Spider-Man: Far From Home

Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, Angourie Rice, Remy Hii, Martin Starr, J.B. Smoove, Cobie Smulders, J.K. Simmons
Directed by: Jon Watts
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Peter Parker (Tom Holland) wants to spend time with his friends on their European class trip, but Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) asks him to help stop a new menace.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed Spider-Man: Homecoming, but that film felt like it had some large, visible flaws. While I'd give Spider-Man: Far From Home the same rating (it isn't quite great), this movie absolutely takes a step in the right direction, building off the momentum of the first film. There isn't a doubt in my mind that this sequel is superior to the first one. That is cause for celebration.

Some great decisions were made in this film. The idea of getting Peter and his friends out of America was a huge one. This is the 23rd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and most of them have been set primarily in America. It was great to get a very different flavor from the setting. Plus, it recalled a time when you were young and on school trips- the excitement of being away from parents/guardians, the thought that something amazing could happen on this adventure. I never went to Europe in high school, but the feelings were the same. It was nice that the film moved around to several different locations.

I also loved including Mysterio. This is the 10 Spider-Man film when you count all his MCU appearances (which is incredible), so audiences are very familiar with the character. Spider-Man always had the greatest villains, though. Mysterio has always been one of them, and we've never seen him on screen before. The movie makes some big changes to his character and his story and they were all worthwhile, effective ones. He ends up as one of the more memorable characters in Spider-Man stories.

You have to applaud the film for the focus on the characters. Peter spends a lot of the movie pining after MJ. Seeing that relationship develop was incredible. Ned got some great scenes as well and it was fun seeing the changing relationship dynamic between he and Peter. Flash Thompson felt like he came more into his own in this film. The high school characters were front and center and the movie greatly benefited as a result.

I love Tom Holland in this role. It's so hard to rank Spider-Mans, because Tobey Maguire originated the role, Andrew Garfield brought something vulnerable and different to it. However, Holland has certainly charted his own course with the character and deserves great acclaim. I know there's issues with Marvel-Sony, but I sincerely hope we have many more opportunities to see Holland in this role. The pairing of Holland with Jake Gyllenhaal was brilliant. Gyllenhaal is one of the most talented (and underrated) actors working in Hollywood today. He was absolutely perfectly cast as this version of Mysterio. Several of his scenes with Holland were among the best of the entire film. It's no exaggeration to say that Gyllenhaal truly elevated the film with his charismatic performance. He showed great range in this film.

Zendaya was fantastic in her role here. It felt like she was a bit too clumsy and uncomfortable in the first film, so it was excellent to see her really grow into this role here. She brings real intelligence and strength to MJ. Marisa Tomei is always good and I enjoyed the larger role for Jon Favreau. Tony Revolori was much better this time as Flash- he had some really funny moments (including one about wanting to be a better man that is laugh-out-loud funny.

I will say that although I enjoyed seeing Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders, it felt like their story was completely mishandled. Some odd decisions were made here and perhaps it'll pay off in the long run, but it felt unnecessary in the context of this movie. It added nothing, except for confusion. They both gave good performances, but the story undercut their effectiveness.

The overall story was strong, with some great visual effects. It propelled the action forward while also balancing a good deal of character development. It nicely tied in to the events of the larger MCU. Spider-Man: Far From Home takes a nice step forward from the first film. This is an entertaining, funny, effective movie. It might not quite offer enough that we haven't seen before, but this is a really good movie. Oh, and (SPOILER ALERT) that cameo by J.K. Simmons was nothing short of brilliant. That was an absolutely legendary moment. My jaw hit the floor.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Spider-Man: Homecoming, Captain America: Civil War. Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame