Review Summary: Sequel finds right balance between ambition and keeping things light.
The Marvel Universe has been flipped on its head, over and over again. The storylines are becoming more and more sophisticated and complex. The explanations becoming a bit tiring. But yet, they always seem to pull something really exciting out of their hats. Earlier this year, Avengers: Endgame succeeded at bringing a sense of closure to what has been the 21st century's most lucrative film franchise so far.
How do you follow that up? That puts this Spidey sequel in the hot seat. Not only does it have to continue characters from Homecoming, but it also has to address and follow-up on that previous team-up blockbuster. Check those boxes and yet come up with something fresh and interesting. The screenwriters and actors I'm sure felt tremendous pressure here.
Many readers know of my love-hate relationship with the Spider-Man franchise. They've thrilled me (Spider-Man 2, Amazing Spider-Man 2) and disappointed me (Spider-Man 3 and to a lesser extent Homecoming). They hit just about a new high last year with the amazing Into the Spider-Verse (which was a spin-off, not a continuation of any previous franchise).
Also, as far as the character is concerned (at least for me), it seems as if the second film in each film series (whether if its Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or anyone) is the strongest entry. These films stand as one of those rare occasions that a second film surpasses it's predecessor. In this case, that trend does (oddly) continue here. Because Far From Home is definitely more effective than Homecoming.
Why? For one, the characters are more likable and interesting this time. I didn't find a lot of the characters in Homecoming to be particularly memorable. Here, they are given a bit more to work with. Zendaya's character is a lot nicer. Ned (Jacob Batalon) is given a more interesting and hysterical story arc. And, the film thankfully doesn't have to rely on Tony Stark popping in just to try and make things more interesting.
It's also nice that Far From Home doesn't rely quite as heavily on MCU references as previous films. Yes, it does have to address Infinity War and Endgame at the beginning. Yes, there are a few surprise callbacks to earlier films. But this particular film does seem to focus more on the characters, their story, and their development than last go round. Tom Holland in particular is given more of an emotional, relatable arc this time.
The cast is more game this time as well. Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders return solidly as Nick Fury and Maria Hill. In the meantime, Jake Gyllenhaal, is very effective as the latest Spidey villain, Mysterio. His character is given a couple of interesting twists that make the overall film even more intriguing. Maybe he's not quite as intimidating as Michael Keaton's Vulture, but he has more smarts than that character did.
Speaking of twists, the script does go in a few interesting directions. Particularly in the latter half, these twists give much-needed added layers to the story. At the same time, despite these ambitious twists, the film wisely resists the temptation of becoming too ambitious. The film remains light on its feet in its execution and in its' plot.
While the film focuses more on characters than action setpieces, there's also a handful of strong action scenes, including a stunning one that involves great visual effects and quite a bit of misdirection. Finally, the film boasts a mid-credits scene that may just be the most subversive and shocking one that Marvel (and the Spider-Man franchise) has ever pulled off.
On the downside, there isn't too much. I will say that there are plot points in the film that are eerily similar to that of Iron Man 3 (you'll know it when you see it). And while the execution is better, the parallels are hard to miss. Besides that, the teacher chaperones (played by Martin Starr and J.B. Smoove) were written too much on the crazy side. In fact, they reminded me more of 2000's teen sitcoms where the kids were written as smarter than the adults. Some jokes in the script are a little too edgy and out-of-place also.
Spider-Man: Far From Home isn't the best webslinger film. But, its' a step forward for this particular series. Perhaps the events of Infinity War and Endgame helped shape this budding new version of Spidey for the better.
And, maybe, just maybe, it will be followed up with something even better this time (hopefully that's not wishful thinking).
My Score: 8.2/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing....
Rating: PG-13 for "sci-fi action violence, some language, and brief suggestive comments"
Recommended age group: 12/13 and up.
Violence: Giant beings called "elementals" cause a lot of property damage and some characters are put in danger. These may scare some children. An opposing fighter in these scenes fires rays and mystical lasers. The fire elemental in particular causes extra damage. A couple of action scenes involve Spidey getting hit repeatedly by visual illusions. He is then hit by a train at the end. Drones shoot and kill a couple of people. Drones fire repeatedly at Spider-Man. Someone is shot dead at one point as well. A few gashes are seen. A vision shown to Peter involves a zombified Iron Man chasing after him.
Language: Someone gives Peter the middle finger at one point. The s-word is used twice. We also hear "h---" (four times), "a**" (three times), and one use each of "d***", "b**ch", and "d**kwad". "Oh my g**" is used a handful of times as well.
Adult Content: Happy brings up Peter searching up an "adult pay-per-view movie" at a hotel. A few kisses. Peter is demanded to change into his supersuit front of a female agent at one point. He drops his pants before one of his classmates barges in. The classmate assumes the worst and thinks he's "hooking up" with her. One other moment has Peter changing in a hotel room with MJ around. MJ is asked to turn around, but she sneaks a quick peek as he changes off-screen. Peter claims his new suit is tight around the "webslinger" (obviously referring to anatomy).
Drugs/Alcohol: One kid attempts to drink alcohol on the plane, before being busted by a fellow student.
Other: Peter lies repeatedly, to keep his identity secret. He and others leave their school group without anyone knowing. Other characters lie and deceive frequently.
