Spider-Man: Far From Home
Directed by: Jon Watts
Written by: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers
Starring: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Samuel L. Jackson, Angourie Rice, Martin Starr, Jon Favreau, Remy Hii, Tony Revolori, JB Smoove, Marisa Tomei, Cobie Smulders, Numan Acar
Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi - 129 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 28 Jun 2019
Written by: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers
Starring: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Samuel L. Jackson, Angourie Rice, Martin Starr, Jon Favreau, Remy Hii, Tony Revolori, JB Smoove, Marisa Tomei, Cobie Smulders, Numan Acar
Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi - 129 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 28 Jun 2019
Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives with a different tone than the more serious and consequential Infinity War / Endgame duo and the recent girl power Captain Marvel. Disney releases the teenaged superhero’s new installment to coincide with summer vacation’s start with the not so subtle line, “I think Nick Fury just hijacked our summer vacation!” Peter Parker reappeared from nothing dust along with 50% of the other human beings on Earth not too long ago and all he wants to do is travel Europe with school chums and agonize over the perfect time and place to express his true feelings to MJ, his sweetheart crush. But the superhero business is a persistent third wheel - sometimes a kid just wants to be a kid, but these water and fire monsters are such a pain in the neck, preventing him from coming out and declaring, “No MJ, I mean I like like you.” That is about as deep as Far From Home will take you.
What a U-turn. It was only cinematic weeks ago that Tony Stark sacrificed himself to destroy Thanos, repair the universe, and turn on the waterworks for millions of movie-goers. The only waterworks in Far From Home is when the water monster drenches the already soggy city of Venice. Perhaps Marvel fans deserve a break from all the melancholy and the deaths of some beloved characters and are more than eager to join Peter and the gang traveling around Europe’s larger metropolitan areas. Far From Home’s director, Jon Watts, owes a debt of gratitude to earlier European travel comedies like National Lampoon’s European Vacation and Euro Trip. Spider-Man’s location-based and cultural laugh lines swim in the same comedic sub-genre as the Griswalds.
What a U-turn. It was only cinematic weeks ago that Tony Stark sacrificed himself to destroy Thanos, repair the universe, and turn on the waterworks for millions of movie-goers. The only waterworks in Far From Home is when the water monster drenches the already soggy city of Venice. Perhaps Marvel fans deserve a break from all the melancholy and the deaths of some beloved characters and are more than eager to join Peter and the gang traveling around Europe’s larger metropolitan areas. Far From Home’s director, Jon Watts, owes a debt of gratitude to earlier European travel comedies like National Lampoon’s European Vacation and Euro Trip. Spider-Man’s location-based and cultural laugh lines swim in the same comedic sub-genre as the Griswalds.
Peter (Tom Holland) wants nothing to do with a new adventure. He opts not to answer Nick Fury’s phone calls. He chooses to not pack his Spider-Man costume for the trip. Peter will be a civilian until he is good and ready to cross back into the realm of being the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man. But trouble follows the hormonal teen pack wherever they go. In Venice, an Elemental water monster tears apart the Bridge of Sighs until a new superhero arrives out of nowhere to mop it up. Meet Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal, Velvet Buzzsaw). Mysterio is from Earth, but another Earth, one that the Elementals destroyed, along with Mysterio's family. These monsters moved on to our dimension, and unless Mysterio and Fury can convince Spider-Man to help, our world may collapse as well.
Since Mysterio hails from another dimension, that means there is a multiverse, blah blah blah - don’t worry about it, nobody really tries to explain. Peter gushes like a fan boy when he learns there is multiverse, but Quentin Beck, Mysterio’s real name, reassures him with a reassuring, “Never apologize for being the smartest person in the room.” Beck recognizes Peter wants out and lends him a supportive ear to vent at. Far From Home’s monster villains are the opposite of Thanos - meaning they lack a point of view and intriguing plans; they just scream and break stuff. The Elementals are a familiar “turns out the myths are real” plot device - these dirt, water, and fire Elementals are as engaging as the tornados from Twister. They have the same personalities.
The script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers presents a very believable teenager. The world is ending, its greatest cities are torn to shreds, the other Avengers are either dead, off world, or busy, but all Peter can think about is how this nonsense is getting in the way of some one-on-one time with MJ (Zendaya, The Greatest Showman). MJ shows mixed signals on whether or not she would reciprocate, but there is a competing suitor involved, inept chaperones to ditch, and hovering over everything else, it appears Iron Man expected Peter to carry on his legacy and become an Avengers leader. Stark left Peter special glasses which interface into a hyper-advanced artificial intelligence program which lays the world at Peter’s feet. His first action is to delete an embarrassing photo of himself off his rival’s cellphone. These worries and subsequent actions tailor the film toward Marvel’s younger viewers, perhaps ones who were not ready for this level of blockbuster when Iron Man number one first rolled off the line. The levity means less investment - less consequences - less depth. Amusing one-liners and moments when Peter finally faces his destiny will carry you through, but Far From Home is easily a lesser entry in the franchise.
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