spiderman far from home movie review

Spider-Man: Far from Home

Much like “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” was a perfectly enjoyable if inferior follow-up to the genre-defining, zany ‘80s comedy “ Vacation ,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home” changes the scenery but can’t quite match the inspired heights of its predecessor.

Granted, “ Spider-Man: Homecoming ” is a tough act to follow. Director Jon Watts ’ 2017 film was a giddy blast of New York City summertime air, a refreshing reboot with a hugely appealing star turn from Tom Holland in the title role. “Far From Home” also arrives about six months after the game-changing, Oscar-winning animated film “ Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ,” perhaps the most inventive movie we’ve seen yet inspired by a Marvel comic—or any comic, for that matter.

Watts is back as director, but this time he’s in the tricky position of helming a film that not only occupies a momentous spot within the ever-developing Marvel Cinematic Universe but also furthers Peter Parker’s individual story. And for a while, “Far From Home” is a lot of fun, especially since it picks up right where “ Avengers: Endgame ” left off. Working from a script by returning writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers , Watts and his team playfully explore what’s happening five years after Thanos’ fateful finger snap and how the world is reshaping in ways that are both major and mundane.

In that regard, “Far From Home” works best as a high school comedy—which also happened to be the strength of “Spider-Man: Homecoming”—with teens figuring out in adorably awkward fashion who they are and how to express what they feel within this brave new world. Peter has had a taste of the big time, with all the rush and responsibility that entails, but he just wants to be a normal teenager. He’d rather join his classmates on a summer European adventure—especially the darkly alluring MJ, played once again with humorous, deadpan charm by Zendaya—than save the world from total destruction. Again. And who could blame him? It’s a lot—for him, and for us.

But duty calls. Because it’s an MCU blockbuster arriving in theaters on July 4 weekend, “Far From Home” also must function as a massive action extravaganza, and here’s where the film is at its weakest. The giant set pieces, and what the villain hopes to achieve through them, are like an empty yet distracting swirl of chaos and noise. Admittedly, that’s the point, and we’ll get to more of that (sans spoilers, naturally) in a bit. But it all feels like overload, like so many swarming, soaring computer-generated blips. “Far From Home” loses its way just as it’s reaching its supposedly thrilling crescendo, its greatest sin being that the scenes with the highest stakes are ultimately kind of dull.

Jake Gyllenhaal ’s Mysterio is at the center of these showdowns, with a mixture of abilities that combine Iron Man’s flying and laser-zapping with Thor’s sartorial tendencies. But who he really is and what he really wants aren’t much of a surprise, although he initially presents himself as an ally and even a hopeful force for the future. Gyllenhaal seems to be having a blast playing dress-up in this setting, and he brings great brio to the scene in which he lays out his (surprisingly understandable) reasoning for his elaborate plan. The actual execution of it all, however, ends up being rather numbing. The real bombshells come during the closing credit sequences—so, as always, be sure to stay in your seat until the very end.

The laughs bubble up so consistently in the first half that it’s enough to make you wish “Far From Home” was a straight-up romantic comedy. Peter’s goofy notions of how stops in Venice and Paris should go down with MJ are the stuff of moony teenage-boy fantasies. A sweet, parallel romance finds Peter’s wisecracking, scene-stealing best friend, Ned ( Jacob Batalon ), connecting unexpectedly with the prim, Type-A Betty ( Angourie Rice ). And a third flirtation—between Tony Stark’s right-hand man, Happy ( Jon Favreau ), and Peter’s Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei )—has some potential but doesn’t go far just yet, although it’s enough to make Peter’s Spidey sense tingle.  

Holland isn’t afforded the depth of character we’ve seen from him previously—most notably during his heartbreaking exit in “ Avengers: Infinity War .” But once again, he’s completely charming in the role, bringing a boyish enthusiasm that’s irresistible and wholly different from the ways Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield played him in previous incarnations. His Peter even gets to show glimmers of being a flaky kid as he dodges calls from an increasingly, amusingly frustrated Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ).

Perhaps his true superpower is the fact that he seems more like a relatable, fully fleshed-out human being than any other character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Surely, we’ll have a multitude of chances to find out for sure.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

• Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
• Jake Gyllenhaal as Quentin Beck / Mysterio
• Zendaya as Michelle "MJ" Jones
• Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
• Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
• Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
• Angourie Rice as Betty Brant
• Marisa Tomei as May Parker
• Jon Favreau as Harold "Happy" Hogan
• Tony Revolori as Eugene "Flash" Thompson
• Remy Hii as Brad Davis
• Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington
• J.B. Smoove as Mr. Dell
• Numan Acar as Dimitri
• Peter Billingsley as William Ginter Riva
• Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Jason Ionello
• Chris McKenna
• Erik Sommers
• Dan Lebental
• Leigh Folsom Boyd

Cinematogapher

• Matthew J. Lloyd
• Michael Giacchino

Writer (based on the Marvel comic book by)

• Steve Ditko

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Parents' guide to, spider-man: far from home.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 62 Reviews
• Kids Say 210 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Fun, fast-paced sequel has some dark, dizzying violence.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Spider-Man: Far from Home is the first post- Avengers: Endgame movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; it works as both an epilogue to that saga and as a bridge to future films. Starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, the tween-friendly sequel to Spider-Man:…

Why Age 11+?

Mass destruction during Elementals battle sequences, including frightening momen

Occasional strong language includes "dorks," "d--kwad," "bulls--t," "bitch," "sh

Several Audi cars, a Volvo, and several Sony electronics (phones, computers, hea

Flirting, a few quick kisses. Peter is shown shirtless a couple of times. In one

Peter reminds Mysterio that he isn't 21 and therefore can't join him for an alco

Any Positive Content?

Spider-Man's core message continues to be "With great power comes great responsi

Peter is courageous, generous, kind; he's willing to put himself in danger to sa

Violence & Scariness

Mass destruction during Elementals battle sequences, including frightening moments when it looks like characters could fall to their deaths. Peter/Spider-Man is routinely hurt, thrown around, shot at; in one case, hit by a train. Innocent passersby are hurt by collapsing buildings, super-strong water/fire/air monsters. Drones are used to hunt and fire at people. A person is struck by a tranquilizer dart. Nick Fury waves his gun at Peter and the door of his hotel room. Some scenes of violence aren't what they seem. It looks like one character is shot, and another one actually is. Peter gets stitches, is moderately injured. In a frightening vision, Peter imagines his dead superhero friend as a corpse emerging from the ground.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional strong language includes "dorks," "d--kwad," "bulls--t," "bitch," "shut up," "boozy man child," "jerk," "ass," "damn," "badass," "stupid," "loser," "oh my God," and one cut-off "what the f--k."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Several Audi cars, a Volvo, and several Sony electronics (phones, computers, headphones). Getty Images. Film is tied into vast merchandising/licensing efforts surrounding Marvel Comics.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Flirting, a few quick kisses. Peter is shown shirtless a couple of times. In one scene, he's changing in front of a female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent; a student walks in, misinterprets situation. Another time, Peter changes in same room as MJ, who's facing away at first but sort of sneaks a look. Happy jokes about a "pay-per-view movie" without a title that Peter once ordered at a hotel (adult film joke that may go over younger viewers' heads). A rumor that Peter is a "male escort."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Peter reminds Mysterio that he isn't 21 and therefore can't join him for an alcoholic drink. Adults around Peter drink at a pub. An underage young man tries to drink his free drink while traveling in first class, but he's stopped.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Spider-Man's core message continues to be "With great power comes great responsibility." Peter takes that seriously, looking for ways to keep family and friends safe -- complete strangers, too. Other messages include balancing personal needs and desires with good you can do for greater community; believing in yourself and your abilities; allowing yourself to grieve those you've lost; communicating with others to avoid misunderstanding or danger, or even to confess a crush. Courage, humility, perseverance are also themes.

Positive Role Models

Peter is courageous, generous, kind; he's willing to put himself in danger to save friends, strangers. He's also still a teenager who makes impulsive decisions and mistakes, like when he accidentally sets EDITH on a classmate or gives away something precious before completely thinking it through. Ned is a supportive, loyal best friend. Happy does his best to be available and be somewhat of a mentor to Peter. MJ is perceptive, observant. The villain isn't what he initially seems; he's manipulative, vindictive, theatrical, egomaniacal. Most female characters (Aunt May, MJ, Maria, Betty) remain in important but nonetheless supporting roles. Peter's high school/peer group is realistically diverse; his friends and classmates represent wide range of races, body types.

Parents need to know that Spider-Man: Far from Home is the first post- Avengers: Endgame movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; it works as both an epilogue to that saga and as a bridge to future films. Starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, the tween-friendly sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming -- which takes place on a high school trip to Europe -- deals with the aftermath of the Big Snap and other major losses, but it's also fun and comical. Expect a bit more action violence than in Homecoming , even accounting for eventual twists and turns that reveal that not everything (including the violence) is what it seems. And some of the video game-like battle scenes are literally dizzying. Characters are injured and shot at, there's massive destruction (much caused by super-strong water/fire/air monsters), and Spider-Man is so wounded that he looks battered and requires medical attention. Occasional strong language includes "d--kwad," "bulls--t," "bitch," and one cut-off "what the f--k." There's a jokey reference to a pay-per-view adult movie that many kids will miss, and Peter is shirtless and changes in a few scenes. Romance includes flirting, lots of discussion about liking someone/dating, and some hand-holding and a few brief kisses. The cast is realistically diverse for a New York City high school and includes characters of various backgrounds and sizes. As with all superhero movies, the themes focus on power and responsibility, leadership, courage, confidence, perseverance, and rising up to face your destiny. Note: This review is for the original theatrical version of the film; an extended cut is also available and may include additional content not covered here. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (62)
• Kids say (210)

Based on 62 parent reviews

Good movie, but one scene really bothered me.

Again with the porn normalization really, what's the story.

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame . Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ) returns to his magnet New York high school with his best friend Ned ( Jacob Batalon ), crush MJ ( Zendaya ), and other students in the post-"Blip" (i.e., Thanos' Big Snap) world. As Peter and his pals prepare for a school trip to Europe, Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ), Maria Hill ( Cobie Smulders ), and what's left of S.H.I.E.L.D. investigate a bizarre "storm with a face" that's fought by Quentin Beck ( Jake Gyllenhaal ), a mysterious human from a parallel universe who's later dubbed Mysterio. Before Peter's European trip, Happy ( Jon Favreau ) gives him a special inheritance from the late Tony Stark: command of EDITH, billion-dollar tech embedded in a pair of sunglasses. While in Venice, Fury tracks Peter down and commands him to help Mysterio fight the Elementals (sentient natural-disaster villains). All Peter really wants is to confess his love to MJ and try to move forward as a "friendly neighborhood" superhero after all of the Endgame drama -- so he relinquishes control of EDITH and ends up in bigger trouble than he ever imagined.

Is It Any Good?

Simultaneously humorous and heartfelt, entertaining and angsty, this action-packed sequel is an exploration of Peter Parker's grief and moving on in a post- Endgame world. The movie focuses on 16-year-old Peter's ongoing struggle to figure out his place as either the "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" or the next Iron Man -- i.e., superhero on a global scale. Holland is arguably the most comics-faithful version of Spidey, an awkward Queens teen who's often unsure of himself. Still coming to grips with the death of Tony Stark, the dissolution of the Avengers, and the new normal in which some of his former peers are five years older while he's still the same age, Peter craves normalcy and is more concerned with his growing feelings for MJ than answering a phone call from the intimidating Fury. Director Jon Watts, working from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, creates a teen school-trip comedy (with veteran comedians J.B. Smoove and Martin Starr playing the teens' science teacher chaperones) as the framing story for a much higher-concept superhero tale. Gyllenhaal is perfectly cast as Beck/Mysterio, a kind but enigmatic visitor from a parallel universe who seemingly instantly fills a much-needed mentor role in Peter's life.

Some of the battle scenes may be too dizzying and video game-like for some viewers, although that could appeal to younger audiences. The fight sequences are exciting, but what works best in this installment are the characterizations, the teen flick aspects, and the chemistry between Holland and Zendaya. There's a little too much of Favreau's Happy here; really, it's Peter and the other teens -- especially Ned and MJ -- who make this series lovable. Tony Revolori, Angourie Rice, and Remy Hii all stand out in their supporting roles (as Peter's frenemy, Ned's girlfriend, and Peter's rival for MJ's attention, respectively). Let's hope the next film moves completely on from referencing Stark and the original Avengers and allows Spider-Man to take the real lead with those in the know about his identity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Spider-Man: Far from Home . How does it compare to the violence in Spider-Man: Homecoming ? What do you think of the video game-like aspects of it?

What did you think of the way the movie explained its place in post- Endgame society? Did it help explain the situation and how the movie fits in with the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films?

What would you want to see in another Spider-Man sequel? For those familiar with the previous Spider-Man installments: Which Spider-Man series is your favorite? How about which Spider-Man actor, and why?

Who are the role models in Spider-Man: Far from Home ? In addition to courage , what other character strengths do they display? How about humility ? What does Peter learn about himself and his role as a superhero?

What do you think the line "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" means? It's taken from Shakespeare's Henry IV . How are duty and responsibility ongoing themes in superhero movies -- but particularly Spider-Man stories?

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 2, 2019
• On DVD or streaming : October 1, 2019
• Cast : Tom Holland , Samuel L. Jackson , Zendaya , Jake Gyllenhaal
• Director : Jon Watts
• Inclusion Information : Black actors, Female actors, Multiracial actors
• Studio : Sony Pictures Releasing
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes
• Character Strengths : Courage , Humility , Perseverance
• Run time : 129 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : July 18, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Movies and TV Shows in Order

Best superhero tv shows, related topics.

• Perseverance
• Superheroes

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

Marvel's phase 3 ends with a bang in this hugely entertaining endgame follow-up..

Every MCU Movie Review Since Avengers

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a grandly entertaining culmination of the MCU wall-crawler’s journey so far. Thanks to its sweet humor, clever commentary, and deft action set-pieces, Far From Home continues the journey of Peter Parker from kid hero to Tony Stark’s successor . The movie sets the table for some exciting new adventures ahead for Spider-Man and his place in the MCU, pitting him against an antagonist who preys on Peter Parker’s fears and insecurities in ways no other villain quite has yet. Far From Home ends Marvel's Phase Three with a hell of a bang, thrusting its young wall-crawler into a treacherous but hugely exciting new era.

In This Article

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Spider-Man: Far From Home Reviews

The Endgame hangover is still being felt, but Spider-Man: Far From Home is a solid film that offers a fun and exciting look into Peter Parker's life and the lives of everyone affected by the Blip, fear, and fake news.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Aug 1, 2024

This sequel to the staggering MCU debut from Thom Holland may feel overshadowed by an absent Tony Stark, and never pack quite the punch of Homecoming, but Spider-Man: Far from Home cements Holland's place in the Marvel sized multiverse.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | May 25, 2024

In general terms, although the movie is entertaining, it does not have great original contributions to the genre and loses dynamism due to the schematic reiteration of both the protagonist's personal situations and the confrontations with the enemy.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jan 27, 2024

The cast is brilliant, especially Tom Holland who cements his spot as the best on-screen web-slinger ever. It’s the movie the MCU needed after the tragic events of Avengers: Endgame.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 24, 2023

The second Holland Spider-Man film feels almost underrated at this point by comparison to what followed it, as it was a spirited Spidey romp through Europe with Jake Gyllenhaal’s engaging take on Mysterio.

Full Review | Jun 20, 2023

[The story] has a lot of parallels to the lessons we all learn growing up, in that we have to balance our enjoyment of life with our responsibilities as working adults. I thought it was a well written film.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 11, 2023

It’s a breezy, light-hearted, and fun MCU installment that adds depth to Peter Parker’s world while setting things up for an interesting third film (whatever you do, stay for both end-credits scenes).

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 25, 2022

One of the impressive feats is the way Marvel never seems to falter when it comes to introducing new characters

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 20, 2022

Far From Home is light and zippy enough to distract you from its modest advances for the characters and franchise.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 2, 2022

This "Spider-Man" weaves action, romance and comedy.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Dec 24, 2021

Easily the best Spidey outing since Spider-Man 2, go in as cold as you can and enjoy the epic and emotional rollercoaster ride through a multiverse of movies.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 15, 2021

They swung for the fences on this one, and they knocked it out of the park. It's action-packed, it's actually very funny, and there are some emotional scenes as well.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Sep 4, 2021

Tom Holland once again excels as Peter Parker/Spider Man. He manages to bring just the right mixture of innocence, charm, and uncertainty.

Full Review | Aug 13, 2021

...the saving grace of humour has rescued many Marvel movies and just about glues this one together...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 1, 2021

After the near-perfect fun of Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far from Home is a big letdown. While still completely watchable for anyone who loves these types of movies, it makes for a less-than-satisfying experience overall.

Full Review | Feb 18, 2021

A movie that feels like part of the bigger Marvel universe but, somehow, retains its own character.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 31, 2021

Far From Home's sleight-of-hand pulls off effective and high-impact twists and turns, even when you see them coming.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jan 29, 2021

My Marvel fatigue was real going into a screening of 'Spider-Man: Far From Home.' Fortunately, it wore off early on.

Full Review | Jan 27, 2021

Oftentimes the laughs are so frequent (virtually everyone provides their own comic relief) that the action fails to make an impression.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Dec 7, 2020

Superhero fatigue is definitely a factor here, as the film can't shake the expected narrative beats of these sorts of movies with the third act a rote exercise of mass mayhem and close calls.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Nov 21, 2020

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‘spider-man: far from home’: film review.

Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego in Marvel's latest, 'Spider-Man: Far From Home,' crushing on Zendaya's MJ and encountering Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio during their European school trip.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

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At its best as a look at a few awkward teenagers amusingly coming out of their shells during a summer tour through Europe, Spider-Man: Far From Home , the second installment in the latest live-action Spider-Man reboot, founders as it stomps through picturesque old cities in a series of ill-motivated and less-than-awesome action set-pieces.

The young cast, led by Tom Holland as the bashful web-slinger and Zendaya as a shy girl slow to lose her inhibitions, is plenty appealing as well as funny. But without a proper, full-on villain, as well as an adequate substitute for Robert Downey Jr.’s late, oft-mentioned Tony Stark, this comes off as a not-so-glittering star in the Marvel firmament. It pales even more when compared to Sony’s wildly imaginative animated feature of last year, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

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Release date: Jul 02, 2019

Still convincing as a bashful teen at 23, Holland first turned up as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War in 2016, then again two years later in Avengers: Infinity War and in between was front and center in Spider-Man: Homecoming . Following in the footsteps, wall-climbing and web-shooting of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Holland delightfully played through the discovery of his character’s powers and was clearly accepted by audiences, who made Homecoming the sixth-biggest domestic grosser of 2017.

At the outset, Peter Parker is so exhausted from his recent labors that he wants nothing but to spend part of the summer on a whirlwind tour of Europe with some school chums, one of whom, MJ (Zendaya), he would like to make something more than a pal. His ever-thoughtful Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei ), who looks after him, discreetly slips his Spider costume into his bag, but so intent is Peter at leaving work behind that he doesn’t want to take a call from minder Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson , just going through the motions here).

It’s unfortunate but possibly true that the best scene in the film comes early on, when Peter tries to strategically arrange things on the long flight to Venice so he can sit next to MJ. The comic mix-up that prevents this is quite amusing and well-managed, sticking the kid in the worst seat possible, and director Jon Watts proves himself rather good at this sort of thing. Matters proceed to include not only this twosome’s awkward, herky-jerky mutual advance toward modest physical affection, but also the more unlikely yet entirely winning connection of the geeky, plus-sized Ned (Jacob Batalon) and cute blonde Betty ( Angourie Rice ). Martin Starr , so memorable as the stoner programmer Gilfoyle on HBO’s Silicon Valley , is on board as the far-from-expert tour manager.

Things suddenly become quite Marvelish upon the group’s arrival in Venice, where everyone’s good time is intruded upon by a massively destructive storm cloud that rips through the glorious city, ruining much of it as the whirlwind gradually takes the shape of a giant watery beast. Impulsively springing into action, Spidey does what he can to prevent further destruction, although this proves to be just the first in a series of attacks that coincide with the group’s arrivals in Prague, Berlin and London.

It’s not revealing much to disclose that the man behind these mean-spirited attacks on venerable buildings and hapless bystanders (although actual deaths are never mentioned) is one Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio ( Jake Gyllenhaal ). This latter name is quite fitting in that the man’s rationale for all the wanton destruction, when ultimately disclosed, proves not only mysterious but not terribly convincing.

Similarly coming up short are the physical manifestations of Mysterio’s infernos and Spidey’s efforts to combat them. In an era of ever-more impressive and realistic special effects, those on view here seem rather hokey and ill-judged. Compared with what we’ve seen Spider-Man do in previous outings, there is a contrived, even mechanical aspect to the storms Mysterio whips up to wreak havoc, which in the process renders him one of the least persuasive and intriguing bad boys in the annals of cinematic Marvel. He may be a trickster, but his motivations as a villain are too obscure and implausible to gain much traction, even as something to hate. If the appeal of a mystery or action film can be based to a considerable extent on the quality of its villain, Spider-Man: Far From Home certainly comes up short in that department.

As a result, one must be content with enjoying the passing wit of the screenplay by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, which is agreeable if hardly dazzling, and the charms of the young leading actors, about which the same is true. When in doubt, the writers as well as the director fall back on their talents for smarty-pants humor, and reasonable mileage is gotten from the talent the four main young actors display for expressing both the awkwardness of initiating intimacy and a blasé knowingness once it’s achieved.

Production companies: Columbia Pictures, Marvel, Pascal Pictures Distributor: Sony Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders , Jon Favreau , JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal, Angourie Rice Director: Jon Watts Screenwriters: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, based on the Marvel Comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Producers: Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal Executive producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Thomas M. Hammel, Eric Hauserman Carroll, Rachel O’Connor, Stan Lee, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach Director of photography: Matthew J. Lloyd Production designer: Claude Pare Costume designer: Anna B. Sheppard Music: Michael Giacchino Editors: Dan Lebental, Leigh Folsom Boyd Visual effects supervisor: Janek Sirrs Casting: Sarah Finn

Rated PG-13, 129 minutes

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Spider-Man: Far From Home First Reviews: The Hilarious, Twisty, Action-Packed Adventure the World Needed After Endgame

Critics say far from home is a swinging delight, expanding the mcu world and giving us great performances from tom holland, jake gyllenhaal, and zendaya..

TAGGED AS: comic , Comic Book , Marvel , spider-man

Spider-Man: Far From Home has a lot on its shoulders. Not only does it need to satisfy as a follow-up to the well-received Spider-Man: Homecoming (Certified Fresh at 92%) but also serve as a sequel to this year’s hugely successful Avengers: Endgame (Certified Fresh at 94%). Plus, it’s only been about six months since the release of another acclaimed Spider-Man movie, the Oscar-winning animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse . Fortunately, such responsibility is met with great power, according to critics.

This movie takes Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spidey on a European field trip and sees him reluctantly fighting elemental monsters alongside Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and a mysterious new hero played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Reviews of Far From Home  so far highlight its cast, its action, and how it offers a light epilogue to the events of Endgame . The teen comedy stuff may still the best part, but for most it’s yet another essential entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Here’s what critics are saying about Spider-Man: Far From Home :

Is this the movie we needed right after  Avengers: Endgame ?

“ Far From Home serves as a vital comic palette cleanser following the latest gargantuan Avengers outing.” – Jordan Farley, Total Film/GamesRadar

“It’s a hopeful tone, which, after the last two Avengers movies, is very welcome.” – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

“[It’s] so important to making the MCU feel fleshed-out and realized and providing real stakes by reminding us how an average person would react to these world-changing events.” – Matt Goldberg, Collider

“It more than earns the consideration of being the best solo Marvel film in its third phase.” – Khal Davenport, Complex

“This comes off as a less-than-glittering star in the Marvel firmament.” – Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

“[It] only exists to clean up the cataclysmic mess that Avengers: Endgame left behind…as a stand-alone story it’s a hollow exercise in going through the motions.”- David Ehrlich, IndieWire

(Photo by © Columbia Pictures / © Marvel)

How does it compare to other Spider-Man movies?

“It might just be my favorite live-action Spider-Man film to-date.” – Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color

“Not to take anything away from  Spider-Man: Homecoming , but  Far from Home  improves on it in a number of ways.” – Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics

“While I felt  Homecoming  did not always live up to the Spider-Man brand in the sense of its predecessors,  Far From Home  does.” – Sheraz Farooqi, ComicBook Debate

“ Far From Home gets closer, in spirit, to the good Tobey Maguire films. (It has a kiss worthy of Spider-Man 2 .)” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

“ Far From Home  is a worthy companion to the psychedelia of Into the Spider-Verse .” – Matt Patches, Polygon

“A maddening failure when compared to the remarkable artistry of Into the Spider-Verse or the raw pathos of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 .” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

(Photo by JoJo Whilden / © Columbia Pictures / © Marvel)

What if we’re just here for some teen romance?

“Peter and MJ’s chemistry is where the real heart of the movie lies…it subtly tells a love story between the two characters which I thought it was handled beautifully.” – Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color

“Zendaya and Holland have such amazing chemistry on both a friendship and romantic level…a balanced but exciting pair to see on screen.” – Kate Sánchez , But Why Tho? A Geek Communit

“The bits between Peter and MJ are still where the movie is at its best, but their screen-time together is far too limited.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

Is Tom Holland getting better and better at playing Spider-Man?

“Holland delivered an exceptional performance by delivering such a wide range of emotions…I believe this is his strongest performance yet.” – Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color

“Based on his performance in  Far From Home , I’m gonna need him [in the role] for as long as possible.” Khal Davenport, Complex

How is Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio?

“Gyllenhaal Gyllenhaals all over  Far From Home , adding a potentially illegal amount of charm to every single line reading and gesture.” – Alexis Nedd, Mashable

“The wild energy he pumps into Beck is of the same infectious variety that you find in Okja , Southpaw , or  Jarhead .” – Brad Gullickson, Film School Rejects

“Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck is a shifting enigma of a character that the actor happily infuses with his unnerving bizarro energy seen in films like  Nightcrawler  and  Velvet Buzzsaw , albeit slightly toned down.” – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

“I didn’t think Mysterio was a character that could be pulled off properly in a movie. As it turns out, if you hire a fantastic actor and let a director who understands Mysterio take a crack at it, it’s very possible.” – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

How is the writing ?

“ Spider-Man Far From Home turns all its intelligent themes into a triumphant story of self-belief for Peter Parker.” – Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

“One must be content with enjoying the passing wit of the screenplay by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, which is agreeable if hardly dazzling.” – Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

“Most of the MCU has required people to suspend disbelief, but this installment demands that viewers expel it entirely; the amount of brain-checking labor is off-the-charts absurd.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

Is it funny?

“The film is far funnier than anticipated, though the comedy doesn’t always land, but the sheer number of jokes loaded into  Far From Home  is impressive.” – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

“If Homecoming emulated John Hughes’ high school comedies,  Far From Home  much more accurately duplicates the silliness of one of Hughes’  Vacation  flicks.” – David Crow, Den of Geek

So the movie works best when it’s not a superhero action movie?

“If there weren’t twists and turns and acrobatic thrills ballooning the movie to blockbuster status, the cast would still make  Far From Home  a joy.” – Matt Patches, Polygon

“It’s a pleasant and lovely coming-of-age story first, a wild, funny, and cleverly executed comic book story second…in the blending of Peter Parker’s internal and external conflicts, it’s a home run.” – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

Is there also some great action, though ?

“The action has received a serious upgrade…the final battle may be the best we’ve seen in a Spider-Man movie.” – Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics

“The best action sequences in a non-animated Spider-Man movie since Spider-Man 2 .” – David Crow, Den of Geek

“The action felt very fluid, web-swinging was exhilarating and certain sequences in the third act were jaw droopingly awesome for any Spidey fan.” – Sheraz Farooqi, ComicBook Debate

“The action is an improvement on the last entry, but it still amounts to little more than the typical light show. It delivers on that ingredient, but it’s not why we’re here.” – Brad Gullickson, Film School Rejects

“The acrobatic action here lacks the intimacy and personal stakes vital for superhero scraps to register as anything other than eye candy in this era of anything-goes CGI.” – Jordan Farley, Total Film/GamesRadar

How about the special effects?

“Visually speaking, the effects are quite stunning.” – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

“Sand, water, and fire creatures slinging CG elements across cityscapes sounds like a set-piece philosophy from 2004, but 15 years of technological improvement goes a long way.” – Matt Patches, Polygon

“Many have criticized Marvel films for nearly always ending in a smashy CGI-laden fight…but  this  smashy, CGI-laden villain fight is one of the absolute best ever produced in the series.” – Alexis Nedd, Mashable

“Some instances of web-slinging or close-ups leaves Spidey feeling more like Play-dough-man and less the extremely athletic hero that he is.” – Kate Sánchez , But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Are there any major gripes?

“There are a few moments where the editing felt jarring and the pacing felt uneven…tone inconsistency and an over reliance on comedy in places of drama seemed off as well.” – Sheraz Farooqi, ComicBook Debate

“It is predictable and ultimately the same Spider-Man story from his first solo, but this time in Europe and with a different mentor.” – Kate Sánchez , But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Does the movie set us up for more Spidey in the MCU?

“ Far From Home  makes sure audiences know who Phase 4’s most important character is.” – Sheraz Farooqi, ComicBook Debate

“My money is on Spider-Man being the savior of the MCU.” – Khal Davenport, Complex

“I can’t imagine the future of the MCU without this character…I too hope Spider-Man is the new Iron Man. It means we’ll get over a decade’s worth of movies with him.” – Matt Goldberg, Collider

“Tony and co. may be gone, but the future of the MCU is in safe hands.” – Jordan Farley, Total Film/GamesRadar

Should we stay after the credits ?

“Its mid and post credits scenes are some of the most gratifying since  The Avengers .” – Alexis Nedd, Mashable

“It’s never a good sign when  both  of a film’s most significant plot points are buried in the closing credits.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

Spider-Man: Far From Home   opens in theaters Jul 2, 2019. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) 91%

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Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

05 Jul 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Avengers: Endgame irrevocably changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The apocalyptic time-travel epic not only wrapped up a decade of narrative threads and character arcs, but set up a whole new world in which half of the population has blinked back into existence, five tumultuous years after being blinked out of it. How will the MCU address such universe-altering consequences?

The answer, as Spider-Man: Far From Home proves, is with the same considerable wit, boundless energy and tonal levity that made 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming such a joy. In its opening minutes, Far From Home establishes its post-Endgame world with a hilariously flippant extended gag sequence that doubles as a handy catch-up reel for those who skipped the second- biggest box office hit of all time. (Spoilers follow, if you too are in that camp.)

The good news is that Thanos is dead and dusted. The bad news is that Tony Stark is dead too. And while the world is clamouring for Spider-Man to take up Iron Man’s mantle as lead Avenger, poor Peter Parker ( Holland ) really needs a break. Just as Iron Man 3 saw Stark haunted by his trip through the Chitauri wormhole in Avengers Assemble , Endgame ’s endgame casts a shadow over Parker, now grieving his mentor’s untimely death and hoping to relinquish his super-suit for a little while — less a Spider-Man 2 Spider-Man-No-More than a Spider-Man-not-right-now.

An upcoming school trip across Europe is just the opportunity Parker needs to both put his heroism on hold and declare his feelings for the brilliant, beautiful, and slightly terrifying MJ ( Zendaya ) — hatching a romantic plan for the holiday involving the Eiffel Tower and her favourite flower, the black dahlia (“Like the murder”). Ned ( Jacob Batalon ), meanwhile, reckons he and his best bud will be “American bachelors in Europe”, bully Flash Thompson ( Tony Revolori ) has become a swaggering vlogger who broadcasts to his #flashmob, and teacher Mr Harrington (a consistently hilarious Martin Starr ) is still one lost student away from a total breakdown.

Faces Endgame’s monolithic legacy head-on, before leaving it behind to embark on its own globetrotting adventure.

Just as Homecoming was a whip-smart John Hughes-inspired teen comedy that also happened to be a Spider-Man movie, Far From Home would fly by without any interrupting superheroics. The impeccable Spidey-sense of humour from the previous film isn’t quite as well-honed here (a recurring gag about J.B. Smoove ’s teacher believing in witchcraft never lands, while Ned and Peter’s golden double-act gets less screen time), but returning director Jon Watts clearly relishes the coming-of-age touchstones afforded by his teen hero, this time combining the Hughes influence with a Eurotrip -inspired vision of Europe (a brief jaunt to the Netherlands is improbably populated with windmills, tulips galore, and kindly sports hooligans).

But superheroics do, inevitably, interrupt when Nick Fury ( Jackson ) hijacks the school trip, recruiting Spidey to battle destructive elemental creatures alongside Jake Gyllenhaal ’s newly arrived hero Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio — purporting to hail from the same alternate dimension as the monsters. Watts nailed the localised Queens setting of Homecoming , but clearly delights in the possibilities of taking the friendly Spider-Man out of his neighbourhood — Parker now contending with crumbling architecture, crowds of sightseers, and enemies unaffected by his webs. The director gets maximum mileage out of Spider-Man’s status as the most acrobatic Avenger, punctuating the action set-pieces with dizzying flips and thwips, most effectively in a slick showdown on London’s Tower Bridge.

After Homecoming saw Parker working under the tutelage of Tony Stark, the Iron Man-shaped void brings three new potential father-figures into his life. Mysterio, in a typically non-traditional MCU twist on the source material, is now his co-worker and confidante, offering companionship and empathy for Parker’s latest loss. And then there’s Fury, Jackson back on mischievously imperious form, both lamenting that Earth’s most available hero is a literal schoolkid and relishing the chance to brandish his considerable authority over him. And after spending much of Homecoming fielding Parker’s needy voicemails, Jon Favreau ’s Happy Hogan now bonds with the youngster through their shared grief and fear of Fury — all while striking up a secret relationship with Aunt May ( Tomei ). It’s testament to Watts that these character threads dovetail neatly without jostling for screentime, bringing even more emotional depth to the MCU’s Spidey-verse.

If the buddy relationship between Parker and Beck initially feels bland, Gyllenhaal later shakes up his vanilla heroism, the film switching up a gear just as it appears to be going through the motions. There’s no equivalent rug-pull to the Vulture reveal in Homecoming — anyone who took Spidey Comics 101 will see a major development coming — but Watts stages his upping-of-the-stakes moment with a jolt of energy that spurs a wickedly fun second half, boasting surprising ties to the minutiae of the MCU that reach right back to the franchise beginnings. Not only that, but Far From Home unexpectedly delivers the series’ most thrillingly mind-bending imagery since Doctor Strange had his third eye opened by The Ancient One.

Despite everything else going on, Far From Home charmingly never loses sight of Peter’s quest to ask out MJ. The couple’s would-be-romance is sweet and endearing, but not sickly in the slightest — and Zendaya shines, dropping razor-wire zingers with deadpan delight. Tom Holland remains a note-perfect Spider-Man — still funnier and more believably teenage than Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield ’s incarnations. While Far From Home finds him desperate to take the weight of the world off his shoulders, Holland never loses the ebullient spark that makes him one of the MCU’s most endearing figures.

Far From Home is a looser film than Homecoming , with pacing that occasionally slackens, and a compulsion to give every minor character time to shine. But it’s a light-footed summer blockbuster that faces Endgame ’s monolithic legacy head-on, before leaving it behind to embark on its own globetrotting adventure. The MCU doesn’t need a new Iron Man yet — Far From Home proves it’s more than safe in the web-slinging hands of Spider-Man.

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Spider-man: far from home review - a (mostly) spectacular mcu sequel.

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10 Most Cringe-Worthy Quotes In DC Movies

Obi-wan kenobi writer reveals original plans for scrapped film trilogy, "there's three more movies": star wars stunt coordinator confirms sheer scale of george lucas' unused prequel footage, gives details of cut scenes, spider-man: far from home pulls off an exciting, ambitious, if messy, superhero romp thanks to notable performances by tom holland & jake gyllenhaal..

Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Far From Home  must wear many hats within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. It occupies the unenviable first post- Avengers: Endgame spot on the franchise's release slate, and has been touted as the final chapter in Phase 3, meaning it needs to offer audiences a compelling coda to the Infinity Saga while paving the way for what's next. But Far From Home must also continue the story of the young superhero after his first solo movie, 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming , though his journey was interrupted by the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame . In addition to all that, Far From Home must stand on its own. Spider-Man: Far From Home pulls off an exciting, ambitious, if messy, superhero romp thanks to notable performances by Tom Holland & Jake Gyllenhaal.

Spider-Man: Far From Home picks up after the events of Avengers: Endgame , but examines the larger ramifications through the specific lens of Spider-Man's corner of the world. As such, the movie focuses in on Peter Parker (Holland) wanting to take a break from superhero antics to enjoy his summer vacation in Europe with his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), and tell the girl he likes - MJ (Zendaya) - how he feels about her. All of Peter's plans are derailed, though, when he's approached by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) to help Quentin Beck aka. Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) fight the Elementals and save the world. All the while, Peter wrestles with the idea of stepping up to fill the void left by Tony Stark/Iron Man's death, and he must decide - once again - what kind of superhero he wants to be.

The theme of Peter figuring out his superhero identity carries over from Spider-Man: Homecoming , though  Far From Home  - which sees Jon Watts return as director - adds extra outside factors to the mix with Iron Man's death and Mysterio. It does sometimes come across as Spider-Man: Far From Home treading too much of the same path as Homecoming , with the script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers failing to tie up the character arc quite as neatly. Instead, those character beats get a little lost in everything else the film is trying to accomplish, particularly Mysterio's storyline and the action set pieces. Still, it is a logical next step for the MCU's Spider-Man to wrangle with his identity in a world that was veritably filled with superheroes only to realize he now may be Earth's last hope. Plus, the other aspects of  Spider-Man: Far From Home are compelling enough to forgive the movie for not quite nailing how it explores this theme of superhero identity.

Mysterio, for example, both reinforces and distracts from Spider-Man: Far From Home's themes of superhero identity as a compelling foil to Peter Parker. The execution of Mysterio's storyline in the movie is imperfect, but largely works thanks to Gyllenhaal's performance, which is pitch perfect to this Spider-Man franchise and truly entertaining as hell to watch. Gyllenhaal is a good onscreen match for Holland, carrying the gravitas and charisma of a mentor to the younger actor's superhero. Meanwhile, Holland continues to bring an incredibly likable charm to Peter Parker, once again nailing the awkward teenager with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Holland and Zendaya's budding teen romance authentically maintains the high school feel of the characters, and Holland is backed up by a solid returning cast from Homecoming and new additions like Jackson's Fury, with much of the film's comedic beats falling to - of all people - Martin Starr as Peter's teacher, Mr. Harrington, as well as Batalon's Ned. But make no mistake, this is Holland's movie as Spider-Man and, to a lesser extent, Gyllenhaal's as Mysterio - and they pull it off spectacularly.

Overall, Spider-Man: Far From Home is a blast, though it does take some time to really get going. The first chunk of the movie rests on the shoulders of Holland and his co-stars who play his classmates to carry off a not-at-all exciting start to their trip - not to mention, a super-quick explanation of the new status quo in the MCU after Avengers: Endgame (though confusion among casual moviegoers is still inevitable). Then the second and third acts of Far From Home push the limits of what's expected not just in a Spider-Man movie, but superhero movies in general, getting ambitious with its storytelling and action set pieces and (mostly) sticking the landing. Spider-Man: Far From Home isn't as sharp or tightly written as Spider-Man: Homecoming , but the sequel more than makes up for it with sheer spectacle and MCU connections, and smartly knows when Holland or Gyllenhaal can carry a scene on their own. It's exactly the kind of exciting moviegoing experience fans want from the MCU - but maybe don't always get.

As such, Spider-Man: Far From Home is a must-see for MCU fans, offering a different enough experience to the franchise's other 2019 movies - Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame - to stand apart. It's also able to hold its own as the first MCU movie following the epic Endgame , largely thanks to focusing in on one of the franchise's newer and more compelling lead characters. Further, Far From Home actually does work as a segue into what's next in this post-Avengers world, introducing some interesting threads that fans will be excited to see explored in future movies. One of Homecoming's biggest strengths was being able to balance a character-focused story that acknowledges the larger universe in which it's set, and Far From Home again nails that balance. Still, while Spider-Man: Far From Home is a great superhero movie on its own, viewers may be more excited by what comes next - both for Peter Parker and the larger MCU.

Spider-Man: Far From Home  is now playing in U.S. theaters. It is 129 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments section!

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as he deals with the fallout of Thanos' snap and the weight of Tony Stark's legacy in a post "blip" world. Peter and his friends go on summer vacation to Europe, where Peter finds himself suddenly the inheritor of Tony's incredible tech. However, the trip suddenly goes awry as Europe comes under siege from otherworldly villains, routed by a cloaked hero, Mysterio. Partnering with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Mysterio, Peter will fight to protect his friends while figuring out his place in a post-Iron man world. 

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Review: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ Is the Latest Iron Man Movie

Peter Parker deals with teenage angst and lingering Stark Industries H.R. issues while trying to enjoy a trip to Europe.

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By A.O. Scott

I stan a pipsqueak.

What I mean to say is that I like Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Far From Home” for the same reason I liked Miles Morales in “Into the Spider-Verse” : he’s a teenager. In pop-culture years, the web-slinger is pushing 60, but his most recent movie incarnations have emphasized his youth. Tom Holland, the British actor who has played Spider-Man since 2016, recently turned 23, but he still plausibly looks and sounds like a 16-year-old New York City high school student. This is as it should be.

The character’s perpetual youth is explained in the movie (or “in-universe,” as I guess we’re saying these days) by what happened in between the last two “Avengers” movies. You remember, right? No? I know, it’s been almost two months . Anyway, a lot of superheroes along with half of the living beings in the universe were vaporized by a purple-faced villain with a corrugated chin. This felt like a big deal at the time, but they were all brought back to life and the whole episode is now recalled as “the Blip.”

The opening scenes of “Far From Home,” directed by Jon Watts from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, recap that reversible apocalypse in brisk comic style, from the standpoint of Peter and his fellow students at Midtown High School. Peter is still living in Queens with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and still crushing hard on MJ (Zendaya). Everyone’s getting ready for the school trip to Europe. All’s right with the world until the next supervillain shows up.

Which happens, of course. I’ll refrain from saying too much about him, but the bad guy’s motives are the usual mix of megalomaniacal diabolism and semi-legitimate grievance, but his explanation of the grudge he holds against the superheroes of the world exposes the movie’s major problem, which is Tony Stark.

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‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ Reviews: What the Critics Are Saying

By Dano Nissen

Dano Nissen

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Early reviews have come swinging in for the latest Spider-Man flick. The consensus: a fun and satisfying sequel to “ Spider-Man: Homecoming ,” although it might tread over too familiar territory and be a bit overlong.

“ Spider-Man: Far From Home ” currently stands with a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes — the same score as its predecessor “Homecoming.” As the title suggests, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) traverses the landscape of foreign countries, as well as the landscapes of teenage drama and superhero mayhem.

Coming off the heels of the mega-hit “ Avengers: Endgame ,” would this latest Marvel movie feel slight in comparison?

“What does it feel like to watch a Marvel film in a post-Avengers world? Is there anything at stake left?” wrote Variety ‘s Owen Gleiberman in his review. “It has to do with that mysterious, hard-to-bottle chemistry of audience and superhero — the flow of actor, character, mythology, and FX concept as they merge and navigate a universe of eye-widening hermetic excitement. On that score, ‘Far From Home’ takes a quantum leap — or maybe just a spider swing — over the first Peter Parker film in the MCU, 2017’s ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.'”

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Gleiberman, along with the majority of critics, cast their doubts aside, deeming “Spider-Man: Far From Home” worthy enough to emerge out of the enormous shadow of “Endgame.”

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” hits theaters July 2. Take a look at what critics are saying below:

Variety ‘s Owen Gleiberman:

“The key to the new movie’s appeal, apart from the fact that Tom Holland acts with far greater confidence and verve in the title role, is that the entire film is a bit of a fake-out, and I mean that in a very positive way. There’s a good twist, and it’s totally central (I won’t reveal it), but what’s resonant about it is that it enables ‘Far From Home’ to play around with the very issue of what matters in a superhero movie. Where does ‘Far From Home’ fall on the scale of ‘Spider-Man’ movies? It’s more urgent than the last one (and should be even bigger at the box office), with a richer sense of malevolence, and Holland’s kid-in-over-his-head hero — awkward and ingenuous, romantic and quicksilver — is alive inside in a way that Andrew Garfield’s Peter never was. ‘Far From Home’ gets closer, in spirit, to the good Tobey Maguire films. (It has a kiss worthy of the first ‘Spider-Man.’) By the end, this Spider-Man really does find his tingle, yet coming after ‘Into the Spider-Verse,’ with its swirling psychedelic imagery and identity games and trap doors of perception, ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ touches all the bases of a conventional Marvel movie. It doesn’t take you out of this world. But it’s good enough to summon the kick — or maybe just the illusion — of consequence.”

Chicago Tribune’s Michael Phillips :

“How’s the new movie? It’s good. It’s fun. It goes out of its way to salute the visual effects armies that have made the MCU what it is today, for better or worse. The movie goes on a bit, but then, most of them do. We’d feel ripped off if they didn’t. The whole point of a Marvel movie is to over-serve the customer, so that we leave feeling slightly sick and a tiny bit hoodwinked by the entire interlocking MCU strategy, yet somehow re-upping our commitment for another one.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Darren Franich:

“I wound up liking ‘Far From Home’ more than any Spider-Man film this decade. There’s something eerie in the constant assertion of Tony Stark as Tycoon SuperJesus — but don’t underestimate the shifty layers the final act. The hero worship has a slippery quality here, with a less cheerful purpose than the sincere devotion of ‘Homecoming’ or ‘Into the Spider-Verse.’ The teen characters really are a blast, even if one key person skips a whole movie of development between scenes. Some digital effects look good in a boring way, and then some digital effects look bad in a perfect way. ‘Is this real?’ asks Spider-Man. In the end, I really didn’t know. ‘Far From Home’ succeeds with an unusual, troubling virtue: The best parts are the most fake.”

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw:

“For all these exotic novelties, this is a very mainstream Marvel picture, written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers and directed by Jon Watts, culminating in the traditional CGI damage to tourist landmarks in the time-honoured final battle-spectacular. A new character has been perfunctorily added in the form of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) and the film is certainly nowhere near the envelope-pushingly surreal ambition of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, from last year.”

US Weekly’s Mara Reinstein:

“Witnessing authentic teen angst in a big-budget superhero flick is a flat-out astonishment. Perhaps more surprising is that our hero doesn’t have to rely on his superpowers to get the job done. Our Peter Parker didn’t age during his five years in the ether, but he matured. He makes forehead-smacking mistakes, only to use his intelligence and reason — i.e., not the magic webs — to battle his way out of trouble. Savvy decision. The next MCU phase will print money even if it focuses on Captain Marvel feeding her cat. But we can only see so many cities blow up and flying crusaders toppling buildings and smashing the ground for the greater good. Let’s make some innovative progress. Amazingly enough, a web-slinger will lead the way.”

NPR’s Chris Klimek:

“For as good as it is, there’s just no way to receive ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ as anything more than a vestigial tale, as it were, on the Marvel saga. It’s an earnest, well-performed, lovably shaggy radioactive specimen that can’t help feeling doubly premature for arriving only half a year after the rapturous ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and a whopping two months behind ‘Avengers: Endgame ,’ the MCU’s monumental punctuation mark.”

Slashfilm’s Hoai-Tran Bui:

“‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ is perhaps one of the most comic book-y of recent Marvel films, setting the conflicts on a grand world stage while introducing some truly wacky concepts. Jon Watts, who returns to direct ‘Far From Home’ after impressing with ‘Homecoming,’ delivers some of the most visually inventive action sequences in a Marvel film yet, rivaling the trippy sequences of ‘Doctor Strange’ with a dynamic, deft direction that becomes a touch surreal. Despite their CGI-heavy nature, the action setpieces rarely threaten to become dull, and their settings at beautiful European locales only lend to their epic nature. But one downside of the film’s international settings is that the fish-out-of-water detours feel increasingly redundant when the story of ‘Far From Home’ itself is much more emotionally focused. ‘Far From Home’ has a lot of fat, most of them pertaining to the European vacation segments, that could have easily been cut. The film is far funnier than anticipated, though the comedy doesn’t always land, but the sheer number of jokes loaded into ‘Far From Home’ is impressive. Watts displays a keen understanding of the teenage experience and is able to draw some organic humor out of that, but when blended with Eurotrip jokes, they sometimes fall flat.”

UPROXX’s Mike Ryan:

“So, yes, ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ is funny and clever – in the end, Peter just wants to enjoy his class trip to Europe with the hopes of growing closer to MJ (Zendaya) – but it’s also a movie about both mourning and deception. Peter is still reeling from the loss of Tony Stark, who remains a specter wherever Peter turns. Peter’s emotions are raw, which also leaves him more susceptible to forces preying on his emotional state. It’s a movie filled with surprises (I don’t say that lightly) that leaves Peter, and a viewer, wondering who is real and who can be trusted. Yet it never feels like a movie filled with dread. It’s a hopeful tone, which, after the last two Avengers movies, is very welcome. ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ is a heck of a lot of fun. And I can’t get over how great of a Mysterio movie this is.”

Mashable’s Alexis Nedd:

“Many have criticized Marvel films for nearly always ending in a smashy CGI-laden fight between the hero and villain, but this  smashy, CGI-laden villain fight is one of the absolute best ever produced in the series. ‘Far From Home’ doesn’t waste an iota of the good will Marvel has earned in its previous offerings — every cheeky nod towards Peter’s future in the MCU feels genuine.”

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich:

“Don’t be fooled by the title, or the fact that Marvel finally shot a movie outside of Atlanta: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ is a cute but unadventurous bit of superhero housekeeping that only exists to clean up the cataclysmic mess that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ left behind. As a piece of connective tissue in an ever-metastasizing cinematic universe, Tom Holland’s sophomore (solo) outing as Peter Parker does a clever job of closing the door on one phase and nudging it open to another; it’s funny and colorful and hinges on some MCU deep-cuts that even the most hardcore fans won’t be able to anticipate. As a standalone story, however — another predictable call to action about the burdens of growing up and becoming the person that others believe you can be — it’s a hollow exercise in going through the motions. Fans might be appeased by a successful bunt in a long summer of disgraceful strike-outs, but this is still a maddening failure when compared to the remarkable artistry of ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ or the raw pathos of Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man 2.'”

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Movie Reviews

'spider-man: far from home,' but still on familiar ground.

Chris Klimek

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) goes on a European vacation, but can't catch a break . Jay Maidment/Sony Pictures hide caption

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) goes on a European vacation, but can't catch a break .

For as good as it is, there's just no way to receive Spider-Man: Far From Home as anything more than a vestigial tale, as it were, on the Marvel saga. It's an earnest, well-performed, lovably shaggy radioactive specimen that can't help feeling doubly premature for arriving only half a year after the rapturous Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and a whopping two months behind Avengers: Endgame, the MCU's monumental punctuation mark.

Some Marvel Fatigue was inevitable. This is the eighth movie built around old web-head this century; no other hero has been the solo headliner for so many. (Never mind that several of his adventures — like the two Marc Webb-directed pictures that starred Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, eons ago in A.D. 2012 and 2014 — have been Snaptured™ from the record.) Moreover, Far From Home is the fifth film in a little more than three years to feature Tom Holland as Peter Parker. It runs two-and-a-quarter hours, which has become typical fighting weight for these movies. Given all that, it's remarkable Far From Home manages to be as bright and buoyant a diversion as it is.

Blockbuster Films Keep Getting Longer; How And Why Did We Get Here?

'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Finds Its Footing With A Less Confident Spidey

Would it be better if it were 15 minutes tighter? Yep. Would it be more welcome if it had arrived two years post- Endgame instead of two months? For certain. But the movie has a bunch of winning performances from 22-year-olds still credibly playing 16, it tells a complete-ish yarn while dutifully laying track for further sequels, and it shows more visual brio than your average Marvel joint. Jake Gyllenhaal's malefactor, Mysterio, is a fishbowl-headed illusionist. The film is at its most graphically inventive when Mysterio uses his tools of deception to convince our Peter he can't believe his own teardrop-shaped eyes.

Far From Home picks up eight months after the events of Endgame, when half the population of the universe spontaneously reappeared after a Thanos-induced five-year absence. Instead of setting off an instant, extinction-level refugee crisis, "The Blip" has caused some housing shortages. It has also had the side effect of turning legendary puppetmaster superspy Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) into kind of a dope. You'll have to stay through the credits if you want to know why, but you're used to that by now.

Peter and his Midtown High School peers — the same loveable crew who populated Homecoming two summers ago — embark upon a class trip to Europe, during which our Peter hopes, loudly and frequently, to take a breather from the whole great power, great responsibility gig. Frankly, I'd have happily sat through 90 minutes of just that . Returning director Jon Watts did a marvelous job of building out the supporting cast — Jacob Batalon as best-pal Ned; Zendaya as a refreshingly enigmatic version of Peter's crush, MJ; Tony Revolori as rich-kid jerk Flash Thompson; Angourie Rice as Betty; Martin Starr as the kids' high-strung faculty chaperone. Just watching this crew of smart kids shrug their way across the continent is, well, relaxing — not a sensation one frequently associates with these films.

But There Will Be Battles, and staging them in inexplicably underpopulated simulacra of Venice, Prague, and London makes them marginally more novel than they would be if Manhattan were taking the hit yet again. Even so, you can sense that the producers did as little location shooting as they could manage.

The plot hinges on Tony Stark — memorialized in loving murals everywhere we go — having left Peter in charge of SkyNet, basically. This artificially intelligent network of orbitally launched surveillance-and-assassination drones — exactly the sort of too-dangerous-in-any-hands doomsday weapon Captain America objected to SHIELD bringing online in Winter Soldier, if memory serves — is called E.D.I.T.H., for acronymical reasons I shall not spoil. It has the effect of giving 16-year-old Peter godlike (on top of his already demigodlike) powers. That's too great a power/responsibility, and Peter, to the kid's credit, figures this out quickly. His moral crisis coincides with the arrival of a new, elemental threat to (yawn) the survival of the planet. With all the voting-age Avengers busy doing other, even more important things that were definitely explained by Nick Fury, Agent of E.X.P.O.S.I.T.I.O.N., Colonel Eyepatch is determined to draft Webby into helping him stop this new foe, even if he has to hijack Peter's class trip to do it.

Fury's use of Peter's peers as unwitting hostages, and as a training tool intended to show the kid that his responsibilities are larger than just protecting the people he knows personally, is a funny idea that more or less makes up for the movie's third-act bloat. Watts, like a lot of recent Marvel filmmakers, is an artist who got called up from the indies despite having never made a big-budget tentpole movie prior to Spider-Man: Homecoming . He seems to be most directly responsible for the youthful (but not juvenile) tone. (Only two of Homecoming 's committee of screenwriters, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, are credited this time.) I wish he'd been permitted to keep the stakes, and the scope, as (relatively) intimate as they were in Homecoming.

Gyllenhaal, who was rumored as a potential replacement for Tobey Maguire innumerable Spideys ago, was an inspired choice for the opposition because he initially comes off like a more confident, more battleworn Peter. His character also offers a neat opportunity for some meta-commentary on the kind of difficulties that can arise when you're an ambitious, independent person working for an outfit with a massive economic and cultural reach, like Stark Industries or, you know, Marvel Studios.

Jon Favreau has a bigger role as Stark's right-hand Happy Hogan than he has in any recent Marvel film. Happy is having as much difficulty adjusting to a Stark-free world as Peter is. Favreau directed Iron Man (and also its lousy first sequel), the MCU's Magna Carta; if anyone has earned his spot in this victory relay, it's him. The writers have given Happy a crush on Marisa Tomei's May Parker, who still can't help attracting admirers everywhere she goes. That's a potentially dodgy way of letting her be more than just Peter's ever-ailing Aunt, but the storytellers thread that needle, somehow. Like chaperones on a class trip, or fast-maturing superheroes, they're looking out for everybody.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (United States, 2019)

Spider-Man: Far from Home works best when viewed as an epilogue to Avengers: Endgame (and, by extension, the entire MCU multi-film arc to this point) instead of a stand-alone adventure. Perhaps of necessity considering the monumental task it has of following up on The Big Wrap-Up, Far from Home falls back on standard superhero tropes. Although there are some twists (which won’t be viewed as such by anyone familiar with the comic books), the basic structure is essentially hero vs. villain without many of the subtleties and tangential elements that have elevated the better MCU offerings. This movie is more about ending one era and starting another while giving Tom Holland an opportunity to continue to fill the shoes of Tobey Maguire (and, to a lesser extent, Andrew Garfield).

The screenplay, credited to Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, wrestles with the aftermath of Thanos’ snap. While a five-year age difference might not be viewed as a big thing for adults, it’s more than an inconvenience for high school kids. Far from Home also has to deal with the post-Avengers superhero “reality.” However, even though some of the highest profile saviors are gone, the film tap dances around the survivors’ whereabouts. Thor is said to be “off-world.” Others are “unavailable.” No one mentions Scarlett Witch, Hawkeye, Black Panther, or a host of other Earth-based heroes who presumably could join Spider-Man. (To be fair, the post-credits sequence offers an explanation of sorts, but it’s spoiler-ish, so I won’t get into it here.)

As was the case with Spider-Man: Homecoming , director Jon Watts keeps the tone as light as possible considering the remnants of the Endgame cloud that hangs over the world. Images of Iron Man are everywhere and Peter is suffering from a sense of extreme inadequacy. He’s more than happy to let Mysterio take the lead while he hangs back and fills the sidekick role. Watts is adept at developing the Peter/MJ dynamic (this is pure rom-com territory), although he doesn’t quite generate the level of magic Maguire and Kirsten Dunst conjured for Sam Raimi 15 years ago.

As one might expect from a Marvel feature, there are mid-credits and post-credits scenes. Both are important and need to be seen in order to get the entire picture of where the future is headed (there’s also a great cameo). The film’s significance to the overall MCU and its role in “normalizing” the post-Thanos milieu forces one to think beyond the tepid superhero elements when evaluating Far from Home . Its strengths lie more in the existential realm than the tangible one. By using its most popular (at least over time) superhero, Marvel has smoothed over the aftermath and recalibrated the universe for whatever lies ahead. With a dose of comedy, a dash of romance, and some CGI-heavy battles, the film accomplishes what it needs to do.

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• DVD & Streaming

Spider-Man: Far From Home

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Mystery/Suspense , Romance , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• July 3, 2019
• Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man; Zendaya as M.J.; Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan; Jake Gyllenhaal as Quentin Beck/Mysterio; Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury; Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill; Jacob Batalon as Ned; Angourie Rice as Betty; Marisa Tomei as May Parker; Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington; Numan Acar as Dimitri; Remy Hii as Brad Davis

Home Release Date

• October 1, 2019

Distributor

• Columbia Pictures

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

It’s been a weird five years for Peter Parker—even though technically, he’s barely aged a day.

First, he joined the Avengers as Spider-Man. (Cool.) Then he had to fight the evil Titan, Thanos, who annihilated him (along with half of everyone else) in what’s being called “the Blip.” (Bummer.) Then he came back (yay!), fought Thanos again (argh!), watched his mentor die (spoiler warning!), saw the Avengers kinda-sorta disband (wha?) and, finally, tried to figure out how all this chaos affected his GPA.

Now, Peter is looking forward to a little normalcy. Instead of fretting about the end of the world, wouldn’t it be nice just to stress over finals? Instead of being a superhero, wouldn’t it be cool to just go to a superhero movie ? Aquaman , maybe? With, I dunno, a girl?

He has a girl in mind, too: the cute, aloof, conspiratorial M.J. Sure, she’s a little weird. But he isn’t? Seems like a match made in heaven—or, at least, in high school physics class.

Nick Fury, though, has other ideas.

The Avengers’ eye-patched CEO just came back from the Blip himself and discovered that most of his superstars have either A) died, B) gone back in time, or C) are in space somewhere doing, y’know, space things. But Fury’s well aware that Thanos is not the only superhuman threat to the earth. In fact, new threats seem to be literally burbling out of the ground.

They’re called Elementals, according to a mysterious new character dubbed (appropriately) Mysterio: semi-sentient masses of earth or air, fire or water. He fought them once—in a parallel universe before they destroyed his version of Earth, that is. Now they’re here in our dimension , and Mysterio is willing to do battle yet again. But given how things ended last time he tangled with these creatures, the guy could use some help.

But Fury’s all-star lineup is just about empty. It’s time for a newish hero to get in the game—to knock the dirt out of his Spidey shoes and step up to the plate.

If only he’d return Fury’s calls …

Positive Elements

With great power comes great responsibility .

I don’t think we’ve heard that famous axiom since actor Tom Holland has donned his Spidey suit, but that truism nevertheless permeates this movie. This time, Peter Parker tries to square his desire to be normal with the sense of duty he feels to Nick Fury—and, by extension, the rest of the world.

You can’t really blame Peter for wanting to have a little vacation. And the one he’s taking is a doozy—a class trip across Europe, stopping at some of the Continent’s most historic, most beautiful locales. He has plans to confess his feelings to M.J., too. In fact, Peter’s so determined to pursue M.J., as well as a sense of normalcy, that he doesn’t bother to pack his Spider-Man suit.

And when he discovers that he’s been given access to some powerful, potentially world-changing whiz-bang technology—and an overwhelming level of new responsibility—it’s all too much. In fact, he actively seeks to give all this responsibility away.

But Peter eventually discovers that any superhero worth his or her salt doesn’t have the luxury of being “super” just when time permits. Or when he or she feels like it. These responsibilities can’t be shunted. He learns this lesson the hard way (as, honestly, most superheroes are wont to do), but he learns it well. And as Spider-Man, he gets plenty of help from allies both old and new.

Also, the Netherlands gets a gold star for the friendly hospitality its residents display here.

Spiritual Elements

An Elemental wreaks havoc in Venice, damaging many buildings. Spider-Man desperately tries to keep a church tower (with a cross carved in it) erect, but only succeeds for a time. Later, when another Elemental looks to be too big to handle, Mysterio suggests that divine intervention is the only way out of the mess. “God help us, Fury,” he says. “God help us all.”

Peter’s European field trip is ostensibly focused on science. But when Elementals keep showing up in every city the students visit, one of the chaperones says there’s only one scientific explanation for it: “Witches,” he says. (It’s a recurring theme for the man throughout the movie.)

Sexual & Romantic Content

For whatever reason, Far From Home really wants audiences to see Peter Parker at least partly out of his clothes.

A female lackey of Fury’s meets Peter in Europe carrying a new costume for him. She demands that he try it on. He reluctantly begins to disrobe in front of her (dropping just his pants) when a schoolmate walks in, draws some natural conclusions and takes a picture—planning to use the compromising photo for his own nefarious purposes. Later, Peter’s forced to change clothes in front of M.J. He strips off his shirt before his would-be girlfriend turns the other way. But she still tries to steal a peak as he completes his change (off-camera).

We see teens kiss on occasion—sometimes on the cheeks, sometimes awkwardly on the lips and sometimes a bit more romantically. (They hold hands, too.) Ned, Peter’s best friend, tries to dissuade Peter from confessing his feelings to M.J., telling him that they’d be missing out on a great opportunity to be freewheeling bachelors in Europe. (Ned later gets into a relationship of his own.)

There’s a verbal reference to an on-demand adult movie that Peter allegedly watched while staying at a hotel. M.J. jokingly theorizes that Peter’s gone all the time because he’s a “male escort.” A class chaperone admits to Peter that his wife left him for a guy in her hiking group. Peter’s Aunt May and a guy named Happy Hogan (Tony Stark’s old right-hand assistant) appear to be in a flirty (and for Peter, awkward) relationship.

A couple of women wear tight, sometimes revealing clothing. At one hotel, all of the students have individual rooms. A girl calls her boyfriend over to her door around bedtime, though whether it’s to say goodnight (most likely) or to stay the night is not crystal clear.

Some in the entertainment press have been talking about the fact that Zach Barack is Marvel’s “ first openly transgender actor .” Barack’s character has a small role as a classmate of Peter Parker. That aspect of the character’s identity is not addressed directly, though observant moviegoers may notice that the character’s gender identity is perhaps ambiguous.

Violent Content

While we see plenty of action here, both violence and injury seem lighter than we’ve witnessed in many other Marvel movies.

Elementals wreak perhaps the most damage, but much of it is perpetrated on structures, not people. Admittedly, loads of folks flee from or are endangered by these smashed-up, sometimes falling buildings, but we don’t see anyone actually die. Mysterio blasts into the belly of one—apparently trying to kill it from the inside out.

Drones also wreak a great deal of havoc. One of them tries to gun down a classmate of Peter’s before he puts a stop to it, and another traps some of Peter’s friends in a sturdy vault—ready to unleash a lethal barrage of bullets at them if given the opportunity. Others are threatened by these high-tech drones, and one man is shot and killed by them.

But frankly, Spider-Man seems to suffer most of the movie’s serious injuries. He whacks his head against a church bell a couple of times while trying to hold the bell’s tower up. He plummets from some pretty serious heights, sometimes bouncing off of structures on the way down. He’s hit by a train, too, which was intended to kill him.

And in a very strange, dreamlike sequence (likely pretty intense for younger viewers), Peter battles versions of himself, as well as his closest allies and even a skeletonized version of Iron Man. All this mayhem leaves the adolescent seriously beat up: We see his face bloodied and bruised. He limps around. In one scene, Peter winces as Happy tries to stitch up a wound (which we don’t see) in his back.

A plane blows up. Bridges are torn apart. Columns are blasted to bits. A high schooler uses a mace. A shield is flung (in a very meek homage to Captain America). Ned plays a violent video game. Peter buys M.J. a necklace featuring the Black Dahlia, because M.J. is obsessed with the legendary murder victim.

Crude or Profane Language

Two s-words. We also hear a few uses each of “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” “d–k” and “h—.” God’s name is misused about seven times. One high school student, during a taped message to the rest of the school, utters a bleeped-out profanity.

Drug & Alcohol Content

After a massive battle, Mysterio takes Spider-Man out to a bar for a drink, though Peter tells him he’s too young to imbibe. In the next scene, Mysterio (real name: Quentin Beck) sips on a beer as Peter slurps lemonade through a straw. We see plenty of other folks drink in that same bar, though, with offering toasts with glasses of wine or bottles of beer.

One of Peter’s classmates tries to accept a drink before someone informs the waitress that he’s underage. Other adults drink wine. There’s a reference to the prescription sleep aid Ambien.

Other Noteworthy Elements

Those poor, poor chaperones. Not only do they somehow have to protect their charges from all those Elementals exploding everywhere they turn, they have to keep them from sneaking out at night by themselves. Or, at least, they’re supposed to.

When the class is given tickets to a performance of the Prague opera, a handful sneak out of the hall to party at the city’s spectacular city-wide carnival instead. (Naturally, they all almost die.) Peter and M.J. sneak out of their rooms, too, and are left to wander around Prague sans chaperone. Peter, naturally, mysteriously vanishes all the time —which makes one fellow student seriously confused and angry. He also breaks out of a jail cell: The other men in the cell with him politely close the door behind him, staying right where they are.

Peter and other characters lie and mislead others often. On the plane to Europe, Peter tries to leave the lavatory when he spots M.J. waiting for the same bathroom. He closes the door again and polishes the place (and himself) up—including performing a thorough cleaning job on the toilet seat—before exiting again.

Imagine, for a minute, that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a party, and all of its various movies are attendees: There’s Thor: Ragnarok telling jokes in the kitchen. Captain America: The Winter Soldier glowers in the corner. Guardians of the Galaxy is jumping up and down on the sofa.

In such a scenario, Spider-Man: Far From Home would look a little like Peter Parker in a way—a little smaller, a little more awkward, standing by the punch bowl and looking for someone to talk to.

Most of this is because of the movie’s very nature. Even though they’re now an official part of the MCU, the Spider-Man movies are still owned and released by Columbia Pictures (and its parent company, Sony), not Disney, which makes them a bit of an outlier. Then there’s the fact that Far From Home has the daunting task of being the first superhero flick to follow Avengers: Endgame . Hard to follow that epic mic-drop.

But there’s this, too. The Spider-Man movies, in paving their own path through the MCU, lean on Peter Parker’s youth and relationships: These aren’t just superhero movies. They’re light, teen-centric romcoms —owing almost as much to John Hughes as Stan Lee. In fact, Peter’s relationship with M.J. almost supersedes his battles with the Elementals and other nefarious do-badders. The world in peril? Been there, done that. What this movie’s really interested in is whether the boy gets the girl.

And that’s just fine, really. Sweet, even.

Because of this focus, the violence here seems set more to bubble more than boil. The action? It’s frenetic and intense and, at times, downright weird. But with a few exceptions, we don’t sense that our favorite characters are in any great danger.

But if the violence is a step down from some Marvel movies, the sensuality is a level up. It’s fine that romance is in the air, but a reference to porn? A visual joke involving a striking, blond adult woman and a pants-less 16-year-old boy? Those elements are less welcome.

Far From Home is a fine, fun, serviceable superhero flick. But like Peter Parker’s European vacation, it contains some unwelcome surprises, too.

“With great power comes great responsibility” is an idea that has permeated the Spider-Man series. As Christians, we have a responsibility that extends into eternity. Yet learning how to steward that responsibility the way God intends can be confusing at times. For some ideas on how to encourage your kids to be responsible, check out these Focus on the Family resources:

Helping Kids Learn Responsibility

Responsibility Training

Taking Responsibility for Your Life

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ Review: The Webslinger Swings Again

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

There’s no endgame in sight for Spider-Man . As played by Brit wunderkind Tom Holland in a whoosh of boyish enthusiasm and lovesick angst, Spidey is flying higher than ever. That doesn’t mean this followup to 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming avoids lapsing into silliness and CGI overkill. (Spoiler: It sure as hell does.) Still, the kid-friendly lightness of the piece is a relief after the tragic dimension of Avengers: Endgame, where those superheroes who weren’t killed wound up losing five years in a Thanos time blip. Far From Home is upfront about dealing with the events that shook up the MCU, but don’t think for a minute it wants to spoil your good time. Fun is the default position for a series that now has a lot to live up to after last year’s animated, Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse left the live-action version holding its beer.

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When we catch up with Peter Parker (Holland), he’s eager to put his webslinger duties behind him and go on his high school class trip to Europe. That’s where he can just be a regular teenager again and maybe tell MJ (Zendaya, brainy and bewitching as ever) how he feels about her. But once again, the call of duty trumps romance. Peter’s Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) has packed his Spidey costume just in case. And, yes, that glowering Avengers wrangler Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is royally pissed that Peter is ducking his calls. There are villains on the loose that need to be thwarted.

On the school’s European vacation — it’s pleasing indeed to see the series get out of Queens — Spider-Man must contend with the ruthless Elementals, monsters that take the form of earth, water, fire and air. And once Venice’s canals rise up to wreck havoc, Peter has to suit up again without rousing suspicions from classmates. His best friend, Ned (the ever-terrific Jacob Batalon), already knows Peter’s secret. Luckily, the bullying Flash (Tony Revolori) — Spidey’s biggest fan — thinks Peter is a complete “dickwad.” And school smoothie, Brad (Remy Hii), is jazzed to see Peter out of the way so he can put the moves on MJ. As if! It’s fun to see Fury’s team create an all-black stealth suit for Peter, becoming an alt-Spidey who Ned (and the media) hilariously dubs “Night Monkey.”

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Still, Peter is rudderless without Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), his late mentor. Stark has left his protege a billionaire-dollar pair of high-tech sunglasses, a virtual Siri of power at his command, but the kid can’t get the hang of using the shades without nearly killing people. His search for an older and wiser head to guide him ends with the appearance of Quentin Beck ( Jake Gyllenhaal ), a self-proclaimed visitor from an alternate universe who morphs into Mysterio, a magician in superhero drag with a goldfish-bowl for a head. This newcomer kicks Elemental ass in Venice, Prague, Berlin and London. He’s just the surrogate father Peter needs. Or is he? Gyllenhaal brings wry wit and star presence to the role, but he’s no Iron Man. Who is?

And so the film lays on the FX when it should know that sticking with the kids is its ace in the hole. Go figure. Director Jon Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are back on duty to keep things moving. But instead of using action to define character, they’ve replaced personal development with overdone computer-generated tricks that quickly wear out their welcome. That’s an odd choice for a movie that’s meant to ease us into Marvel ‘s Phase 4, in which so many of our favorite Avengers no longer exist. It’s Holland who keeps us invested. At 23, he’s the ideal choice to play a teen who’s lost five years of maturity. His wide-eyed innocence is genuine and infectious. There’s no contrived digital sleight-of-hand in Spider-Man: Far From Home that can match what Holland does: He makes the MCU feel new again.

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Review: 'spider-man far from home' is the definitive spidey movie.

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The most popular superhero in the world returns to the big screen this week, as Sony's and Marvel Studio's Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives to grasp the superhero baton from Avengers: Endgame and continue the MCU sprint toward further box office glory this year. Can it surpass the massive $880 million of 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming? Will it best 2007's Spider-Man 3 become the highest-grossing film of the franchise? Read on and find out...

Zendaya and Tom Holland star in Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

Already released in major hubs around the world, including China and the USA, Far From Home has amassed $200+/- million worldwide as of Tuesday. Through the rest of the week and next weekend, the film should push its grand total toward $450+/- million in global receipts.

It's hard at this point to tell whether Far From Home will outperform estimates or fall comfortably within them, because there are so many days between now and the end of the weekend, and it's rolling out in all markets save Italy. So the final results could be closer to $420 million or $500 million, depending on several factors in various territories.

My guess has been a domestic bow of $160+/- million, with a low end toward $150 million and a high end toward $175 million. Overseas, the film was always going to be super-sized and play toward $300+ million, powered by Asia Pacific receipts.

Official Dolby Cinema poster for Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

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This being the MCU — and in particular Spider-Man — none of this blockbuster debut is a surprise. The fact Far From Home got an added marketing push via the Avengers: Endgame rerelease and Marvel's drumbeat of "this is the true final chapter in the MCU Infinity Saga," plus the recent underperformance of several high profile summer releases, point to a typical healthy future for Spidey's sequel.

Currently at 94% at Rotten Tomatoes, Spidey's latest trip to the multiplex is tied with Endgame and behind only Black Panther , making it the second-best reviewed MCU film alongside Endgame . Of all live-action superhero movies from every studio, Far From Home is in a three-way tie with The Dark Knight and Endgame for second place behind Black Panther . Including animated films, the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is tied with Black Panther for first place at 97%.

Audience reactions so far have been equally enthusiastic for Far From Home . We'll get Cinemascore data soon, but for now other polling shows high-end marks from viewers and exceptional word-of-mouth. That will translate into strong buzz headed into the weekend and long legs for weeks to come.

Longterm, Far From Home should be able to at least double these opening figures, even against admittedly tough competition from The Lion King in two weeks, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood a week later, Hobbs & Shaw in early August, plus the other Disney-Pixar films already in the marketplace right now ( Toy Story 4 and Aladdin , the latter of which continues to see small weekly declines and will pass $900+ million soon). A simple low-end 2x final multiplier should still drive the wall-crawler's sequel to at least $900+/- million range, and a more likely 2.3+x would see it swing toward $1+ billion.

Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, and Tom Holland star in Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

There is little serious doubt Far From Home can top the $890 million of Spider-Man 3 to take the crown as the all-time biggest Spider-Man movie in history. The only real question in my mind is, how much higher will it climb?

And I fully expect Spider-Man: Far From Home to hit $1 billion. That will give the MCU releases a grand total of nearly/more than $5 billion for 2019. Granted, Sony gets the official box office credit for Far From Home , but this is still an MCU release (and for the record, contrary to apparent common misperception among some fans and media, Marvel Studio's major production role in the film gives them a slice of the box office pie, too).

Domestically, the MCU's haul will be north of $2+ billion for the year. Importantly, for the first time in the studio's history, all of the MCU releases this year will top $1 billion. Having three releases score north of $1 billion is an amazing feat only one other studio —. Universal, in 2015 — has accomplished.

So, how does Spider-Man: Far From Home stack up against previous Spider-Man movies? Does it deserve the acclaim it's receiving from critics and audiences? Read on for my full review...

Official poster for Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

The short and sweet of it is, Far From Home is top tier Spider-Man, superior to all of the web-head's previous outings. The margins are close in some regards, as Homecoming got so much exactly right, but Far From Home brings extras to the table that we've simply not seen before in a Spidey picture.

Tom Holland is easily the best actor to play Peter Parker. Although he's in his early-twenties now (having played Spider-Man in four previous MCU releases — Captain America: Civil War , Spider-Man: Homecoming , Avengers: Infinity War , and Avengers: Endgame ), Holland still pulls off the high school persona with ease. His Peter Parker makes a lot of mistakes — A LOT — and has to deal with sharp learning curves in both his masked adventures as well as his ordinary teenage life, and Holland brings an earnestness not just to the "learning" moments but also to the character's certainty as he screws things up.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland star in Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

Spider-Man storytelling is at its best when it remembers his greatest arch enemy is actually his everyday life, and representing that in live-action requires not only smart storytelling but also a nuanced awareness by the lead actor. Holland gets it, he knows that even while Spidey is punching and slinging his way through a major battle that could determine the fate of a city, he's still worried and guilt-ridden about missing a date or failing in some ordinary duty to Aunt May, his employers, or his schoolwork. It's the heart and soul of the character, really, and nobody has come close to depicting this aspect of the character as magically as Holland.

One other key to "getting Spidey right" is remembering that while most other superheroes adhere to a duality of "ordinary-seeming person is secretly a superhero underneath," Peter/Spider-Man flips that notion on its head with "that guy who seems to be a superhero is secretly an ordinary guy underneath." The distinction might seem narrow, but it's actually an enormous difference, and this too Holland portrays to perfection.

Zendaya gets lots of wonderful character moments and interactions, never really becoming a "damsel in distress" as so many other superhero love interests — including Spidey's, one of the most consistently disappointing aspects of previous films in the web-slinger's franchise — and instead getting to participate headlong in the proceedings. Even when in danger, she is ready to bust some heads (and does) to defend herself and helps divert certain enemies away from the main battle to divide the threats in a more manageable way. She also gets some of the best dialogue and reveals of the story, and authentic reactions to the incredible and absurd events happening around her.

There is real chemistry between Zendaya and Holland, and what makes it especially impressive is how well it mirrors high school crushes and affections, rather than seeming more like adult relationships (which is how even the otherwise excellent chemistry between leads in the two Amazing Spider-Man productions felt).

Jake Gyllenhaal, long a fan and studio favorite for various superhero roles (including Spider-Man, way back in the Sam Raimi era), picked the right role to finally dive into the genre. Mysterio is a combination of grandstanding and heroism, an ally who steps in to offer Peter some mentoring not only on the field of super-battle, but also in his regular life. Gyllenhaal has an easy charm that lets him slip into the role Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man played in Peter's life, and it reminds me I once had Gyllenhaal on my own list of best choices to take over as Tony Stark if/when Downey departed the role and it was time to do a soft-reboot with a different younger actor.

Mysterio is a terrific addition to the MCU's spider-world of characters, someone who will significantly impact the Marvel world and Spider-Man for years to come. Gyllenhaal gives Mysterio a combination of that down-to-earth charisma I mentioned above, with a valiant determination and genuine fondness for Peter/Spider-Man that makes their interactions immense fun to watch both during private moments and in the heat of battle.

Samuel L. Jackson is never less than brilliant as Nick Fury, and he brings a new layer to the role this time around. Fury has been gone for five years because of Thanos' snap, remember, so he's been out of the loop too long and is struggling to play catchup. Together with Cobie Smulders' welcome return as former S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander Maria Hill, Fury tries to reestablish himself within the superhero community and rebuild his past work forming and working with the Avengers (the original members of which are all either dead, retired, or off-world). Jackson's Fury always had a sense of irony and humor, but those are ramped up in Far From Home , and he and Smulder's Hill has some lovely tricks and surprises up his sleeve for us.

Angourie Rice and Jacob Batalon get expanded roles this time around as Holland's/Parker's schoolmates Betty Brant and Ned Leeds, respectively. Rice's Betty gets more screen-time than she did in Homecoming and far more attention to her personality, highlighted by witty banter, particularly with Batalon's Ned. Batalon's/Ned's relationship with Peter is in a transitional stage as he forges his own path and place in their high school world this time around.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

I must give a special shout-out to Tony Revolori, who once again makes Flash Thompson the smug jerk we can't help but love. His harassment of Peter is beginning to show signs of playfulness and the infuriating sense that he thinks somehow Peter actually enjoys being the butt of jokes and playing pseudo-foil to Flash's self-centered life-narrative. As part of the praise-worthy ensemble, Revolori expands Flash's personality and stands out in every scene, including a hilarious tendency to whip out his phone at some of the worst possible moments to film everything and anything for his Instagram account.

The humor quotient is dialed up significantly among the high schoolers, and we get nice deep dive into their personalities and friendships with one another. This is an important element about why Far From Home is so special — the ensemble work is spectacular, on par with Guardians of the Galaxy and Iron Man franchises' ensembles.

Adding to that ensemble factor is the nice surprise offered by J. B. Smoove and Martin Starr as the school's teacher chaperones. They have a recurring amusing "bit," we are treated to some fun little insights and background tidbits fleshing out their personalities, and what could've easily been minor unimportant roles turn into value-added characters who bring yet another degree of flavor to the whole show.

Angourie Rice, Jacob Batalon, and Zendaya star in Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

Marisa Tomei and Jon Favreau return as Aunt May and "Happy" Hogan, another welcome addition to the strong ensemble at work here. In their relatively limited screen-time, they milk it for all it's worth and have some of the best comedic moments of the entire film. They also bring a not-so-secret added complication to Peter's life, and prove again how Peter's personal life is usually the most difficult part of the day for him — and when his personal life overlaps with his superhero work, boy does it ever get complicated.

The emotional stakes are more resonant and more authentically representative of young love, youthful self-doubt, and adolescent enthusiasm frequently outmatched by adolescent naivety and inexperience.

The action is monster-scale and eye-popping, yet it keeps the characters firmly centered and deftly reminds us of everyone's place within moments of danger and destruction — it is crucial that we maintain awareness of how the action set-pieces impact the world around the superheroes and super-villains, and where the consequences fall (often literally) upon the main characters and even background persons. Few superhero or adventure movies maintain this level of precise attention to detail for action beats, so that every action has an equal and opposite reaction inevitably directly affecting the characters. It's worth seeing the film multiple times just to let yourself keep track of how much the CGI-fest set-pieces build upon setup of character moments and events.

Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson star in Sony-Marvel's "Spider-Man: Far From Home"

Visually, Far From Home goes beyond Homecoming in scale, realism, and the aforementioned linkage to the story around/apart from the VFX. It looks awesome, it feels awesome, and its bright colorful palate constantly reminds us of the comic book source material to which it's so consistently faithful.

Without getting into spoilers, I will say you MUST stay for the mid-credit and post-credit scenes. I saw people getting up and leaving after the first extra scene, and I wanted to shout, "What's the matter with you, have you never seen a Marvel movie before?? There's more, sit back down!" And I assure you, anyone who leaves early is going to rue that decision. Yes, there are two credit scenes, and both are important and easily among the best (one is arguably THE best) of any MCU movie to date. Trust me, these aren't just fun or funny, they have major story implications for the MCU.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is everything a Spidey sequel needed to be and more. Bold, beautiful, and brilliant, it is a worthy final chapter to the Infinity Saga. Take your friends, take your family, and then take yourself back for another helping.

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Review: “Spider-Man: Far from Home” Presents the Illusion of a Good Movie

“Spider-Man: Far from Home,” starring Tom Holland as the Queens teen-ager Peter Parker, rapidly intertwines the big events that capped the “Avengers” cycle—Thanos’s mass obliteration of half of humanity and of half the Avengers, in “ Infinity War ,” and the return of those victims coupled with the (likely definitive) deaths of other heroes, in “ Endgame ”—with the conventional high-school life that Peter leads when he’s not Spider-Man. The incorporation of the prior movies’ plot twists into each new work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a formidable screenwriting challenge, and the makers of “Far from Home” meet that challenge with a graceful wit that, unfortunately, isn’t matched by much else in the movie.

Early on in “Far from Home,” there’s a clip from a memorial video tribute to Tony Stark, Black Widow, and others among “Endgame” ’s departed, which is being shown in Peter’s school, ahead of a benefit event for victims of “the Blip”—the catastrophic event, shown in “Infinity War,” that wiped out half the world’s population. Now, five years later, the victims of the Blip have all come back, with results that are somewhat comedic: when those who “blipped out” returned, they nonetheless remained exactly the same age as at the time they left. That’s why one character, a Blipee, complains that his little brother (who didn’t blip) is now his older brother. (Imagine if Steven Soderbergh had the chance to direct a Marvel movie, and the world-building feast of civic fantasy that he might have made of the comedies, melodramas, and perhaps even tragedies resulting from the sudden return of Blip victims.)

Unfortunately, the director of “Far from Home,” Jon Watts, and the film’s screenwriters, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, stick only briefly with the dislocation caused by the Blip before quickly leveraging it into far more conventional heroics and a far simpler dramatic dilemma. The victims’ benefit, at a Salvation Army hall, is a public event featuring May Parker (Marisa Tomei), Peter’s aunt and guardian, as m.c.; it also features Spider-Man, the local hero of Queens, who’s there to sign autographs—and who, of course, remains silent, to avoid being identified with the sixteen-year-old Peter. That secrecy is carried over from the previous Spider-Man movie, “ Homecoming ,” which hinted at a future romance between Peter and his classmate M.J. (played in both movies by Zendaya), and suggested the complications inherent in keeping his superheroic identity hidden from her. (Only his best friend, Ned, played by Jacob Batalon, is aware of Peter’s double life.) Peter’s romantic dreams—and their conflict with his Avenging responsibilities—are the dramatic mainspring of “Far from Home.”

From the start of the film, strange things are happening—the small Mexican town of Ixtenco has been reduced to ruins by what residents call a cyclone with a face. Other towns elsewhere have been similarly ravaged by crude colossi, and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has shown up and taken note. He dispatches the late Tony Stark’s friend and factotum, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), to go backstage at the benefit and let Peter know that his Spider services will be required. But Peter has other plans: the school year is nearing its end, and he and a handful of classmates—including M.J. and Ned—are heading to Europe, under teachers’ supervision, for a so-called science trip, where Peter plans to ingratiate himself with M.J. and bump their relationship out of the friend zone.

The first stop is Venice, where the cyclone-like monster makes another appearance—a huge humanoid made of churning water that threatens the city’s architectural treasures, its population, and Peter’s friends. Peter’s Spider-Man suit is up in his hotel room and he can’t get to it in time—but another superhero, Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), a greenish man with a green globe head and a trail of green smoke, makes an appearance and fends off the monster, earning himself, from his appearance on local news, the quasi-Italian moniker of Mysterio.

Then Nick Fury arrives and cajoles Peter into sacrificing the trip in order to save the world—and guilts Peter, too, with the delivery of a gift and a legacy: Tony Stark’s distinctive sunglasses, which the dying hero had expressly willed to Peter. But those glasses turn out to be something more: the command center of Tony’s interactive system of surveillance and weaponry, called Edith —an acronym for “Even dead, I’m the hero.” Nick gets Peter into a meeting with Mysterio, who explains the danger they face: the monster is one of the four so-called Elementals—of earth, air, fire, and water. The fire monster is about to lay waste to Prague, where Peter and Beck must go in order to stop it and thwart its plans to destroy the world.

But—avoiding spoilers—another villain appears, and his weapon of choice is distinctively cinematic: he commands a device called Illusion-Tech, by means of which he produces three-dimensional images and sounds of an extraordinary realism that occupy vast city spaces and persuade both the general public and the Avengers of their menace. In effect, this dastardly illusionist is a maker of persuasive computer-graphic action scenes akin to those that Marvel movies are based on, and these effects serve two purposes for their master villain. First, they delude Peter, Nick, and any other superheroes in the vicinity into combatting chimeras and rendering themselves vulnerable to the villain’s actual, physical weaponry. Second, they do exactly what the movies themselves do: they create illusions that are taken for realities, which are reported on by the media as authentic news, and which, in the process, allow the villain to craft a public image to his own advantage.

The villain in “Far from Home” is a malevolent director who takes advantage of what he considers the general gullibility of the public. He’s a manipulative cynic who declares, “It’s easy to fool people when they’re already fooling themselves”; he asserts that “people believe, and nowadays they’ll believe anything”; he boasts, “They’ll see what I want them to see,” and he explains that he created his illusions “to give the world something to believe in,” adding—with his own arrogant self-delusion—that his trickery “is the truth.” What Peter has to do, in order to save himself, his friends, and the world, is—as he puts it—“to get on the inside of the illusion,” to penetrate it to find and defeat the villain who’s creating it.

“Far from Home” is a work of crude and trendy distinctions between material realities and fabricated media images. Made as if in response to the prevalence of fake news and insidious propaganda, the movie relies on a sort of informational virtue signalling that vaunts its own cynical self-promotion: the idea that Marvel’s own audiovisual illusions, unlike those made by the villain, come clearly labelled as fantasies and aren’t meant to override the ability of viewers to distinguish them from reality. This false modesty conceals the colossal success of the Marvel series in the pretense that an image, however fabricated or illusory, doesn’t itself constitute a reality for some subset of its viewers. (The details of this very movie, after all, are more widely reported and discussed than those of any recent documentary.) Lest the Marvel moguls doubt the reality of their own illusions, they should imagine the outcry that would result from their repudiation of the details of previous Marvel movies or of the canonical characters.

Rather, “Far from Home” follows the dictates of the series with a solemn and pharisaical rigidity, pursuing the didactic simplicity of its bland heroics with little other than a few snappy comebacks to distract from the lockstep drama. In the process, the movie doesn’t bother to establish its own ground rules of reality or truth. There are not any clear premises for the fighting, nor any sense of what may prove lethal or disabling. Peter takes part in plenty of rock-’em-sock-’em action scenes, in the course of which he takes crashing falls that would mean broken bones and ruptured organs for mere mortals. Though, beneath his suit, he, too, is a vulnerable human, whose vulnerability always takes second place to a bit of jokey imagery, as when he is hit by a speeding train and, though knocked out, awakens mildly bruised in a small-town jail cell in the Netherlands, taken there, as if to a drunk tank, instead of to a hospital bed. There’s no sense of physical danger to the movie’s characters—and yet, appallingly, the mighty scenes of grand-scale urban destruction, in such places as Venice, Prague, and London, imply a gory trail of bodies that the movie doesn’t dare to deliver or even hint at. Its stakes remain theoretical; its superheroic violence remains fun.

The ostensible virtuousness of the computer-generated fantasies of “Spider-Man: Far from Home” is foregrounded in the mild earnestness with which it views high-school life and teen-age characters. As malevolent illusions go, the movie’s sanitized emptying-out of childhood and adolescence is of a piece with a general infantilization of imagination through the rigid and narrow superspectacles that superhero movies have become. There’s one sharp moment of comedic flair, when the jealous Peter tells Edith to launch a drone strike against a muscled and debonair classmate named Brad (Remy Hii), who’s also courting M.J., but it’s the only time when any semblance of loose emotion breaks through, and it’s quickly suppressed.

The cast of actors offers a welcome ethnic diversity that, however, is no better developed than that of erstwhile Benetton ads; the movie’s characters have little life beyond what advances the action, little personality beyond the traits that lead to the few and simple strands of the sentimental happy ending. Beside the superheroic overlay, the movie’s depth of characterization and imaginative amplitude of social relations (as well as its placing of American characters in European settings) could have been borrowed straight from the Disney playbook of decades past—in particular, from “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” which got more fun out of its European settings and reflected the authentic modesty of its goofy and self-deprecatingly adolescent humor.

As for the all-important July 4th-tentpole-movie action scenes—the ostensible C.G.I. highlights—they could have used the help of a diabolical illusionist, because the benevolent ones, who made the film, created fight scenes of a fungible churning, without much visual wit, texture, or compositional thought. As for the evil illusions themselves, they’re in accordance with the entire movie’s cinema-by-numbers approach. I’m reminded of Norman Mailer’s remark that the only characters that novelists cannot create are novelists better than themselves.

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Spider-Man: Far from Home | 2019 | PG-13 | – 3.5.4

Spider-Man: Far from Home SEX/NUDITY 3

Spider-man: far from home violence/gore 5, spider-man: far from home language 4, spider-man: far from home substance use, spider-man: far from home discussion topics, spider-man: far from home message.

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The Blue Futon aka Chase Lehocky reviewing Spider-Man: Far From Home. The Blue Futon aka Chase Lehocky reviewing Spider-Man: Far From Home. The Blue Futon aka Chase Lehocky reviewing Spider-Man: Far From Home.

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