The multiverse has finally cracked wide open after over a year of anticipation from Marvel fans. Spider-Man: No Way Home reunites the cast of the previous two MCU Spider-Man films, as well as Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, on top of reintroducing previous villains. This movie is nearly impossible to talk about without delving into spoiler territory, but know that it’s chock full of surprises.

The basic synopsis is Peter Parker, having his identity revealed at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home by Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, finds himself in a whirlwind of trouble. His personal life begins to crumble all around him as he is put under investigation for murder and vigilantism, along with his best friend Ned, girlfriend MJ, and his Aunt May. As J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson continues to slander Peter’s character, and every college he applies to turns him down, Peter turns to the one person he thinks can help him: the Sorcerer Supreme. After a botched spell to wipe everyone’s memory of Peter Parker as Spider-Man, the multiverse cracks open. Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, and Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman return after nearly two decades since Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy, as well as Jamie Foxx as Electro and Rhys Ifans as The Lizard from the rebooted duology with Andrew Garfield. Peter must find a way to return everyone to their home dimension, as the villains wreak havoc on New York.

That’s about as unspoilerish as you can delve into the plot… and even that may be a stretch, considering many fans have totally avoided all promotion in anticipation for this film. Carrying on the multiverse storyline first developed in WandaVision and continued through Loki and What If…?, No Way Home not only serves as arguably the strongest live action Spider-Man film of all time, and a satisfying character arc for Holland’s Spider-Man, but also develops the Marvel Universe in a grandiose way many viewers will not expect.

The few flaws the movie does carry are quickly overshadowed by how much is going on. While many may call the film “bloated” or with “too much fan service”, No Way Home, much like Avengers: Endgame, handles all of the added aspects of returning villains and new characters by keeping Peter Parker’s struggle at the core of it. Every villain challenges Peter’s responsibility and perception of his own security. Dafoe’s Green Goblin comes out on top as the primary antagonist of the film, but all of the returning mad scientists and criminals get their time to shine. Foxx’s Electro is given a complete makeover, having been granted the classic green and yellow look of the comics as opposed to his solid blue look in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

While it’s easy to be swept up in the glamour of the multiverse aspect of the film, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon as MJ and Ned, as well as Marisa Tomei and Jon Favreau as Aunt May and Happy Hogan, really pull the emotional beats together, particularly in the climax of the film. Like in any great Spider-Man film, it’s Peter’s friends and family that make him who he is.

As is the trend in all recent Marvel films, there are two post-credit scenes. Talking about either one would be massive spoilers for not only the events of the film, but a film that has already been released and one that has yet to be seen. The second post-credits scene isn’t even a “scene” at all, but a teaser for an upcoming project.

There isn’t much more to talk about before you start to delve into spoiler territory, but the main takeaway should be that Spider-Man: No Way Home is simply an awesome movie, one meant to be seen on a big screen and an experience shared in a packed theater. Much like Avengers: Endgame, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Spider-Man: No Way Home will be one of the great theater-going experiences of our generation, and is paving the way for the future of the Marvel multiverse, and a new era of Spider-Man.