The Synopsis:
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
The Review:
In Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, there are shoes that ceaselessly seem to need filling. First of all, and perhaps most of all, in a subtler overarching way, one superhero in the beloved comic’s universe is going to have to pick up the somber torch of Avengers: Endgame and wander into unknown territory. In this film, Peter Parker (Tom Holland, continuing to knock it out as the people-pleaser high teenage insecurity that becomes effortlessly charming) feels the true gravity of filling in for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as a key player for The Avengers. The opportunity and challenge to fill these boots build and build … and all Peter wants to do is enjoy a school trip to Europe.
What can be confidently said about the new Spider-Man is that the first step into the new MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is a charming and exciting one. Holland holds his own amongst familiar key players (Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan), and the balance between action sequences and pressure of Peter performing well on a romanticized getaway are often stressful, yet breathtaking. The film makes all the right moves in pursuing its sense of charm and youthfulness. The mechanics of the film feel lost, however. Perhaps, to some degree, in comparison to more recent Marvel villains, this one (to keep it spoiler-free) is not only minimally convincing but is also developed and contextualized lazily. Maybe the key to the film is to get to its point about Peter’s challenge to accept his duties as an Avenger or to be the normal teenager he equally craves. That said, the film really thrives when Peter and his crush, MJ (Zendaya) interact, beautifully awkward and relatable.
