Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, and it continues the story of Peter Parker (Tom Holland), a young man with extraordinary powers known as Spider-Man. Taking place after Avengers: Endgame, this Marvel film marks the end of “Phase 3” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the events of Endgame, Peter Parker has found himself under immense pressure, and it’s all starting to take its toll. As Peter prepares for a field trip abroad with his classmates, he must balance his duties as Spider-Man with his wants as a teenage boy. In terms of both storytelling and spectacle, Spider-Man: Far From Home takes things to the next level, offering a bigger narrative with a larger scope. Bigger doesn’t always mean better though, so let’s see if this sophomoric Spider-Man is worthy of end-capping Phase 3, or if it’s just another CGI-filled sequel.
With Great Power Comes No Vacations
Spider-Man: Far From Home picks up shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, once humanity has had some time to rebuild and readjust to normal life. Victims of Thanos’ snap (and eventual undoing of said snap) are struggling to return to normal life, as the five-year gap has caused some odd aging dynamics. Peter, still trying to find a way to express his true feelings for MJ (Zendaya), finds his position as a lover threatened by another classmate. As Peter plans a romantic turn of events for the upcoming field trip to Europe, he starts to feel the weight of his role of Spider-Man.
With Tony Stark dead and buried, the world pines for a new superhero to step up as a leader of the Avengers. Spider-Man seems to be an obvious choice, as the public constantly pressures him to rise to the occasion. These expectations, along with the general responsibility of being a superhero, have begun to weigh heavily on Peter Parker. Hoping to find some relaxation on the field trip, he attempts to leave his life as Spider-Man back home in the States.
International Man of Mystery
As luck would have it, Peter Parker’s vacation is cut abruptly short by a new threat. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) gets in touch with Peter, and after enlisting the help of a new hero named Quentin Beck aka Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), the team attempts to take the threat head-on. To discuss any further plot developments would be absolute spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.
The narrative of Spider-Man: Far From Home is completely in line with the classic Spider-Man theme of balancing duty with personal wants. As Peter Parker is torn between his friends’ safety and his responsibility as the world’s friendliest neighborhood spider, the weight is certainly taking its toll. This gives ample time for Tom Holland to deliver a riveting and emotional performance as Parker, and one that is a bit more nuanced than his performance in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Holland pulls his weight alongside other big names like Samuel L. Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal, effortlessly bouncing off them in both comedic and dramatic dialogue scenes. Gyllenhaal also delivers a fantastic performance as Mysterio/Quentin Beck, providing a complex and appropriately mysterious personality to this iconic Spider-Man character. Fans of the Spider-Man comics should enjoy the MCU version of Mysterio, as I found myself pleasantly surprised with his representation in the film.
Spider-Man’s Big Summer Abroad
Despite the expected action and special effects (more on that in a second), Spider-Man: Far From Home also has a great cast of secondary and ancillary characters with tons of humorous lines. All of Peter’s classmates are played excellently by their respective actors and actresses, although most are shoehorned into more comedic roles than anything else. This works to varying degrees, especially when Peter’s teacher Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr) or best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) are on-screen. Although Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver excellent performances, it would be a crime to understate the quality of the ensemble cast performances.
From the setting and story to the spectacle and special effects, everything about Spider-Man: Far From Home feels like a summer blockbuster. This is especially true for the fantastic action sequences, which were notably excellent especially when compared to the high bar that recent Marvel films have set. I had a blast watching Spider-Man web-sling and swing all across the screen, executing countless awesome maneuvers and attacks. The film also gets an exceptionally cool boost of psychedelic-visuals, as sequences with Mysterio are full of awesome camera-work and editing. The movie takes a bit of time to kick into high gear, with the first half of the film feeling a bit sluggish, but the wait is very much worth it. Even if you find the story to be predictable or repetitive, it’s hard to deny the quality of spectacle that Spider-Man: Far From Home provides.
Should You Watch Spider-Man: Far From Home?
When I sat down to watch Spider-Man: Far From Home, I had decently high expectations. I really enjoyed Homecoming and seeing as Mysterio is a beloved character, I was truly hoping for them to knock it out of the park. Luckily, Spider-Man: Far From Home delivers on almost everything you’d want from a superhero movie or a summer blockbuster. There’s an interesting story with some neat twists and turns, incredible action that is fun to watch and easy to follow, a love story that doesn’t feel overbearing or awkward, and some honest laughs and comedy. Although the first half of the movie might feel sluggish, the climax and discoveries therein more than makeup for it. Like other Marvel films, the dialogue has a tendency to veer to comedy when it should remain serious, but the jokes work for the most part. While it’s definitely not the best Spider-Man movie ever made, Far From Home ends up being a more rewarding film than Homecoming, and a lighthearted yet intriguing summer vacation story that ends Phase 3 of the MCU nicely.
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Movie Rating: 4 stars.
Movie Rating Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Great for the Fans
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
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