In May, 2002, while sitting in the theater anxiously waiting for the very first Spider-Man movie to begin, I never would have guessed that nearly twenty-years later I’d relive that extreme level of giddiness while watching the most amazing Spidey-film yet, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

After all, it took 40 years for that first Spider-Man movie to finally get made, and as a lifelong fan who had followed all of the legal battles and false starts up to that point, I can remember thinking I would never see my favorite hero on the big screen, let alone the unbridled awesomeness that this new flick brings to our world.

What can be said about Spider-Man: No Way Home that won’t spoil anything? Not much … but if you have seen the trailers and if you have been a fan of all the other Spidey-films up to this point, then you are in for a huge treat. This new movie delivers on all of its promises and then some.

Surprises? Yes, and this time the best ones aren’t in the mid-credit or post-credit scenes. In fact, the mid-credit scene here is the worst and most disappointing part of this magnificent movie. (I really hope it is not an indication of what is next in the cinematic Spider-verse.)

The ensemble cast (including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei) is fantastic and includes the characters we’ve come to know and love from the other two Spider-Man “home” movies (Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home). In fact, they could have called this one “Spidey and his Homies” and that could have worked as well as “No Way Home.”  (Okay, maybe not.)

Tears? I can affirm that tears were shed during the viewing of this film … more than once. I won’t say by whom, but you might want to consider bringing some tissues with you (and disposing of them properly – there is still a pandemic going on you know!).

The only thing keeping Spider-Man: No Way Home from being a perfect movie is a pretty big plot point that originally had me rolling my eyes at its awkwardness. Later in the film that all felt more right and it was very much okay with me … but it did feel clumsy for a little while.

Action? There is so much of it happening so fast that it would take several viewings to actually absorb it all … if then. That’s not a bad thing, especially for a Spider-Man film, but prepared for some dizziness! The special effects are outstanding.

There is so much to say and so much that I would love to share about this outstandingly fun and spectacular movie, but best to just say, go see it, NOW, quickly! (Don’t forget to be like Spidey and wear your mask!) You are going to have a blast!