Spider-Man Far from Home (2019) 1080p REMUX

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

Storyline
Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter's plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent.

User Reviews
Spider-man: Homecoming was a huge success and the sequel had a lot to live up to. I didn't buy into the trailer as much as many people did, a character going on vacation can feel like a cheap plot twist but I was willing to give it a chance. The first thing Far From Home is able to replicate is that its able to achieve the comedic balance that Homecoming did. This one is even more comedic and there was never a shortage of laughs in my theatre. Do the jokes feel a little more obvious sometimes? Yes they do (a lot of it coming from Martin Starr and J.B. Smoove) but I think they also work most of the time. Even if it doesn't have high-minded satirical bite, the bottom line is I laughed quite a bit and the movie achieved that goal for me.

Tom Holland is my favourite actor to play Spider-Man. He feels like a teenager and he sells the emotional turmoil that Peter feels at this stage in his life the best. He's funny, dramatic and heroic all in one and his performance is noteworthy in a cinematic universe that boasts a ton of talent. Zendaya does a fine job as MJ, MJ's off-kilter personality sold a little better in the first one but that's a result of the material feeling a little more forced. She has good chemistry with Holland and they work well together. Jon Favreau comes back as Happy Hogan, he's always good in this role and it was a pleasant surprise to see him back. Jake Gyllenhaal had big shoes to fill as Mysterio but he shows why he's such a versatile presence and he also nails all the big moments. Jacob Batalon is still funny as Ned, his scenes with Angourie Rice walk the line of being too broad but they get the job done. Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders and Marisa Tomei round out the solid cast and they all perform capably.

Far From Home is trying to get to the strong emotional centre that Homecoming had but they choose to go about it a different way. Homecoming was not only about Peter trying to get the girl but the added subplot with the father/son dynamic between Tony and Peter. After the events of Avengers: Endgame, they had to go a different direction. Tony still looms large but the movie is as much about Peter's budding relationship with MJ. It works but I still preferred where Homecoming went instead. That could be just my perspective, I'm watching this as an adult and I don't think the kids will be as picky. But I felt like some of the same beats of the story were being rehashed with MJ and Peter.

As much as I enjoyed this movie, going into the halfway point, I thought it was more solid than spectacular. Luckily, in terms of the action scenes, they saved the best for the end. There's a scene where Spiderman battles the villain in a vivid hallucination and I loved it. I hate when movies use a dream sequence as a chance to fake out the audience but Far From Home used it really well. There's some crazy visual stuff and it not only delivers the goods but it serves the plot. I also thought the end set piece was well designed and fit the bill for the movie. It showed off Spiderman's talents and brought enough to the table to make things exciting.

Far From Home is as good as I heard going in, even if it didn't fully shift into overdrive until the climax got moving. It really is typical when it comes to Marvel's output, I could go on and on about their success but the bottom line is that they produce fun movies that people want to go out and see. Far From Home is more of that kind of blockbuster film making, I think this will please both comic fans and normal moviegoers alike. There's some funny moments, a few surprises and even some well done character development for Peter Parker, MJ and even Happy Hogan. Spiderverse is still my favourite, and if I had to split hairs, I would still grade Homecoming slightly higher than its sequel (we're talking about a 1A), 1 B) scenario). But that's in no way a slight against the character, its reflective of the high bar that this franchise has set for itself. If you haven't seen Far From Home already, don't hesitate to check it out. I'd give it an enthusiastic 9/10. Also, stick around after the credits for a return appearance from a fan favourite character.