{"id":7521,"date":"2019-06-29T08:52:45","date_gmt":"2019-06-29T12:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/?p=7521"},"modified":"2019-06-30T11:21:24","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T15:21:24","slug":"review-spider-man-far-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/?p=7521","title":{"rendered":"Review: SPIDER-MAN: Far From Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A necessarily \u201cbridgy\u201d affair, \u201cSpider-Man: Far From Home\u201d manages to bring together the traumatic events of \u201cAvengers: Endgame\u201d and hint at what\u2019s next for the MCU.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Tony Stark may be no more, but Peter Parker (Tom Holland) still grieves. And even though he just helped save the world, for teen Peter, it\u2019s back to high school. His five-year absence due to Thanos\u2019 intervention is described in school announcements as a \u201cblip.\u201d And \u201cblipped\u201d with him for that period was his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), his love interest Michelle \u201cMJ\u201d Jones (Zendaya), and school bully, but Spider-Man super fan, Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori). Along with others teens, they venture to Venice, Italy, for a summer trip that\u2019s chaperoned by science teacher Mr. Bell (a funny J. B. Smoove) and the bumbling, clueless Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr).

Of course, the world will need saving again. And when former Tony Stark assistant Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) tries to get Peter to take an assignment from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Pete sends the SHIELD chief to voice mail. But a new threat emerges in the form of elemental monsters, and Spider-Man has to suit up and join forces with new comer superhero Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). With his friends in tow, the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler goes global.

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Pete gets the girl, well, kinda. Zendaya is MJ.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bursting with youthful exuberance and hipster flare, \u201cFar From Home\u201d is wondrous entertainment. By keeping Parker still in high school, and using the \u201cblip\u201d to keep his core crew intact, what might seem like contrived manipulation holds together nicely. This is a wildly over-the-top comic book adventure, after all, so, a little artifice is expected.

But what works best is Holland\u2019s boyish charm and teen innocence. Having lost his father figure in the flawed but heroic Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), Peter is drifting. And as teased in the trailers, Fury colorfully points out that Spidey\u2019s been to space. One would think that Pete’s offworld sojourn might have been enough to mature the lad and prepare him for the new role of hero. But he\u2019s still all kid underneath his high tech suit. Peter\u2019s kind (and hot) Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) knows that her boy is hurting, but understands the old adage: \u201cwith great power there must also come\u2014great responsibility!\u201d In raising Peter, May certainly did something right, because this is one boy who will adhere to that motto, even if it kills him.

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Peter Parker tries being Tony Stark.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Capably bridging the MCU narrative that came to an epic conclusion with \u201cEndgame\u201d and playfully hinting at the films to come, this Spider-Man adventure is thankfully a bright and cheery superhero outing. And like the best film featuring the character, Sam Raimi\u2019s \u201cSpider-Man 2,\u201d it\u2019s a movie that deals with the serious burden that has been placed on a young man\u2019s narrow shoulders.

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Jake Gyllenhaal plays Mysterio.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Director Jon Watts, who gave us \u201cSpider-Man: Homecoming,\u201d has a handle on the pacing that only slows down long enough to celebrate being a kid today and give Peter a moment to express his inner feelings. If Tony Stark verbalized his conflicts with prickly snark and dismissive attitude, this Peter Parker is positively all warm and fuzzy\u2014you just want to hug the guy. And while audiences embraced the abrasive Stark as he insulted and joked his way through trauma, Peter wears his heart dangerously on the outside, making it hurt us when someone menacingly stomps on it. I suspect that after tying up loose MCU ends with this film, Spider-Man\u2019s next standalone movie will deal with heavier emotional troubles. After all, Peter is barely old enough to drive in this version. There\u2019s a lot of living and maturing on the horizon.

A joyful adventure that makes us believe in Spider-Man one more time, \u201cFar From Home\u201d capably begins the next phase of the MCU.

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Returning from a five-year absence has to be traumatic for these kids.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Note:<\/strong> Flash Thompson\u2019s narrative might play big into the third Spider-Man movie. I was somewhat bothered by how the concept of the \u201cblip\u201d was so casually tossed out there in this movie. Sure, kids are quick to joke about serious matters, but it\u2019s Flash that is clearly masking his urgent emotional trauma in \u201cFar From Home.\u201d Parents, what if you instantly lost your child, grieved for five years, only to magically get it all back with the snap of a finger? I suspect that that that rollercoaster would take its toll on everyone. \u201cFar From Home\u201d isn\u2019t quite able to deal with those issues, and I\u2019m fairly certain that moving forward, Flash will be our conduit into that emotional abyss.<\/em>

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