Spider-Man: Far From Home
- A relentlessly charming digestif to wash down the dark dinner of Endgame.
Full Disclosure: I’m not what one would consider a “comic book fan.” I didn’t grow up reading them, so I have no frame of reference to compare the source material to their respective film adaptations. I have, however, seen every film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Review
Another month, another entry into the veritable money-printing machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spider-Man: Far From Home stars Tom Holland in his return as Peter Parker/Spider-Man/Night Monkey. The vast majority of the main cast from Spider-Man: Homecoming also returns, including the magnetically sarcastic Zendaya as MJ, utterly lovable Jacob Batalon as Ned, Marisa Tomei as Hot Aunt Mae, and Martin Starr as beleaguered teacher and chaperone Roger Harrington. Angourie Rice’s Betty Brant and Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson also make their returns in expanded roles.
In a year filled with complaints from the masses about superhero fatigue and an epidemic of sequel-itis, Far From Home proves to be not just an exception, but serves to quell said complaints to the tune of an $872.5 million worldwide gross and widespread critical acclaim. This includes the author of this article. This movie was so much fun! It was a relentlessly charming digestif to wash down the dark dinner of Endgame. With all the heaviness that accompanied the previous few installments of the MCU, Far From Home was a refreshing reminder of what these films can be when they just let loose and have a good time. It’s a delightful coming of age romp through Europe that just happens to have massive, world-altering stakes.
Tom Holland delivers another fantastic performance in his fifth appearance as the web-slinger with a heart of gold.
That isn’t to say that this film was devoid of emotionally-charged moments. On the contrary, the whole movie serves as a touching tribute to the late, great Tony Stark. Iron Man is gone, and Peter Parker has to struggle with the reality that his surrogate father won’t be dolling out any more dry, witty, sage advice to his young protege. Peter doesn’t want to step into the shoes of his hero. He just wants to be a “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.” He wants to be a normal kid who goes on field trips abroad and pursues the girl he likes without looking over his shoulder for the next imminent threat to humanity. The world needs heroes though. A new menace has arrived in the form of inter-dimensional elemental monsters bent, of course, on destroying the Earth. Through the guidance of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan, and trickster-mentor Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), Peter is forced to grow up faster than he ever wanted to.
When the movie begins, Earth is still struggling with the aftermath of Thanos’ Snap and the subsequent event that has come to be known as the Blip. The Blip saw 3.5 billion people suddenly pop back into existence after Thanos eliminated them five years prior. The film glosses over the mind-boggling logistics of the effect this would have on the planet, and chooses to play it for laughs. There are seemingly only superficial consequences to Earth’s population doubling instantaneously. While cynics and scientists roll their eyes and call this a lazy move on the part of the filmmakers, I was fine with jumping right into a new era of Marvel films. Come on, guys. It’s a fucking superhero movie! There needs to be a good deal of suspension of disbelief if one is to enjoy this popcorn fare. This is a movie with water monsters and giant fire titans. Get over yourself.
Major Spoilers Ahead. You’ve Been Warned!
Jake Gyllenhaal’s turn as Quentin Beck/Mysterio was an incredible play in duality. He manages to play both a would-be heir to the Avenger’s leadership position left behind by Tony Stark, as well as a bitterly sinister villain. He chews up the scenery, and looks like he’s having a blast with every scene he appears in.
OK, so there’s a big ol’ twist in Spider-Man: Far From Home. If you’ve seen the film or don’t give a shit about spoilers and looked it up already, you know what I mean. I have no idea what role Mysterio plays in the comics. I’ve never heard of the character before this movie. That said, I saw his heel turn coming from a mile away. The movie lacked a central villain for the first half, and the absence of a main bad guy was not well concealed by the inter-dimensional monsters. While the trope of “disgruntled ex-employee wants recompense for his contributions by any means necessary” is a bit played out, these story flaws were overcome by one man: Jake Gyllenhaal. He absolutely stole the show here as Quentin Beck/Mysterio. The charm offensive he launched on an emotionally vulnerable Peter Parker in the first half of the film was masterful. With no Uncle Ben in this series, Tony Stark was the closest thing to a father we’ve ever seen this iteration of Peter have. His death affected Peter profoundly, and Quentin Beck seemingly seeks to fill that void for Peter. The chemistry between Tom Holland and Gyllenhaal was palpable. The scene in the bar where Parker hands over the E.D.I.T.H. glasses to Beck was perfectly acted and emotionally impactful. Beck has a warm, disarming presence that nearly managed to convince me that his intentions were genuinely heroic and pure. I was totally on board to watch Mysterio lead the Avengers into a post-Iron Man world! So while the twist that he was a madman bent on world domination was predictable, it was still effective. This sparked the naive Peter Parker to grow up, come into his own, and assume the mantle of global superhero. He finally realizes that surrogate fathers aren’t waiting around every corner.
While Peter finds himself all out of surrogate fathers, he finds trust and companionship with Happy Hogan, who plays a larger role in this film than he ever did while Iron Man was doing his thing. I’ve been a fan of Jon Favreau in this role since day one, and I was glad to see him be allowed to spread his wings and expand his character. I admittedly got a lump in my throat when AC/DC’s “Shoot to Thrill” started playing as Happy fondly watched Peter get to work on his new suit. (No, Peter! It’s not Led Zeppelin! Damn millennials.) It was a subtle, touching tribute to Stark, the man who started it all. As the acronym goes, “Even Dead, I’m The Hero.” Tony Stark still looms large in a universe that now has to go on without him.
Zendaya returns as MJ. Her character is exponentially expanded from Spider-Man: Homecoming, and thank the Marvel gods for that!
I’d be remiss if I didn't delve a bit into the relationship between Peter Parker and MJ. Zendaya’s performance as Peter’s love interest is dynamic, engaging, and refreshing. She’s no damsel in distress, and proves to be Peter’s intellectual equal, if not his superior. The interplay between MJ’s dark, dry cynicism and Peter’s naive, boyish optimism is a joy to watch. They’re both painfully socially awkward in a way that’s both realistic and endearing. The chemistry between the two young actors is electrifying, and I can’t wait to see how their relationship grows.
Stay until the VERY end, you dolts!
After eleven years and 23 films in the MCU, some people still leave the theater when the end credits start rolling. WHY?! This may be the most important, most shocking mid-credits scene in Marvel history! In a weird, fun, fan-service-y crossover from the original Spider-Man trilogy, J.K. Simmons reprises his role as J. Jonah Jameson. The once lauded editor of the Daily Bugle seems to have fallen on hard times. He is now a fanatical Glenn Beck type character who runs TheDailyBugle.net and has it out for our favorite web crawler. He not only reveals Spidey’s identity to the world, but frames him for the cold-blooded murder of Quentin Beck. Peter Parker now seems to be public enemy number one, and it will be fascinating to see if he’s able to clear his name or be forced into hiding. The Youngest Avenger just can’t seem to catch a damn break! The fact that Nick Fury was actually a Skrull impersonator throughout the whole film is of little consequence compared to Spider-Man being ousted.
5 Quick Hits
Nice to see Flash get a bit of character development. Yeah, he’s a rich, spoiled douchebag, but he also just needs a hug from his mommy. As with most bullies, he’s just projecting his own insecurities onto others as a defense mechanism. Let’s hope he gets that hug in part three!
Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill got some more airtime in this one. I’ve always liked the interplay between her and Nick Fury. I hope she gets a bigger role in the MCU proper down the road.
As per usual, the action sequences were stunning. The addition of the mind-bending hallucination scenes set Far From Home apart from the rest of the MCU though. It wasn’t all just explosions and punches.
Anyone else hoping for the next installation of the series to be called Night Monkey: Asian Excursion? Just a thought.
Can we please stop using the song “Vacation” by the Go-Go’s in every fucking movie where our main character leaves the country? It’s an utterly insufferable song masquerading as an anthem for good times and relaxation. Thank you!
