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Spider-Man: Far From Home

Sorry I’m a little late with this one. I watched it back on Tuesday, but it’s been a busy holiday week. That doesn’t speak one way or the other to how I feel about the movie. But as far as movies go, I figure most of you are going to go watch Spider-Man: Far From Home no matter what I say.

It’s the second in the new Marvel Studios reboot of the character, but since he’s been in 2.5 (does Endgame really count?) other Marvel movies, Spider-Man feels like an old friend. So much has happened since Homecoming, that this movie almost feels like we’re starting over. If you haven’t watched Homecoming in a while, you might want to give a re-watch.

Far From Home is a good time. You’ll have fun watching it. You’ll laugh. You’ll… well, mostly you’ll laugh. The heart of this movie is a teen comedy, and sometimes there’s some superhero stuff that happens. Both sides of the coin are thoroughly entertaining, though I felt that the transitions between them could sometimes be a bit clunky, as if the superhero stuff got added to the film as too much of an afterthought.

That being said, Quentin Beck aka Mysterio is one heck of a character. Jake Gyllenhaal brings his A-game and manages to pull off some stuff that seems like it should have never worked. Gyllenhaal’s character plus the threat that he and Spider-Man face together ends up being different and unique, and the movie manages to pull it off despite itself.

There’s a lot of character growth in the film, with a heavy emphasis on Endgame. It’s nice to see that Peter Parker didn’t just pack up from the fight of his life and go back to being normal. An event like that should leave scars on a person, and watching Peter deal with those scars is one of the highlights of the film. It all works to perfection, thanks in no small part to Tom Holland‘s very impressive acting chops.

All the side characters are back and as funny as ever. I worry that a lot of the jokes are designed to only land once, though, which makes me question how rewatchable this film might end up being in the future. Even though Sony and Marvel have teamed up for these new Spider-Man films, they still lack the smooth, buttery delivery of the pure Marvel films. It’s subtle, but you can feel Sony’s grimy hands on the movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed Spider-Man: Far From Home. Having waited a few days to write my review, I think I cooled off on it faster than a lot of Marvel movies. It may be a one and done for me. But that’s okay, because it was worth every dollar I spent at the theater and I’m sure vital to understanding the future of the MCU.

(Also, don’t forget to stay for both post-credits scenes! They’re both amazing, but the final one really explains some character inconsistencies earlier in the film)

Rating: 4.5 stars
Should you watch it? It’s Spider-Man. Are you allowed to not watch it?
Should you take your kids? Standard PG-13 stuff — teens may enjoy it more than normal since the main characters are also teens
What you should watch first: Spider-man: Homecoming, Avengers Infinity War, and Avengers Endgame. There’s mileage to be had by watching, or at least remembering, the Tobey Maguire movies, but it’s not strictly necessary.

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