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I'll put this right up there with the first Tom Holland Spider-Man. Following the events of the last movie, everyone Peter Parker loved has completely erased him from existence, and we see, through his eyes, as he peeks in on his best friends in the world moving on without him. It is heartbreaking, but we know why he did it - to protect MJ and Ned and so many others following the huge mess he made in No Way Home.
After that bit of housekeeping, we are off to the races, seeing Spidey use his "great power with great responsibility" to keep the city safe from any number of nefarious characters. Some we've met before, while others are there as a little nod to die-hard Spider-Man fans. The action is fun, and Spider-Man seems to be having a good time with his little quips and working closely with Detective Jean DeWolff to coordinate rounding up the "bad guys."
But he's struggling. We see it. DeWolff sees it. The weight of his decision is pulling him to the brink, which is the catalyst for a major change in his core powers.
So, yeah, I'm not going to say anymore in the interest of NOT SPOILING anything. I knew very little going in, so when surprises popped up, I was pretty thrilled. Do whatever you can to shield yourself, because there are some great things sprinkled throughout.
The action sequences are amazing, the expression of superpowers is incredible, and there are some wonderful quieter moments between the characters which round them out and make them even more relatable.
All of that, and the score by Michael Giacchino is pitch perfect for this one. What's more, the needle drops perfectly capture the mood of a young adult living in New York. Like other MCU movies, the music does a great job of driving both the action and the emotions.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but when people post things like "The MCU is done" or "There's superhero fatigue," maybe keep this one in mind. It's rich, fun, and full of surprises.
9/10
