In Marvel's latest film, Tom Holland finally completes his transformation into Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: No Way Home follows Peter Parker as he traverses life, now that his identity has been revealed to the world. This newest movie continues to keep the small and personal stakes for Peter, while also implementing the grandiose and cataclysmic stakes that modern Marvel films are too afraid to shy away from. This record-breaking film was hyped up by fans online for months ahead of its release, spawning countless theories and discussions with each trailer, poster or leak. But with all these high expectations, does it live up to the hype?

Spidey’s last appearance in the Marvel Films ended on a cliffhanger, with the return of J.K Simmons’ portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson (From the Raimi films), along with the public reveal of his secret identity as Spiderman. No Way Home picks up minutes after the Far From Home post-credit scene, with Peter and MJ swinging around the city attempting to avoid the pursuit of crowds and media.

After being questioned on the alleged murder of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) from the last movie, Peter seeks legal counseling from a fan-favorite returning character. The blind lawyer’s surprise cameo was brief, but confirmed his presence in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe after the drama with Netflix. The long awaited confirmation caused a cheer of joy at my showing, which I happily joined in.

This theme of fan-favorite characters returning definitely does not end here, with several villains from past Spiderman franchises reprising their roles in this new universe. Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Electro (Jamie Foxx), The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) and Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) are all pulled through the multiverse after a botched spell attempt with Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Molina and Dafoe both captured similar performances to their original movies, while also adding elements to make the characters more interesting in their new world. Dafoe’s Green Goblin ditched his mask, which allowed for a much more unsettling performance. Foxx’s portrayal of Electro also improved greatly, by getting rid of the glowing blue skin and giving him more of an arc in the film. These new takes on the characters are not afforded to all though, with Lizard and Sandman both being very underutilized in the film. Another strange choice was the lack of a sixth character to complete the Sinister Six: a team of villains from Spider-Man’s classic rogues gallery.

Avoiding spoilers and leaks ahead of seeing this movie was nearly impossible. By my viewing, which was the first available viewing on Thursday night, I had already seen several set photos and leaked images spoiling almost every major plot point. This did not detract from the experience at all, though. This movie blew my expectations out of the water, even if I already knew roughly what would happen. In the purpose of avoiding spoilers, I won’t discuss the biggest plot twist and the best part of the whole film.

This installment of the popular series serves as a worthy end to Spidey’s first trilogy in the MCU. The first three movies now serve as an extended origin for Marvel’s iteration of Spider-man, which did not become clear (or intentional) until now. With name drops and allusions to many beloved Spider-man characters like Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn and even a very indirect reference to Miles Morales; it is clear that this is just the beginning of Marvel’s plans for the Spider-Man franchise.

No Way Home is a thrill-packed and personal Spider-Man movie, with some of the best action and visuals we’ve gotten out of the character in years. The collision of new and old characters is sure to excite any fans of the old movies, current movies or both. Having already passed several major box-office records within its first week, this movie is bound to be talked about for many months to come. Go out, avoid spoilers and see this movie; you won’t regret it!