'Spider-Man: Far From Home' Review

A decade plus project, that concluded with a couple of the biggest films in recent memory, was always going to be difficult to follow up. The two-part culmination that was Infinity War and Endgame are already classics of modern cinema, covering over the less well-received films in the MCU.

When they embarked on this journey with the little known character of Iron Man, starring a once-promising Robert Downey Jr, whose star had waned somewhat, they could not have foreseen how big the MCU would become.

As they embark on a new era, post Endgame, the landscape is very different. There was no pressure on those early films, they could make the odd misstep. Now, everyone is a comic expert, social media has mass, dedicated, fandom for every MCU film and their connected properties.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a new era, a new phase and it has Thanos sized shoes to fill. So does it fill it? Is the question. To some degree, the answer is, yes. Obviously, the question cannot be fully answered until the over-arcing story of this phase of the MCU is revealed.

Post-credit scenes hint at something involving the shapeshifting Skrulls, last seen in Captain Marvel, but given the MCU’s penchant for misdirection, I would not be surprised if the true threat to the world, universe and/or heroes, comes from somewhere else.

Spider-Man: Far From Home picks up shortly after the events of Endgame. The five-year gap and possible inaccuracies that would have been caused by its reversal are tackled within the first ten minutes of the film. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is still in school and there is a straight forward reason for that.

Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) is also back, but the world has changed and his power and reach is not what it once was. Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) is also back. Peter wants to live the life of a teenager, his feelings for Mary-Jane, MJ (Zendaya) uppermost in his thoughts. He just wants to tell her that he likes her and plans to do so during the summer vacation school trip they are all taking to Europe.

Peter’s best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon) tells him to forget about MJ. They are young men going to Europe. Ned’s own lustful plans are derailed when he bonds with Betty (Angourie Rice) on the flight to Venice.

In Venice, Peter’s wishes are put into more jeopardy when Fury turns up and tells him he needs him to help with an upcoming threat. Along with that, he is still mourning the passing of Tony Stark (Downey Jr) and, in the process of dealing with this new threat, meets a new hero, who his friends and school colleagues dub Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).

Peter must overcome his grief, lack of confidence, and the various threats to save his friends and fulfill his destiny. Spider-Man: Far From Home brings the MCU back to Earth. Though there is mention of otherworldly things, the action and story remain resolutely on planet Earth.

Though there is mention of the Avengers, their involvement or possible involvement is quickly dismissed, allowing the story to focus solely on Peter Parker’s trials and tribulations, as he tries to navigate the dual existence of being both a teenager and superhero.

Much like the heroine of my favourite television show of all time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Parker similarly is forced to confront responsibilities that, due to his abilities, are forced upon him, responsibilities that would challenge most adults, much less a teenage kid.

Directed by John Watts and written by Chris McKenna, the same team behind Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home has a nice continuity about it, with the familiar characters returning. The weakness in villains returns in Spider-Man: Far From Home, with Mysterio’s motivation and even moreover, his plan, somewhat vague and a little silly.

Not that it matters much. Like in previous films, the film is about the hero and his journey, the villain only there to give him someone to fight and display his abilities against. The MCU has managed, for the most part, to use this tried and tested formula throughout all of its films, allowing the world of the MCU to build to the likes of Endgame.

Spider-Man: Far From Home hints at the beginning of another long-form story, told over several films, though it does not allude to such until the end credits of the film. The actual film is all about Peter and his growing pains. At two hours and nine minutes, the film hurtles along at a good pace, all the excitement and humour of the first film present and correct.

Spider-man: Far From Home is another excellent addition to the MCU canon. A must for any fan.