SPIDER-MAN FAR FROM HOME (2019) Review

This review of Spider-Man Far From Home will be as light on the spoilers as I can be... I might hint at things, but will try to skate around some obvious content if you haven't seen it or been spoiled by any of Disney's spoiler-filled TV spots.

The somewhat lame outline for this Marvel film says...

"Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever."

Directed by Jon Watts (Spider-Man Homecoming, Natural Selection, Cop Car), the film stars

Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Jake Gyllenhaal as Quentin Beck / Mysterio
Marisa Tomei as May Parker
Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
Zendaya as MJ
Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill

Spider-Man merchandise.

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In Ixtenco, Mexico, Nick Fury and Maria Hill investigate an unnatural storm that eyewitnesses said it 'had a face.' While investigating, they find themselves facing off against another of what eventually will be called Earth Elementals.

Just as they get ready to face off with it, a super-powered hero named Quentin Beck shows up, declaring, 'You don't want any part of this." and takes to the fight.

We jump Eight months down the road, where in New York City, Peter's Science and Technology school has organized a two-week summer field trip to Europe. It's on this trip that Peter Parker has planned to tell Mary Jane how he feels. Oh, that, and he's not taking his suit so he can really be on a vacation.

Yet, once Parker and his classmates get to Venice, they find themselves on the receiving end of a Water Elemental attack, which gets destroyed by none other than Beck again, after his heroic arrival!

Afterwards, Fury, meets with Parker and gives him a set of glasses from Stark, telling him these are for his (Stark's) successor. The glasses are equipped with an AI name E.D.I.T.H. (Hilarious anagram) then Fury, Hill and Beck attempt to persuade Peter to join them in their fight against these elemental monsters that keep attacking.

Peter declines, choosing to rejoin his vacation group so he can still execute his ideal plan of expressing his feelings to MJ (Mary Jane).

After that, it all goes to hoot in a hand-basket as one thing leads to another, and nothing seems to go according to anyone's plans, be it the characters or the movie-goers expectations!!!

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First off... for long-time comic fans, don't be confused by the overtly obvious marketing of Mysterio teaming up with Spidey, Fury and what not! That's all I'm saying there.

To be absolutely honest, I really like this version of Spider-Man with Holland. He's more the kid growing up into the role of hero and Avenger. Unlike the previous actors who portrayed the character, they felt like older men trying to play the younger character while Holland is the younger actor. Plus, Marvel took a  good approach by skipping nearly straight to the Parker/Stark relationship, so rather than the movie fans suffering through another teen angst in school, the friends and family kind of thing, Peter is struggling with growing up in the eyes of his mentor, looking for his approval, before and after his passing, with the school and friends things as a mild background. THANK YOU MARVEL for taking over the writing of this character.

Additionally, having skipped to the latter years of Stark providing spider suits adds a great dimension of growth to Parker as Spider-Man. Hence, a refreshing new take on Peter's development.

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Overall, the film was a wonderful mix of watching Peter deal with being one of the gang, while attempting to take on new responsibilities as not only being Spider-Man, but in association with Happy Hogan and Nick Fury.

Peter has a lot on his plate.

The obvious enemy is a somewhat brilliant translation of the classic version of the bad guy, doing yet one more time, what Marvel Studios has done, which is convert a classic comic criminal into something new for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film world.

Gyllenhaal turns in a wonderful Beck/Mysterio performance and helps pull the story through the second and third acts.

Of course Samuel L. (what movie am I not in) Jackson is Jackson, being one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, he's having nothing but fun here... I mean, 'Bitch, you've been to space!' is just the beginning.

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As a summer film, it's fun and fits the bill nicely. It progresses Peter's arc nicely and even tackles the 'blip,' where those who were killed by Thanos came back five years later in Endgame.

It gets a little busy in act three, but it makes sense, needing to be as busy as it gets. Yet with just enough comedy, a bit of budding teen romance and some wonderfully deployed CGI battles, yea, it pulls it off.

It's worth the price of admission just to watch Peter figure out his "tingle!."  (You'll see what I mean.)

The post and mid-credit scenes range from hilarious to something that could possibly impact the next phase of the MCU or be considered a bit distracting from the film we just watched. But probably not in a bad way. It had me go, huh? Really? But again, not in a bad way.

And yes, there are what I would call THREE before, mid and after credits scenes. You'll see. That last one will be a frickin' doozy though, and it sees the return of...  yea, no, it's too perfect to ruin! Never mind.

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IMDb users have given the film an 8.1/10 and I don't think I disagree. The film continues Peter's journey rather nicely and with his technological suit, keeps us sort in touch with Tony Stark, via EDITH. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a 91%.  Wait... really? RT gave it a higher score than the regular folk? Wow!

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