of that.
The Lizzard Staying in Van
Another unexplained action as the Lizzard stayed in the van. There's really not much to say here. We're talking about a villain that the main charters let stay alone unsupervised and the only explanation was "He wanted to stay in the van"
Meta-referencing
This is by far my biggest issue with the Marvel movies as a whole. The movies often make fun of their plot and characters' background in passing jokes. This movie was no different in mocking the villain creation in a previous movie.
I just wish they had the self-awareness before they make such stupid decisions, or at least they'd have the courtesy of mocking how they let the Lizzard stay in the van.
Amazing Performance and Respect
This one isn't a negative. I mentioned previously Saw, that franchise never bothered showing respect or even matching the respect the fanbase had for some of the characters. This movie was different.
Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina showed great performances in their reappearances. They pulled a great performance that really navigated itself well around the plot holes of the movie. The writing of their characters really showed respect as it didn't make them look like they were just reappearing for nostalgia's sake.
It was really cool to see these past characters getting so much respect and satisfying for me to see them in action one more time rather than just see them passing through.
In Conclusion
Spider-Man: No Way Home is a very fun movie, the nostalgia in it is on point mostly. The action scenes were beautiful to see, the cinematography was on point. To me, this is easily the best Marvel movie since their Phase 2 at least. As for my rating