I suppose now is a good a time as any to bring up the fact that I was not that into Spider-Man: Homecoming. Granted, I didn’t think it was “bad,” I still think Marvel Studios has yet to make a legit bad movie, which is kind of astonishing in and of itself. However, Homecoming just didn’t quite hold up to all the best elements of Raimi’s first two films, and a lot of its Marvel conveyor belt filmmaking was made all the more obvious when Into The Spider-Verse blew our collective minds. It’s perfectly serviceable, it’s fun, and the scene in the car is straight up one of the best moments in any one of these movies, but it left me wanting something more substantial.
Director, Jon Watts, and two of the previous film’s six writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, return for Spider-Man: Far From Home, which finds Peter (Tom Holland) in a complicated post-Endgame world where society is still adjusting after everyone returned from the snap, or rather “the blip,” as it’s referred to early on. Peter is in desperate need of a break, especially as he struggles to grieve for Tony’s death, since he is constantly seeing Tony everywhere or getting compared to Iron Man.
So, he goes on a science trip in Europe with his classmates, including Ned (Jacob Batalon), Flash (Tony Revolori), Betty (Angourie Rice), and MJ (Zendaya), who Peter is hoping to share his feelings toward at some point during the trip. However, plans go awry when Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits him to help fight these strange elemental beasts, along with the seemingly friendly hero from another dimension, Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is later referred to as Mysterio.
As someone who is mostly indifferent about Homecoming, I was surprised at how much of a great time I had with Far From Home. It’s not even that the film deviates, in any significant way, from some of the stylistic and storytelling choices that defined Homecoming. It simply does it a lot better, albeit not without its flaws. Peter has a slightly more well realized arc here, as he comes into his own as a hero that doesn’t have to be “the next Iron Man.” Some of the beats do feel a bit too familiar to moments in Homecoming, but grounding it in grief as opposed to Peter’s fanboyish fascination with Tony is just a lot more interesting to watch unfold.
Everything that worked about the first film works even better here. The humor is a bit more tight. The action is more compelling. Visually speaking, it’s far more colorful and inventive than anything in Homecoming, and that goes double for two sequences involving Mysterio, which somehow made for a more trippy experience than anything in Doctor Strange. Watts, who was likely brought to this series because of his work in the fantastic Cop Car, which had him bringing out great work from its two child stars, once again does a wonderful job with the cast here. And while it certainly lacks the grit and edge of something like Cop Car, the naturalistic banter and classic coming-of-age impulses makes the entire group endearing and easy to engage with. Zendaya naturally gets more to do here, and she brings more dimension to her awkward oddball take on MJ.
However, it is Gyllenhaal who really impresses here. He knows exactly what kind of movie he’s in, and he brings so much playfulness that often borders on camp. He’s clearly having a blast, and it works for the character as we get to know more about him. Though, anyone with even the most vague familiarity with the comics will know where his character goes, but I think the filmmakers take that into account well enough.
I don’t think the film works particularly well as a standalone experience, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It tackles directly with some of the consequences Avengers: Endgame in a way that would only resonate if you’ve seen these movies. Then there’s the post-credits scenes, the first one in particular, which somehow throws more to break the status quo than anything in the actual narrative.
I was very satisfied with Spider-Man: Far From Home, more than I expected. It’s far from perfect (tee hee), but it aims to be a pleasant and joyous superhero romp, and it does just that, and with just enough pathos and even a few timely touches to make it feel like there’s more under the surface. I left the film feeling terrific and with a big smile on my face, which honestly, could be attributed to a cameo in the first post-credits scene that made me want to cheer so loud. Still, it made me want to see where these characters go next, which is exactly what these should do. It’s a fun time at the movies, and a great way to relax after the grandeur of Endgame.