First introduced in "Captain America: Civil War," the current MCU incarnation of Spider-Man has been a bit of fresh air for the superhero franchise. Yes, he's shared the stage with the Avengers, but the first two movies in the current Spider-Man trilogy have tended toward the lighter side. The stories have been smaller in scope than most of the other MCU films, with a focus on having fun. That all changes in "No Way Home."

Whereas the previous films were all about Peter Parker (Tom Holland) learning to master his powers and increasing more powerful suits, "No Way Home" is a more focused story. It's not just about Peter saving the world; it's about Peter learning to deal with his inner demons and his desire to do the right thing.

In what is perhaps the worst kept secret of the year, "No Way Home" introduces the multiverse to the MCU films (it was previously teased in "Spider-Man: Far from Home" and made a central plot point of the Disney+ TV series "Loki"), by way of the previous Spider-Man films. All of the core villains, and the Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Men are here. If it sounds like a lot, it is, but thankfully, they're not just fan service. In a movie packed with this many characters, it would have been easy to give most of them the short shrift, but somehow, the script writers managed to pull off what sounds like an impossible task. They crafted a story that does justice to everyone.

Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus is easily the standout of the villains, with Molina looking like he stepped right off the screen from his last appearance. Both his initial fight scene, which is excellently choreographed, and his incredulity at not finding his Peter under Holland's Spider-Man mask is just expertly done.

As for the other villains, I can't talk specifics without delving into spoiler territory, but it's safe to say that everyone gets their time to shine. All of the visiting characters remain true to their original incarnations. These aren't just copies that were re-created for the MCU. These are the characters that Spider-Man fans have come to love over the years.

A small bit of time shenanigans may have been involved to make everything work on the villain side, but the passage of time (and experience) is plain on the Maguire and Garfield Spider-Men. They've seen some stuff over the years, but they're still on board to help Holland's Spider-Man.

Watching the three interact is a treasure, with Maguire acting somewhat like a caring uncle to the two younger versions of himself. Banter and serious conversations are given the proper space, so it's not just one joke after another. The money shot of all three suited up and ready for battle is almost worth the price of admission alone.

That said, a special mention has to be given to the actress playing Ned's nana. While everyone else is in awe of the multiverse shenanigans, she was supremely unbothered and stole the scene she was in.

Although most of the character growth is focused on Holland's Spider-Man, Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) see their characters change over the course of the film, much more so than in the prior two Spider-Man movies. Given the character dynamic between the three of them, it was great to see how they both stepped up to help Peter.

Looking back on the story, the core of the conflict was really Peter's desire to solve his problem in the most direct — if not the most intelligent — way possible. All of the events in the film are kicked off because Peter's friends don't get into college due to their association with Spider-Man. Instead of appealing the decision, Peter does what any teenager who is friends with superheroes and a sorcerer would do. He asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell.

It might seem like an absurd plot contrivance, but anyone of the geeky sort who has worked on a tech problem will tell you the most direct path is usually the default path. Why isn't the computer booting up? There's often a tendency to assume a complex issue, when it might just be something as simple as the power isn't plugged in.

Ultimately, that's one of the core draws with Holland's Spider-Man. While none of us are superheroes, it's easy to relate to the challenges his character faces because they're just bigger versions of real-life issues. They're exaggerated but still relatable: not being popular and doing the right thing, even when it's not the easy thing. Spider-Man is the everyman of the MCU.

Looping back to the story, the script doesn't just wrap things up nicely for Holland's Spider-Man. Both Maguire and Garfield's Spider-Men have hanging plot threads resolved, with "No Way Home" serving as a swan song and a new beginning for the entire Spider-Man franchise.

More emotional than expected, plenty of action set-pieces, and a well written script place "Spider-Man: No Way Home" among the MCU's best. Not only does it raise the bar for the Spider-Man franchise, but it also raises the bar for the entire MCU.

Score: 9.0/10

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 2 hours and 28 minutes. It is showing in standard theaters and in IMAX.

Editor's Note: There is a mid-credits sequence and a trailer for the next "Doctor Strange" movie at the very end of the credits.