Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Contains some spoilers…
A lot of time has passed since Spider-Man: Homecoming, yet some things haven’t changed. Peter Parker and his friends are still in high school after the events of Thanos’ snap, and have to deal with the many changes in the world – from the death of Tony Stark to the appearance of a new mysterious powered individual… Mysterio. But is he friend or foe?
Far From Home is going to be the epitome of a summer blockbuster. Following Endgame, fans are hungry for what happens next in the MCU and boy, does it deliver! It was an action-packed movie that takes crucial steps into the next wave of Marvel movies.
Here are some thoughts:
SCORE
Story: 9 – Far From Home has some big shoes to fill. Not only does it follow Avengers: Endgame but it also closes out the third Phase of the MCU and the Infinity Saga. With that being said, it hilariously tackles the 5 year jump debacle, keeps you on the edge of your seat (even if you see the major twists coming), and balances the right amount of drama, intrigue and comedy. Plus, it finally opens the doors to allow Peter Parker to become the Spider-Man we’ve all been waiting for.
Casting: 9 – Marvel Studios always does an excellent job with their casting. Their newest addition, Jake Gyllenhaal, was absolutely amazing and stole the spotlight. Not only was he a perfect fit as Mysterio but he also had great chemistry with Tom Holland in the first Act in order to keep the stakes high in the final Act. It was also great to see more from Zendaya, as well as Samuel L. Jackson as Fury & Cobie Smulders as Hill.
Visuals: 9 – Mysterio is one of those characters where visuals are everything. He’s all about illusion and deception, so any graphics that are subpar will only detract from the execution. It’s my belief that Marvel waited for this right moment to introduce a character like this now, where effects are at its best. It’s no wonder why the movies never tackled him before this! I’m sure you’ll enjoy his sequences.
Action: 9 – I actually enjoyed the action in Homecoming but Far From Home really kicked it up a notch. It really tested Spidey’s abilities. And not just physically, but all of his powers! This just made the action scenes that much more intense. In a lot of ways it felt nonstop but it wasn’t a rehash of what we’ve seen before. It was exhilarating and refreshing to see.
Romance: 9 – Maybe “romance” isn’t necessarily the right word but just as the trailer suggests, Peter is trying to follow through with his feelings for MJ. This is coupled with some light “dating” competition throughout the movie which makes Peter & MJ’s potential relationship more desirable to see. Whereas you weren’t sure of their dynamic in Homecoming, you’ll find yourself rooting for them in Far From Home. It was great to finally see this chemistry between the two.
Overall: 9
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the perfect response to the epic two-parter Avengers movies we just went through. It’s progressing the next Phase of Marvel movies, it advances our understanding of this version of Peter Parker, and dives us deeper into the world post-Thanos.
I found the pacing of the movie to be really good and every moment served its purpose. There were some awesome callbacks that Marvel fans will be pleased to see, and the same old Marvel-type humor that works movie after movie.
Overall, I can’t wait until the next Spider-Man movie. In my opinion, it squashed all the qualms fans previously had about the MCU’s version of Spidey, proving that Peter Parker is in fact a capable superhero without Tony Stark.
P.S. There are some major implications from the mid & post credits scenes, so be sure to stick around for those!
Spider-Man: Far From Home is rated PG-13 with a running time of 129 minutes and hits theaters July 2, 2019.
Directed by Jon Watts.
Starring Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, and Jon Favreau.
LesDudis 