Warning: Spoilers for Avengers Endgame ahead. Can Spider-Man stand on his own in a post-Endgame world in the latest MCU film Far From Home?
In the aftermath of the Avengers’ battle with Thanos, the world has changed. All the people who were snapped out of existence are now back and with the death of Tony Stark, the world is looking for the next big hero to protect them. Peter Parker (Tom Holland), is still dealing with the trauma from those events and just wants to enjoy his summer class trip through Europe with his friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and try to finally tell MJ (Zendaya) how he feels, which in typical Parker-luck fashion is complicated at every turn.
Interrupting the trip, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) shows up to recruit Parker’s help. Apparently, monsters from an alternate universe, called the Elementals, have come to Earth and threaten to destroy it. Fury already has the help of Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), supposedly a hero from another Earth who’s dubbed Mysterio by the public. But things are not what they seem, and Peter is going to have to live up to the belief that Tony Stark had in him to save the day.
It’s hard to discuss this film’s plot without spoilers, especially as its best stuff happens after the halfway point when certain things are revealed but Far From Home is a big improvement over Homecoming, which was still a good plot. This time the larger MCU aspect ends up making for a more personal story for Peter, frequently putting him in the classic situation where his hero life constantly causes problems for his personal life. This is a major difference from the last film where Peter was essentially gung-ho for ditching his normal life for the superhero one, and it makes this film more in line with classic stories, much like Spider-Man 2 from the Raimi trilogy.
If the last movie was about a kid who thought he knew what it meant to be an adult, this one is about a kid growing up as a person. It helps that the story balances teen romance/comedy alongside large-scale action.
The acting is on point once again, with the supporting cast hitting all the right notes. Zendaya’s take on MJ continues with her weird and dark humor, but shows more shades of the comics’ version with her intelligence and deeper depths now that her identity is no longer a surprise. Jacob Batalon is essentially having his own teen rom-com story in the background, but much like last time, it’s Holland and his major costumed co-star who steal the show. Holland again brings a lot of enthusiasm and humor to Peter, but now also has the angst and insecurity that made Tobey Macguire’s take iconic.
As of this movie, Holland is now the perfect live action Spider-Man. Then there’s Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio and all I can say is that he manages to give a performance that’s warm and soulful. . . and then truly goes to the best way one can do this character by the end. That’s all that can be said without major spoilers.
There’s also a post-credit scene surprise appearance that will have fans giddy.
The cinematography in Far From Home is gorgeous, taking advantage of its international story to put its characters in beautiful set-pieces. From the canals of Venice to the city of London, the locations feed into the story, which is often how it should be. Once a major reveal is made in the film, the action pieces become truly amazing and dizzying in scope, hitting the same highs that the massive battle of Endgame did but on a more personal scale.
Now if only the music was more memorable, which is one complaint that carries over from Homecoming. It’s okay here in Far From Home, but it doesn’t give this version of Spidey an iconic theme on par with past versions or with the Avengers. Still, the sound design of the major battles and action moments are great.
Spider-Man: Far From Home manages to simultaneously go even bigger and more personal than its predecessor, living up to the legacy of Endgame and setting Peter Parker up as a major player for the future of the MCU. It supplants Homecoming on the ranking in my mind of all Spider-Man movies, and shares a vaunted position with Spider-Man 2 and Into the Spiderverse as the best movies about this character.
More information on Spider-Man: Far From Home can be found on the official website. A ticket was purchased by the reviewer.
