Spider-Man: No Way Home has been Certified Fresh by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, coming in as the site's second-best reviewed film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With a total of 120 reviews at the time of writing, Rotten Tomatoes has officially marked the web-slinger's latest outing Fresh, with the critical consensus stating it's a "bigger, bolder Spider-Man sequel [that] expands the franchise's scope and stakes without losing sight of its humor and heart." The film currently sits at 95% after debuting to a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes the day after its premiere.
The only film in the MCU that tops No Way Home's current score is Black Panther, with 96% of critics' reviews deemed Fresh by the site. If the latest film in the Tom Holland franchise holds, it will maintain the new number two spot previously held by Avengers: Endgame and 2008's Iron Man, both tied at 94%.
In terms of the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy, Homecoming has 92% of critics' approval while Far From Home has 90%. So far, that makes it the best-reviewed franchise in the MCU, with the Avengers series coming in with a lower average thanks to the poor reception Age of Ultron received.
With only six of the 120 reviews so far considered Rotten by the aggregator, the upcoming Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures co-production is riding high. Ticket pre-sales are rivaling Endgame, and insiders see the movie as a boon to the struggling industry. Licorice Pizza director Paul Thomas Anderson even believes No Way Home will save theaters.
Marvel Studios is no stranger to success with its films, but the financial gains don't always line up with critical praise. This year's offerings, for instance, are a mixed bag, with Black Widow only hitting 79% but Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings impressing with 91%. And the biggest upset was Eternals, which got a dire 47%, the lowest in the MCU. Of course, the site has long been a controversial metric for measuring the merits of a movie. Eternals' 78% audience score and Black Widow's 91% show just how much critical and general consensus can differ. And many have also criticized the way Rotten Tomatoes decides how a nuanced review of a film falls on its Fresh/Rotten binary.
Regardless of what the number truly means, Spider-Man: No Way Home's high mark is sure to drive people to the theaters when the movie arrives on Dec. 17.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes