Contains spoilers
Still recovering from the foundation-shaking devestation of Avengers: Endgame while looking forward at the world ahead, Spider-Man: Far From Home carries a great deal of responsibility. While 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming thrived as a more lighthearted palate cleanser, its sequel is now required to be so much more. Having apperared in more films than any other previous incarnation of the webslinger, Tom Holland has firmly settled into the role of Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego -- but does Far From Home spin a web deserving of Holland's talent and worthy of standing in Endgame's shadow?
As the world acclimatises to a post-Endgame world, Peter Parker (Holland) is desperate for a break. But when a new threat appears and he is summoned by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in the middle of his European school trip, he finds himself back in the Spider-Man suit and teaming up with the super-powered Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to save the world from the Elementals. Jon Watts is back in the directing chair with Holland, Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr and Marisa Tomei all reprising their MCU roles once more.
Spider-Man: Far From Home has more to do in its opening act than its Homecoming predecessor had to contend with in its full runtime. A Phase Three epilogue and a Phase Four prologue, as well as two very distincitive Spider-Man and Peter Parker films required address the consequences of perhaps the biggest event in movie history, it has a considerable web to spin - and that's where it struggles most. While there are more than a handful of elements that work successfully, leading to a rather enjoyable picture on the whole, they don't work quite as well cohesively: cluttered and stuffy at times. Because of this, Far From Home's pacing is wonky, with the film struggling to find a confident footing until the final hour or so -- which is an issue when you clock in at 129 minutes.
It's not through lack of trying though. Far From Home's story is an interesting one, and surprisingly fresh within the crowded superhero market. While it could have delved deeper with certain aspects of Peter's post-Endgame psyche (and more extensively demonstrated the ripple effect of the blip), it explores Peter's new-found, reluctant responsibility with aplomb. Landing on a handful interesting relationship dynamics, Far From Home registers some tight character work for Parker, and particularly Mysterio as he takes centre stage: addressing complaints that their antagonists need work, Quentin Beck should be considered a Marvel top-tier villain, with his motivations and intentions well explored and realised, ensuring that his impact is bound to linger long after the credits have rolled.
Watts returns as director for Far From Home, and demonstrates notable improvement in his style since the first Spider-Man outing: ignoring the wider issues with the first half, which causes even some of the set pieces to overstay their welcome, he lands on two stellar sequences during the latter half that showcase his growth and confidence. The nightmare-fuelled disillusion is exceptionally-crafted and creative, from the horror homages to the dizzying transitions, while the Tower Bridge scenes are slick and stylish with some excellent visual effects playing out before our eyes: the VFX throughout the film is a little bit more fluctuating in quality, but the finale itself contains some superlative work, ending on a high note.
Tom Holland was born to play Spider-Man/Peter Parker, shining once again in the role he has firmly established as his own. Holland's naturally endearing charisma embodies the out-of-his-depth hero fantastically, with the British actor able to handle the emotion and the humour with real success: he is such a wonderfully magnetic actor and despite the obscene pressure his character is facing, you find yourself relating to and understanding his journey - the signs of a real talent. With such authenticity and believability, Holland conveys the inner-turmoil afflicting Parker and the weight of the world facing Spider-Man, steadying a more uneven Spidey flick with poise and verve.
For my money, Jake Gyllenhaal is one of our finest acting talents and here provides a brilliantly, purposely chaotic performance oozing with personality and energy in one of his first (and most lucrative) ventures into blockbuster filmmaking. Mysterio truly makes his mark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it is thanks to Gyllenhaal that Beck's fraudlant ways are so impressionable, tempering a raging instability with a disconcertingly recognisable narcassims that makes him such a dynamite foe. Even when given exposition-heavy dialogue to deliver, Gyllenhaal is electric, immensely watchable and really rather fascinating. It's absolutely tremendous work.
While our two leads produce stellar work, the younger supporting cast is more of a mixed bag, largely hinging on how each individual handles the one tonal element seemingly most central to this brand of Spider-Man movies: the comedy. Some are pros - Jacob Batalon is a scene-stealer, matched terrifically with Angourie Rice, while Martin Starr's comedic delivery is always impeccable - but some really struggle, the humour feeling painfully forced and/or discordant. An opening montage ingeniously scored by Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, for example, is a fantastic moment otherwise spoiled by laboured and grating humour that undercuts the effectiveness. Other chuckles feel disappointingly misplaced which likely hinders that pacing even further.
Far From Home's comparatively more senior cast are reliably solid, although it could be argued Samuel L. Jackson is phoning it in here - figuratively and literally. Particularly after such a lively and characterful turn in Captain Marvel, his Nick Fury here is rather two dimensional and lacking his usual firecracking wit, despite some fantastic one-liners in his arsenal; maybe you would argue that it's down to the post-credit revelation - a twist which really, really, really bombed for me personally - or perhaps Jackson is getting too comfortable with his eye-patched character. Either way, this is a step down for him.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is solid, mid-tier Marvel fare. While it struggles with its additional post-Endgame responsibilities, leading to a bloated and stuffy picture that is reflected in the pacing and runtime, it is still really rather entertaining in spite of its flaws. Tom Holland is continually charming in a role he has now comfortably mastered, while Jake Gyllenhaal's energetic turn is a fabulous addition to the MCU's improving roster of villains. Jon Watts' increased confidence is evident in some really robust action set pieces in the second half, recovering from a disappointingly subdued opening act plagued by incosistent humour. It's worth swinging into a cinema near you to see the latest chapter in the Spider-Man Universe, if only to see the mid-credit scene which induced the biggest numbers of gasps for moments of its ilk in a long, long time.
7/10
Summary: Spider-Man: Far From Home is another solid and enjoyable entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal's terrific performances easily overcoming the handful of flaws that find themselves caught in the busy, post-Endgame web.
Still recovering from the foundation-shaking devestation of Avengers: Endgame while looking forward at the world ahead, Spider-Man: Far From Home carries a great deal of responsibility. While 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming thrived as a more lighthearted palate cleanser, its sequel is now required to be so much more. Having apperared in more films than any other previous incarnation of the webslinger, Tom Holland has firmly settled into the role of Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego -- but does Far From Home spin a web deserving of Holland's talent and worthy of standing in Endgame's shadow?
As the world acclimatises to a post-Endgame world, Peter Parker (Holland) is desperate for a break. But when a new threat appears and he is summoned by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in the middle of his European school trip, he finds himself back in the Spider-Man suit and teaming up with the super-powered Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to save the world from the Elementals. Jon Watts is back in the directing chair with Holland, Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr and Marisa Tomei all reprising their MCU roles once more.
Spider-Man: Far From Home has more to do in its opening act than its Homecoming predecessor had to contend with in its full runtime. A Phase Three epilogue and a Phase Four prologue, as well as two very distincitive Spider-Man and Peter Parker films required address the consequences of perhaps the biggest event in movie history, it has a considerable web to spin - and that's where it struggles most. While there are more than a handful of elements that work successfully, leading to a rather enjoyable picture on the whole, they don't work quite as well cohesively: cluttered and stuffy at times. Because of this, Far From Home's pacing is wonky, with the film struggling to find a confident footing until the final hour or so -- which is an issue when you clock in at 129 minutes.
It's not through lack of trying though. Far From Home's story is an interesting one, and surprisingly fresh within the crowded superhero market. While it could have delved deeper with certain aspects of Peter's post-Endgame psyche (and more extensively demonstrated the ripple effect of the blip), it explores Peter's new-found, reluctant responsibility with aplomb. Landing on a handful interesting relationship dynamics, Far From Home registers some tight character work for Parker, and particularly Mysterio as he takes centre stage: addressing complaints that their antagonists need work, Quentin Beck should be considered a Marvel top-tier villain, with his motivations and intentions well explored and realised, ensuring that his impact is bound to linger long after the credits have rolled.
Watts returns as director for Far From Home, and demonstrates notable improvement in his style since the first Spider-Man outing: ignoring the wider issues with the first half, which causes even some of the set pieces to overstay their welcome, he lands on two stellar sequences during the latter half that showcase his growth and confidence. The nightmare-fuelled disillusion is exceptionally-crafted and creative, from the horror homages to the dizzying transitions, while the Tower Bridge scenes are slick and stylish with some excellent visual effects playing out before our eyes: the VFX throughout the film is a little bit more fluctuating in quality, but the finale itself contains some superlative work, ending on a high note.
Tom Holland was born to play Spider-Man/Peter Parker, shining once again in the role he has firmly established as his own. Holland's naturally endearing charisma embodies the out-of-his-depth hero fantastically, with the British actor able to handle the emotion and the humour with real success: he is such a wonderfully magnetic actor and despite the obscene pressure his character is facing, you find yourself relating to and understanding his journey - the signs of a real talent. With such authenticity and believability, Holland conveys the inner-turmoil afflicting Parker and the weight of the world facing Spider-Man, steadying a more uneven Spidey flick with poise and verve.
For my money, Jake Gyllenhaal is one of our finest acting talents and here provides a brilliantly, purposely chaotic performance oozing with personality and energy in one of his first (and most lucrative) ventures into blockbuster filmmaking. Mysterio truly makes his mark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it is thanks to Gyllenhaal that Beck's fraudlant ways are so impressionable, tempering a raging instability with a disconcertingly recognisable narcassims that makes him such a dynamite foe. Even when given exposition-heavy dialogue to deliver, Gyllenhaal is electric, immensely watchable and really rather fascinating. It's absolutely tremendous work.
While our two leads produce stellar work, the younger supporting cast is more of a mixed bag, largely hinging on how each individual handles the one tonal element seemingly most central to this brand of Spider-Man movies: the comedy. Some are pros - Jacob Batalon is a scene-stealer, matched terrifically with Angourie Rice, while Martin Starr's comedic delivery is always impeccable - but some really struggle, the humour feeling painfully forced and/or discordant. An opening montage ingeniously scored by Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, for example, is a fantastic moment otherwise spoiled by laboured and grating humour that undercuts the effectiveness. Other chuckles feel disappointingly misplaced which likely hinders that pacing even further.
Far From Home's comparatively more senior cast are reliably solid, although it could be argued Samuel L. Jackson is phoning it in here - figuratively and literally. Particularly after such a lively and characterful turn in Captain Marvel, his Nick Fury here is rather two dimensional and lacking his usual firecracking wit, despite some fantastic one-liners in his arsenal; maybe you would argue that it's down to the post-credit revelation - a twist which really, really, really bombed for me personally - or perhaps Jackson is getting too comfortable with his eye-patched character. Either way, this is a step down for him.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is solid, mid-tier Marvel fare. While it struggles with its additional post-Endgame responsibilities, leading to a bloated and stuffy picture that is reflected in the pacing and runtime, it is still really rather entertaining in spite of its flaws. Tom Holland is continually charming in a role he has now comfortably mastered, while Jake Gyllenhaal's energetic turn is a fabulous addition to the MCU's improving roster of villains. Jon Watts' increased confidence is evident in some really robust action set pieces in the second half, recovering from a disappointingly subdued opening act plagued by incosistent humour. It's worth swinging into a cinema near you to see the latest chapter in the Spider-Man Universe, if only to see the mid-credit scene which induced the biggest numbers of gasps for moments of its ilk in a long, long time.
7/10
Summary: Spider-Man: Far From Home is another solid and enjoyable entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal's terrific performances easily overcoming the handful of flaws that find themselves caught in the busy, post-Endgame web.