Spider-man: Far From Home

More often than not, some of the best TV shows usually don't have their best, most impactful episode be the final one of the season or series. It's usually the second to last or third to last episode that hits hard, followed by an "epilogue" of sorts where fallout is assessed and characters' futures are laid bare. 

Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and many more follow this storytelling arc because it's effective and it's the right way to add closure while still being able to look forward to the future, even if your series is ending. 

Spider-man: Far From Home is "officially" the end of the Infinity Saga for Marvel. To some that may come as a shock given the finality and outcome of the stupendous Avengers: Endgame (which is the first film I've seen three times in theaters for quite some time), but think of Far From Home as the epilogue to this saga. It hints at what's to come, acts as a fine film in its own right, and is a considerable tonal shift from the heavy and devastating Endgame where I'm 3 for 3 on crying. 

When you think about it, we've not gotten a whole lot of exposure to Tom Holland's Spider-man yet as he's been a co-star in some very busy films aside from his enjoyable romp in his first stand alone, Homecoming. How audiences have connected with him so intensely thus far is a testament to a lot of different things (casting decisions, plot directions, etc.) but most of all the fact that Holland is just so genuinely brilliant and likable in the role. 

In Far From Home we get a much larger taste of what his future will look like in a significantly different MCU and, along with other heroes that are left, it's clear that Spider-man will be playing a substantial role. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home decides to take Peter Parker's school on another trip (last time it was D.C.) and they're going to Europe! After a rather hilarious introduction explaining a post-Endgame world and all the complexities that came with people "blipping" back into existence, our group of kids is off and Peter is ready to enjoy a break from being a hero as he tries to woo M.J. in Europe throughout the summer. Obviously, things don't go to plan and presto! You have a Spider-man sequel. While the plot is simple, it's this simplicity that has allowed these last two Spider-man films to be so fun. They truly feel like a teenage comedy that just so happens to have superhero elements and director Jon Watts navigates this territory once more with skill and fun. Having seen Endgame as recently as Sunday, it's shocking but refreshing how much Far From Home shifts the tone back to humor in this universe and hindsight being what it is, it's a brilliant move from Marvel to send us on a European high school vacation after all the heaviness in Endgame. Once more they prove that their planning and overall strategy is completely unmatched. 

"How have you avoided the MCU for this long Mr. Gyllenhaal?"

"Hey so...your new HBO
show...it's not for kids!"

What's perhaps unsurprising about Far From Home is just how damn funny it is, particularly in the first half. The teenage romcom stuff is absolute gold and often better than most of the other stuff that comes out in the same genre. Some of this comes from "nerd jokes" about the universe, sure, but some is delightfully funny in any general sense whether we would be seeing a Spider-man film or a teenage comedy. The humor dies down in a more serious second half that focuses more on Spider-man himself and fulfilling a legacy that Tony Stark left to him. This too is incredibly entertaining and it's here where Far From Home is superior to the first film. Homecoming and this one had similar charm in the teenager "stuff", but Homecoming struggled to captivate during the Spider-man moments, particularly the action. Far From Home is a highly entertaining Spider-Man film too - and the action is far better and visually stunning - to where it's a unanimously enjoyable film. Even the budding romance between Parker and MJ is cute and endearing not only for the fact of the significance in the comics, but more because Holland and Zendaya are delightfully awkward so it's cringey in The Office sort of way that makes it that much more adorable. 

That leads to perhaps my most important part of why this film works so well: casting. It's clear that Marvel is doubling down on Holland as a key player in their future MCU plans, ownership by Sony be damned (and at this point, Sony would be dumb to not continue this partnership). He's genuine as Peter Parker and Spider-man and 10 years from now I imagine whatever exit he takes from the MCU will be just as emotional as Downey Jr.'s. Zendaya - who's having an awesome summer with HBO's Euphoria too - gets a ton more to do this time around and is a nice change of pace as a MJ that's smitten with gruesome things and dreary facts. Sam Jackson gets to continue doing his thing as Nick Fury and I feel like a lot of us take him for granted in a role he's made entirely his own. Who else could say "Bitch please, you've been to space!" and make it feel like natural dialogue? Jake Gyllenhaal - who's somehow escaped the DC and Marvel Universe up until now is finally introduced as Mysterio and is a total value-added element to an already enticing film. He does well here, but to say much more would likely enter spoiler territory.

That London fog is intense!

As the final credits roll - with two post credits stingers that are pretty significant - we're left in a better place to prepare for the future of a MCU without Iron Man or Captain America or a threat looming like Thanos. Given that we don't know much about the next Phase (and Marvel has no more films slated for 2019), it'll likely be a while before we're back in this universe. Again, smart move by Marvel as I'm sure we could all use a break, but Far From Home ensures that I'll be looking forward, just as eagerly as ever, to the future of the MCU. 

CONS

• Some of the core villain's main motives are dumb
• While most of the action is great, there's some generic scenes when bigger creatures are involved
• Just a tad overlong, not all scenes are totally necessary

PROS

• Much lighter entry than previous, lots of energetic fun. Jon Watts does an excellent job balancing the Spider-man and Peter Parker/high school elements
• European vacation was a fantastic decision and makes for a lot of neat locales
• Entertaining and visually awesome action throughout. The finale is a blast
• Intriguing plot reveals and explanations of certain things 
• Wonderful cast. Holland, Zendaya, Jackson, and Gyllenhaal are all highlights and supporting cast is equally as strong
• Gives insight into what Marvel intends for one of its most famous super-heroes will do more than enough to ensure you stick along for the ride
• Very funny, particularly in the first half
• Some great post-credits scenes
• Per usual, awesome special effects with a solid original score

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10