directed by Jon Watts
written by Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna
To be honest, after the gratifying, emotional roller-coaster that was Avengers: Endgame, for the very first time since the Spider-Man film franchise was launched in 2002, I did not feel any particular urgency to see Spider-Man: Far From Home. I mean, I definitely wanted to see it, but the standing-in-a-long-line, midnight-screening sense of urgency that had characterized many of my previous film viewings (especially for the Sam Raimi films, even the infamous Spider-Man 3) was now gone, and I was actually able to wait until Friday to see it after its Wednesday opening. I really didn't expect that much, thinking it would be to Endgame what Ant-Man and the Wasp was to Avengers: Infinity War: a nice chaser, nothing more.
I was honestly therefore quite surprised by how strong Spider-Man: Far From Home turned out to be. There were a few false notes in the script, and more than a fair share of tropes, none of which I dare discuss in detail lest I spoil it for anyone, but overall it was, I dare say, the strongest live-action Spider-Man movie since Spider-Man 2.
Following a bare bones, spoiler-free summary I'll dive into how I felt about this film, and how it really bodes well for the future of this particular superhero franchise.
Following the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker aka Spider-Man (Tom Holland) tries to resume life as a normal teenager. Well, as normal one can be after having been gone for five years. While he, his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and several of his high school classmates like Ned (Jacob Batalon), MJ (Zendaya), Betty (Angourie Rice) and Flash (Tony Revolori) were snapped out of existence by Thanos, only to be "blipped" back into existence thanks to the Hulk's snap in Endgame, everyone else has grown five years older, including many of his old schoolmates. Still, Peter and his friends head off on a school-sponsored trip to Europe, where he plans to confess his feeling for MJ atop the famed Eiffel Tower.
Unfortunately for Peter, however, monsters arising from what seems to be the Earth itself have started attacking various locations around the world, with his destinations in Europe among the targets. As a result, he is recruited by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who not only knows his identity but has a little present for him: a pair of glasses from the late Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr., who's not in the movie but whose face shows up basically everywhere), which also happen to give Peter access to a massive, satellite-based attack drone network which is not unlike the massive Project: Insight that HYDRA wanted to set up back in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Peter feels out of his depth when fighting the monsters, so when a new hero, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) shows up and holds his own against one of them, he looks to him for guidance, and as a possible wielder for the massive power to which he has just been given access.
While this movie has received generally good reviews, not everyone is thrilled with it, and as much as I liked the film I can see where the detractors are coming from, specifically when it comes to the film's seeming obsession with Tony Stark. It does seem like overkill, but personally I can forgive it because this is the world that was basically built around Iron Man, so it makes sense that this world, even Spider-Man's corner of it, would really feel his death.
Also, I can forgive the constant mention of Iron Man because at the end of the day, he really just provides the backdrop for what happens. It's ultimately Spider-Man's actions and decisions that push the narrative forward, for better or for worse. Unlike in Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which Peter mysteriously got away with a surprisingly high number of bad decisions, here, Peter's bad choices, the worst of which stems from his desire to turn his back on the superhero life and just live as he wants, have actual consequences that he has to deal with if he wants to live his life as planned. The whole "great power, great responsibility" credo may not receive explicit mention here (and for that matter, it hasn't received any explicit mention since the Raimi films), but much more than they did in the last film, the filmmakers really take pains to impress upon Peter just how important that particular life lesson is.
Of course, there are the usual critiques about the proliferation of CGI battles, but as hard as this may be to explain without delving into spoilers, there's actually a context for them in this film, and overall they work quite well. If nothing else, though, Marvel and Sony have really gotten down pat the art of presenting a digital Peter Parker swinging from place to place, so much so that the shots of a plainclothes-wearing Peter swinging through Venice looked reasonably convincing. Also, for anyone who may have missed it, the filmmakers bring back Spidey's famed "final swing" with a little bit of a twist this time, and it looks downright glorious.
The main reason, however, that it's easy to forgive this film its shortcomings, whether it's the Stark-mania or CGI bombast, is that its leads give such winning, down-to-earth performance that it's hard not to get drawn into their story. This is still a movie about a high school kid, after all, and the struggles he faces in telling the girl of his dreams how he feels, and Holland captures the heartache and angst of this epic struggle perfectly. As the seemingly disinterested MJ, Zendaya provides a perfect foil to Peter's painful yearning, and their chemistry here holds up well in comparison to that between previous incarnations of Spider-Man and his leading ladies. It's certainly a step up from his awkward chemistry with Liz from the last film.
Gyllenhaal makes a welcome addition to Spider-Man's world, and it really was high time they introduced Mysterio, one of the classic Lee-Ditko creations. It's hard to go into what made him such a memorable character without venturing into spoiler territory, so I'll stop there. Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders make a welcome return as Nick Fury and Maria Hill, respectively, though stick around for the usual end-credits treats if something about them seems a little off to you.
And whatever you do, do NOT miss the mid-credits stinger.
8.5/10
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