Spiderman: Far From Home

Hello everyone, this weekend I got the chance to see Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home directed by Jon Watts. Most people know that I’m a big comic book fan, and while I think superhero movies are going to kick the bucket like westerns, there are some comic book adaptations that I’ll always see. Spiderman is one of them. As for this film, I have to say that it was pretty good.

Far From Home follows the events of Avengers: Endgame, when Peter and friends take a trip to Europe. When things escalate, Peter realizes that he can’t necessarily run from being Spiderman, even when it becomes too much. Lo and behold Tony Stark was once a dick, and even in death manages to make new villains. It is up to Peter to clean up one of Stark’s past messes when he faces a new foe that he didn’t see coming, but we did.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

When I saw Spiderman Homecoming, I felt a sense of relief, as Spiderman fans were finally getting the character we’ve always wanted on film. Tom Holland is a fantastic interpretation of the Peter and Spiderman; not only is he relatively age appropriate, but what’s written for him is very true to the comic books. Spiderman is a lot like Deadpool, he never shuts up during any encounter. Holland is a great representation because his Spiderman can do all of the things a spider can, without the awkward weird stuff that the old movies had, and without being completely and utterly annoying. I think if there was any great casting choice that Marvel made after Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, it was Tom Holland.

I think Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio is a pretty decent performance. It’s over the top at times and it’s maniacal. Mysterio is a trickster and a manipulator, and his purpose was served well without being a dark version of the ridiculous character. I only worry about his motives. There were multiple times throughout the film where he said something along the lines of “they will listen” in regards to when he’s recognized as a superhero. But what did he want them to listen to? I understand Tony Stark was a jerk and stole his tech, then threw it away, but that’s just it. I can’t help but compare him to Syndrome from The Incredibles (2004). The only other thing I’m really bummed out about is that they changed Mysterio’s (or Quentin Beck) origin from a disgruntled movie special effects artist, into a discount Tony Stark. I think they lost a good piece of the character by doing that, because he felt a little more generic, and it honestly made his villainous motives a lot more similar to his predecessor, the Vulture.

Zendaya’s MJ is probably my favorite female lead in any superhero movie to date. She KILLS IT. She completely stomps on the screaming damsel in distress or the stone-faced female lead, and becomes the quirky, sarcastic girl that most kids like Peter Parker would be crazy for. I think her character will be the best out of this franchise, and besides the introduction of Miles Morales, she’s the one I'm most excited for.

I couldn't tell you who is cuter.

The film itself is charming. The dynamic of Peter’s group is seen a lot more than in Homecoming, which I appreciated. I think by building more of these high school characters, we have a little more depth to them in case something happens to them. Fingers crossed we get Flash Thompson’s Agent Venom in the future.

The pacing of this film was a little odd. The gears didn’t really start moving until we met Mysterio. It was a lot of Peter and friends doing goofy stuff, which I understand adds to their characters, but after one complete act it felt a little slow. Then the “elementals” appear, and they become the central villain. I think it was a misstep for Marvel to brand Mysterio as a hero, because myself and every Spiderman fan in the world knew that was bullshit. It would be one thing if they set him up as a hero in the film, and they do, but a lot of the marketing and interviews revolved around Mysterio being a “good guy.” Not enough movie fans knew who Mysterio was, so you have half of an audience that’s confused, and the other half that knew it all along, so it came as no surprise to anyone. However that doesn’t damage Gyllenhal’s performance, and I think they had something unique with Mysterio. I’m glad this was his first onscreen interpretation. Though I would’ve loved Bruce Campbell in Sam Raimi’s Spiderman 4.

I like where they’re going with Spiderman in this franchise. Peter feels like a real teenager. His motives are clear. His conflicts are understanding and hard. We don’t have a near thirty year old man reciting poetry or branding Sony products anymore, we finally have Spiderman. Sure the character is going in a different direction than he does in the comics, but that’s okay, because he as a whole is the most faithful adaptation we have. Tom Holland has apparently signed onto numerous Spiderman properties, and I’m glad for it. I don’t want him to become the next Tony Stark by any means, but watching the growth of Peter, MJ, and whomever else they add, will be unlike any character evolution we’ve seen in the MCU. Spiderman is what everyone thinks of when they think of Marvel. I guarantee that he’s what a lot of people think of when they hear “comic book.” This film was good, and I’m sure they will only get better.

Overall Rating: 8 JK Simmons cameos out of 10.

If you’re a fan of this character and franchise, go watch this film if you haven’t, and if you have, watch it again. Even if you felt burned out by Endgame, this is a good sigh of relief after that monster of a film. While following the generic superhero solo film structure, Far From Home still delivers great performances and character building, in a market that’s beginning to lack in both. And even though this is my first Spiderman review, trust me, it definitely won’t be my last. Have a good one.