By Ben Davis
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is truly a juggernaut. Since its inception with Iron Man back in 2008, it has taken Hollywood and the world by storm, breaking box office records (five out of the top ten highest grossing films of all time are MCU films) and earning critical acclaim along the way (including the first superhero film ever to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in Black Panther). In many ways, the MCU has changed the landscape in which the general audience experiences not just superhero films, but films in general. The episodic way in which they decide to tell their stories was never attempted until they did it, and they perfected it. Many have tried to duplicate that same success, but none have succeeded in the way Marvel has.
The introduction of Spider-Man in the MCU in Captain America: Civil War was highly publicized. Sony—the company that owns the film rights to Spider-Man—had just two years previously released The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and while the film was a modest success (708 million dollars worldwide), it was critically panned and didn’t make the money the studio was hoping for. They then scrapped the plans for future installments and moved ahead with a team-up with Marvel Studios for a reboot with the famous web-slinger. This version—being portrayed by Tom Holland—would be a younger Peter Parker choosing to focus more on his high school years and to have more of a coming-of-age feel to it in the same vein as 1980’s John Hughes films.
This leads me to talk about our titled review, Spider-Man: Far From Home.
I wasn’t a big fan of Spiderman: Homecoming. While I really enjoyed Tom Holland as Spider-Man/Peter Parker and Michael Keaton as The Vulture, I found myself feeling lukewarm on pretty much everything else about the film. Don’t misunderstand me, I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it the same way others seemed to. Walking into Far From Home, though, I felt very excited. Whether or not that had to do with the marketing of this film, or my reception of Avengers: End Game, or a combination of the two I have no idea. But I’m happy to report that not only were my expectations met, they were surpassed! Spider-Man: Far From Home lives up to the promise of what I expect a Spider-Man movie to be under a Marvel and Sony collaboration. It’s adventurous, endearing, charming, sweet, funny, and above all else a great movie about accepting responsibility and not trying to live up to other people, but rather, being the best version of yourself and living up to that. It’s what makes this film the best theatrically released Spider-Man film to-date for me.
Spider-Man: Far From Home picks up after the events of Avengers: End Game where we find Peter Parker wanting to take a break from being a superhero and focus on being a kid and having fun on a summer vacation to Europe. His vacation quickly becomes sabotaged when creatures known as Elementals start wrecking havoc on cities he’s visiting. With the help of Nick Furry (played wonderfully again by Samuel L. Jackson) and the accurately named Mysterio (played brilliantly by Jake Gyllenhaal) it’s up to Spider-Man to stop this threat while also juggling his personal
life.
What this film so accurately portrays is the burden Peter Parker must feel to be Spider-Man. The constant state of always having to choose between your social life (friends, love life, important life events) and being the superhero you want to be (an avenger, living up to the legacy of your mentor Tony Stark). Tom Holland beautifully captures the pressure a young kid would feel to live up to the standards of all those around him in this film. It’s heartbreaking, but also super inspiring to see Peter Parker come into his own in this film. Tom Holland really won me over in Far From Home and has become my favorite big screen incarnation of the web-slinger.
Jake Gyllenhaal continues to prove he is a force of nature on screen as Quentin Beck aka Mysterio. Without giving too much away about his character and his motivations, I’ll just say he almost steals the show as one of Marvel’s most interesting and dynamic characters. Gyllenhaal also gives one of the best performances in a single scene any marvel film I’ve seen. The chemistry between Holland and Gyllenhaal is electric. You really get the sense that Quentin really cares for Peter and wants him to be his own man.
Another thing Far From Home is able to capture so wonderfully is the sate of the world post End Game. You really see through Peter’s eyes the affects it’s had on him and all those around him in this post-snap world. These affects carry throughout the film effecting people differently without feeling bogged down or repetitive in the way it’s able to execute them. It’s a wonderful masterstroke on an already awesome movie.
One thing that really annoyed me about Spider-Man: Homecoming was Ned played by Jacob Batalon, and MJ played by Zendaya. I found Ned to be insufferably annoying and irritating and MJ to be that weird friend you have that thinks they’re too cool for school. These things really hampered my enjoyment of the previous installment. However in this film that description couldn’t be further from the truth. In this one, I found Ned to not only be a great friend to Peter by trying his best to always help him out in any situation, but also super funny and charming. Same thing goes for MJ. You realize in this one why she had that tough exterior in the last movie and she lets you into her character and the relationship she has with Peter is so cute and sweet I just want to see more of it. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei as Happy Hogan and Aunt May. While they’re both not in the movie an awful lot, I couldn’t help but smile every time they were on screen, in particular Jon Favreau. Without giving away spoilers, there’s a particular scene in which he made me get all misty eyed.
Marvel has done a great job with all their post credit scenes, but none that are as important as the two featured in this film.
If you’re a long time Marvel fan, stay seated as the credits roll because no post-credit scene has changed the future of the MCU in the way these two scenes have. If you leave as soon as the credits roll, it’s a completely different film. This film is nearly perfect for me, but it does have the same consistent issue I have with marvel films: hard-hitting scene followed immediately by a joke that sucks the tension out of the whole scene. Like I just stated, this is a consistent issue with their films that one day I really hope they fix.
In conclusion, this is the ultimate Spider-Man film packed with heart, emotion, action, and hilarious coming-of-age moments that’ll have your heart full of joy by the time you have left the theater. I personally can’t wait to see the next chapter in Peter Parker’s life and the next phase of MCU films.
Grade: A