HOLLYWOOD—Movies have come and gone in 2021, it actually has been a blur for me to say the least because of the pandemic causing a major ripple in the release of many movies and the notion of seeing movies at home the same day as they are released in theaters has shifted things. The buzz behind the latest outing in the “Spider-Man” flick had me eager to see this one in theaters. Well, the $260 million haul at the U.S. domestic box-office is well earned, because “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is an absolute epic, fantastic film from start to finish.

Now as a kid, I was a major fan of the villain Mysterio portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” I didn’t love that movie, it was a mixed bag and I don’t think the writers truly utilized the character Mysterio aka Quentin Beck to his fullest potential to make him a worthy foe to our web slinger and hero Peter Parker people.

However, the previous flick set the stage for the chaos that explodes as soon as the movie begins with Quentin revealing that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. That information lands into the lap of Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) who spills that tea to everyone. And just like that Spider-Man has been exposed and Peter Parker (Tom Holland), Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) find their worlds turned upside down as a result. Peter is a pariah, Ned and MJ are being hounded, Aunt May (Marissa Tomei) is concerned about Peter’s safety as well as hers and life as we know it will never be the same.

However, this devastating blow is the thing that gives Peter the idea to reach out to Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Peter wants to go back in time and erase the notion that his identity has been exposed. Anyone who has seen “Doctor Strange” knows when you mess with time it has a ripple effect in the universe. Dr. Strange is willing to help when he discovers a spell that would yield the results he wants, but Peter intervenes causing a ripple, opening up the multiverse to utter confusion.

That was indeed the one element that left me scratching my head a bit because I couldn’t fully buy what was being sold without being forced myself to immerse into a narrative where I know it’s NOT real. If you can do that, it makes the result easier people. Once the audience is treated to the return of epic villains like Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), the Lizard (Rhys Ifans) and the iconic Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), things get more exciting for the moviegoer.

This introduction of these characters who are confused, lost and in a universe that (surprise) is not theirs, which leads to Parker (Holland) trying to fix these characters, even though he is warned by Dr. Strange and others that adjusting the past can have consequences for the present. There is some tragedy in this flick that cuts deep, but I will NOT spoil that for the audience. That sends things into overdrive and there are some stunning cameos that absolutely had me speechless because I did NOT expect them to say the least.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is a long movie clocking in just over 2 hours and 20 minutes, but guess what, the movie is so encapsulating and thrilling I didn’t take my eyes away from the screen or look at my phone or watch a single time during the flick. It engages you, it excites you and the story is so fun to watch that I cannot recall having this much fun watching a “Spider-Man” film and I’ve seen them all America. The visual effects are stunning; they add to another layer of excitement for the movie, and this conclusion hints at the conclusion of this saga which I don’t believe was a trilogy, but I do get that notion people.

Will we see more “Spider-Man” flicks? Absolutely, what tales and who will portray who that is up for grabs people. With that said, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is hands down the best of the three flicks starring Tom Holland and company people.