I may have mentioned once or twice on this blog that Spider-Man is my absolute favorite superhero of all time. Aside from the cool outfit and out-of-this-world superpowers, Spider-Man is probably the most human of superheroes. His relatability and sympathetic personality make it easy to root for him in most situations. Also, he's not afraid to crack the occasional joke or two, thereby providing a little levity when needed. The best incarnation of the character in recent years has to be the video game released back in September for the PlayStation 4, while the worst has to be Sony's previous attempt at a rebooted solo series (The Amazing Spider-Man films starring Andrew Garfield) before they finally joined forces with Marvel. This brand new iteration of the character both here and in the previous movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming, is...okay. It's not revolutionary, nor is it dull, but somewhere just above the middle line. At the very least, I did not feel as though my time was wasted.
The story takes place a few months after the events of Avengers: Endgame. With the loss of Tony Stark, aka Iron-Man, people are starting to wonder if Spider-Man (Tom Holland) will take up the mantle since Tony had taken Spider-Man under his wing. But Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, doesn't want to worry about that right now, as he's about to go on a vacation through Europe with his science class, where he hopes to confess his feelings to the girl he likes, Mary-Jane (Zendaya). However, things get derailed rather quickly as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) informs Peter of a dire situation on their hands and they need his help. Turns out some strange monsters have been popping up all over the world. To combat the threat, they are joined by a new hero named Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) who claims to be from another dimension where he fought these monsters before and lost. Now, Spider-Man must balance his personal desires with his responsibilities all the while having to save the world in the process. No pressure, right?
Watching Spider-Man: Far From Home is like eating another piece of the same Chocolate Cake you have in the kitchen. It's technically the same Cake, but it's just another part of it, only differentiated by the date of its consumption and the number of sprinkles on top depending on where you sliced it. It's still very much enjoyable and tasty, but you had a piece of it just the other day, so it's not quite as nuanced as it was before. This is not to say that the movie is terrible, only too familiar. While the previous film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, was an enjoyable movie, what prevented it (and by extension, today's film) from becoming a genuinely great iteration of the character, at least to me, was how hard it was trying to be funny. Don't get me wrong, moments of levity is expected in Marvel films, and Spider-Man is no stranger to the occasional quip or apt line of dialogue when facing off an enemy, but both movies feel like they're trying too hard to up the amount of silliness. To an almost (no pun intended) ridiculous degree. Granted, Marvel has gotten better at toning it down in other movies, but one might think that after winning over audiences with the first new Spider-Man film, the guys at Marvel would feel confident enough to reign it in and do something different with the next movie. Sadly, that is not the case here.
Despite the second movie feeling too much like the first, Spider-Man: Far From Home is still an entertaining movie in its own right. Mostly because all the players involved are just as excellent as you would expect. Tom Holland is a fantastic Spider-Man/Peter Parker, as he not only nails the look and physicality but the general personality. Holland has also proven himself recently as a genuinely capable actor, so I have no doubt that he will continue to grow as Spider-Man. Also, as you would expect, Samuel L. Jackson is an ever-appreciated presence in the Marvel movies, or indeed in any film. I can watch this man read the phonebook on stage and have the time of my life.
However, the MVP award, at least in my opinion, has to go to Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio. Not only does Jake Gyllenhaal play the part well, but he also succeeds in being a more interesting villain in a Marvel film. As I mentioned in my review for Black Panther, the villains in Marvel movies up until then had been mostly one dimensional. Serving as little more than a means to advance the plot. It wasn't until Black Panther, as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming, that the villains started to become more textured and even understandable without really being relatable. While comic book fans will likely already figure out what Mysterio is really up to, I have to give credit to the film for genuinely misdirecting me. Also, Jake Gyllenhaal plays the role with such conviction and likable charm, that you can't help but enjoy his company and believe his story.
While I personally would have liked the movie more if it was a little different, I still enjoyed it for the excellent adventure that it was. Maybe later down the line, Marvel and Sony will produce another Spider-Man film that actually adds some texture to the character and his world aside from how much more comedy they can try to force into any given scene, but until that time, what we have is still enjoyable as ever. Also, in case you're wondering, there are two post-credit scenes, and they are both significant. Be sure to stick around for them.
Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.
Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Yes.
Why?
Even though I would have preferred a little less comedy, it is still a blast with great action, fun characters, and solid acting all around. If you need a superhero fix, this is the one for you.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you very much for reading.
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