Hey everyone! Let’s talk Spider-Man! I finally got to see Far From Home this weekend and I definitely want to talk about it! As usual, no spoilers!
So let’s start with the obvious: how was it? Well, if you want the tl;dr version of the review, it was awesome. If you want a bit more than that, then stick around and let’s talk about it.
First, off, I have to say it again but Tom Holland is the Spider-Man I’ve always wanted on screen. He actually feels like both Peter Parker and Spider-Man and it’s wonderful. Spider-Man has always been near and dear to me, so it makes me so happy to see him done so right.
I also love the interactions with him and his peers. Him and Ned are adorable, him and MJ are adorable. I love that we’ve gotten to the part of the story (and this was in the trailer so I wouldn’t call it a spoiler) where Flash Thompson loves Spider-Man, but still dislikes Peter. The relationships between the characters feels really genuine and good. Ned and Betty Brant (can I say I love that she’s here!) actually have some really fun moments as well that I didn’t expect. Throwing Nick Fury into the mix just adds, and you get some really good comedy out of it. I swear they sometimes just let Sam Jackson do his Sam Jackson thing, because you just get these great lines from him that are so in character, not necessarily as Nick Fury, but as Samuel L. Jackson. If that makes any sense.
One thing I liked in Homecoming and continued here is that of all the movies, it feels like the Spider-Man ones really home in on what it’s like to live in this universe. You really get a sense of how having superheroes and villains and The Snap (known as the Blip here) affects the regular, day-to-day of the world. The movie starts with this in an expository way, but I guess it gets everything set up right off the hop.
So, I know you want to know: Mysterio? I get it, those trailers really get you pumped. I gotta tell you, and this isn’t just because I absolutely love that we are doing old-school baddies we haven’t seen yet, but Mysterio was fantastic. You just keep waiting for the heel turn, and it kills you the longer it goes on. But when he starts doing his Mysterio thing, those illusions are trippy and the effects look every bit as good as they should. And Jake Gyllenhaal is a great actor, he just nails it. MCU Spidey is 2-2 on awesome villains played by awesome actors. The only downside is that he has a villain monologue that goes on just a little too long and is a little too expository.
The movie is also quite emotional. Peter is dealing with a lot of stuff. From regular teenage stuff to heavier things like the death of Tony Stark and trying to figure out where he goes from here as a person and as a hero. And Tom Holland really brings it, you really feel like he’s a kid who’s lost and trying to figure out what the hell he’s going to do. On a meta level, it’s also sad because there’s something distinctly missing, as this is the first MCU film without a Stan Lee cameo (Endgame was the last one).
My only real gripes are what I already mentioned; sometimes you get these info dumps that seem like a lot all at once. I know there’s a lot going on and a lot to cover, but they’re really noticeable and blatant.
Okay, and I know we’re spoiler-free, but I gotta talk about the mid- and post-credits scenes. The mid-credit one nearly made me scream out loud, and in a good way. And then go ‘holy sh-“ because something happens that will possibly have ramifications for a long time going forward. Then end-credits scene will also make you go ‘what?” but in a different way. Then you start thinking about it and wondering where this is going and how long it’s been going on. Don’t miss them. Either of them.
So there it is, my thoughts on Spider-Man: Far From Home. Another great entry in the MCU and another great Spider-Man movie. Definitely check it out if you haven’t already! And stay tuned because I have got a big cosplay update coming up very soon with lots of goodies to share!
