Fans praise ‘mature’ Tom Holland Spider-Man performance

The reviews from critics have been largely positive.

Many critics have welcomed the film-makers’ decision to scale back from the multiverse seen in No Way Home, in favour of a more personal, character-centred story.

The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin called it, external “the best Spider-Man film since the Tobey Maguire era”, and praised the relationship between Holland and Zendaya, who create a “real yearning and perplexity” that we have not seen previously in the dynamic between their characters.

In his review for The Wrap, William Bibbiani, external described it as the strongest entry in Holland’s Spider-Man series, applauding its emotional focus and character-driven storytelling, and praising its “wonderful, propulsive quality”.

Meanwhile, Empire’s John Nugent awarded the film four stars, external, declaring the web-slinging hero is “still Marvel’s ace in the pack”, and in its five-star review The Standard said the film had “verve, intelligence and above all, heart”.

However, others have been more reserved.

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw declared, external that Zendaya “saves this film” from “silliness and the generic déjà vu overfamiliarity that is always threatening to sink it”.

This opinion was supported by David Rooney in the Hollywood Reporter, external, who wrote that the film “chugs along satisfyingly even with the occasional patch of sluggishness and the usual overly convoluted plot contortions”.

He adds: “As much as the movie revels in the thrill of Spidey swinging between skyscrapers with erratic command of his shooters, the more intimate scenes with MJ and Ned are what supplies the emotional charge.”

Danny Leigh of the Financial Times awarded the film three stars, external, praising the chemistry between Holland and Zendaya but criticising the film’s insistence on falling back on CGI-heavy action sequences.

But that is just what the critics say. What do audiences think?