Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) * * *

Directed by:  Jon Watts

Starring:  Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Marisa Tomei, J.K. Simmons

I'll tread lightly to avoid spoilers.   Some were already given away in the trailers, such as the return of Doc Ock (Molina), but Spider-Man: No Way Home has many more tricks up its sleeve.   Picking up where Far From Home left off, the world now knows Spider-Man is Peter Parker, which makes Peter's life hell.  He and his family and friends are stalked by media and vilified on social media.   A desperate Peter enlists Dr. Strange (Cumberbatch) to cast a spell on the world so it forgets Spider-Man's true identity, except for girlfriend M.J. (Zendaya), best friend Ned (Batalon), and a few others.   The spell has devastating side effects, such as the introduction of villains from other universes who know Spider-Man is Peter Parker, just not this Peter Parker.

Spider-Man's world leaped from the frying pan into the fire.   He now has to battle Doc Ock, Green Goblin (Dafoe), Electro (Foxx), and others from other reiterations of your friendly, neighborhood crime fighter you may have seen previously.   No Way Home has so many skewing timelines and alternate realities it could give Back to the Future a run for its money.   At times, I felt No Way Home would crumble under the weight of its own cleverness, but it establishes a rhythm and a sense of nostalgia which makes it fun.

Dr. Strange is fleshed out more in No Way Home than in any earlier Marvel film, including his own movie.  He is the big brother figure to the stubborn and sometimes impetuous Peter Parker.   He does his best to warn Peter of the dangers of such a spell, but at times he can only stand by and watch it play out to Peter's disadvantage.   Peter's plans for the multiverse villains may seem a bit idealistic, but how often do you see a superhero want to help the villains and not simply destroy them?   

Tom Holland is just as engaging as he has been in the previous Spider-Man films.   He has strong camaraderie with Zendaya and Batalon, while convincingly holding his own against the supervillains.   I said I wouldn't spoil the other big surprise No Way Home has in store, but it's amusing to see him interact with certain other characters from the multiverse for which it's a joy for us to see again.