About the film (courtesy of Columbia Pictures):
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Jon Watt’s Spider-Man: Far from Home is an entertaining summer adventure for teenager Peter Parker as he deals with the fallout from Avengers: Endgame. This was a brilliantly written movie, with subtle intricacies in the story that the observant viewer may find mind-blowing. This is a movie that fans will truly appreciate when taken in its entirety. It is a worthy addition to the exceptionally intricate story lines that Marvel Studios has been weaving through the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past eleven years.
Tom Holland once again does a fantastic job in the role of Peter Parker as he tries to live a “normal life” while dealing with the state of the world post Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). The actor believably portrays a teenager who seeks to temporarily shelve his superhero career and his role as a possibly replacement for his mentor Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) long enough to enjoy his summer vacation in Europe. Marisa Tomei returns as May Parker, Peter’s cool aunt who is not only aligned with her nephew’s mission as Spider-Man, but has taken up a new role in order to help those displaced after Thanos’ snap.
Jake Gyllenhaal makes his debut as the new hero Mysterio, who Peter sees as a peer and friend, and Gyllenhaal plays the character with an intensity and purpose that helps drive the movie’s plot forward. The rest of the supporting “teenage” cast does a great job of making this adolescent film fun and awkward, as life tends to be for high schoolers. John Favreau returns as Happy Hogan in a supporting role as Peter’s confidant and hero support, and his presence helps remind us of the big shoes Spider-Man must fill in the absence of Iron Man in the MCU. Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders reprise their roles as Nick Fury and Maria Hill as they attempt to hi-jack Peter’s European summer trip in order to facilitate his help against the global threat of the Elementals, four destructive supervillains, each comprised of one of the core elements (air, earth, fire, and water).
Returning director Jon Watts shows he still has the touch for telling the story of the teenage superhero with all the nuances of high school life and young love while balancing it against an intriguing plot full of action and mystery. Although the pacing in the first thirty minutes of the film is a little offbeat, the movie quickly picks up and has some breathtaking action sequences. I am amazed by the advances in CGI with each MCU movie released, and Spider-Man: Far from Home is no exception. The effects and choreography crew deserve accolades for what they have managed to pull off in this film. That said, there is at least one scene in the film that younger viewers may find a little frightening and intense as Peter’s sense of reality is manipulated, but it passes quickly.
Spider-Man: Far from Home is a must see for any Spider-Man fan, and is a great bookend as the final film of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The subtleties and intricacies of the story line will be appreciated by all, but especially by hardcore fans of the genre. That is the most I can say in this review without revealing any spoilers.
