Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Marvel has continuously gifted audience with the evolution of Spider-man, and I am proud to announce that once again, the bar has risen. With the rave release and award haul of “Spider-Verse”, any spider-man film thereafter had no choice but to rise to the challenge. Far From Home confirms that a loveable story, exceptional graphics, and a praise worthy villain, is the perfect formula to nail a superhero film.
This film is extremely clever. From the introduction of events following Endgame and its unusual consequences, the journey is long, rough, and tedious, but still manages to keep us interested. The visuals steal the show. Seeing spider-man swing from building to building is always a treat, but the new level of CGI allows us to feel the g-forces during flight and it’s exhilarating. The action sequences are presented in a form I have never seen before (no spoilers) and that is all thanks to the villain, Mysterio. At first, he’s bland, but he pulls through to reveal layers that makes him one of Marvel’s best villains to date onscreen. His powers are unique and full of surprises and you never know his concept of reality until he wants you in it. Viewing his sequences with spider-man is worth the watch alone and I commend Jake Gyllenhaal for eating every bit of this role. His performance is outstanding.
Another standout is Zendaya. I was not too fond of her performance in Homecoming, but now I see her take on the character and it’s pretty refreshing. Tom Holland has mastered his take on spider-man at this point. He embodies the urgency of a coming-of-age teen extremely well and uses that notion to push his character forward and make spider-man more of a relatable hero, than a sympathetic teenager. It’s a no brainer that Samuel L Jackson was going to bring the heat in this film and he does just that. Nick Fury is stellar and holds most of the laughs in this film. I am glad they continued the relationship with Tony Stark associates and connected them to Peter Parker.
Some parts of the film does fall flat such as the humor. Only a few jokes landed for me and it could have been comedic timing or just terrible writing. Another issue is the length of the film. Many scenes in the first half could have been cut out and we wouldn’t lose any vital info. The second half of the film is the most intriguing and story driven act where we truly get to see the stakes of spider-man’s mission.
Spider-man has a huge responsibility. The world needs a new Tony Stark and he's next in line. Is he ready for the job?
Welcome to Phase 4.
