Film Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home

'Call me Mysterio'. Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) makes the acquaintance of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in the Marvel Superhero movie 'Spider-Man: Far From Home', the sequel to the 2017 hit 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'

The fourth Marvel Superhero film of the year, after 'Captain Marvel', 'Avengers: Endgame' and 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix', 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' has a lightness of touch, warmth and a lack of cynicism that distinguishes it from many superhero movies. It recalls the spirit of the original 'Superman - The Movie', when superheroes were about saving people rather than getting into fights. It is hard to believe that British actor Tom Holland can still get away with playing a 16 year old High School student at age 23 - though he was 22 when he filmed this - but he can and pulls off the role of über-nerd Peter Parker aka Spider-Man with considerable charm and empathy. Director Jon Watts returns to the directing chair after helming 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Holland's first outing as everyone's favourite web-slinger. The result is a film that zips by with energy and wit, as far from the Andrew Garfield movies as one can imagine.

Parker is the High School student entirely unsure that he can impress people without putting on a spider suit. He is also not very good at hiding his secret identity. At the start of the film, set in the aftermath of 'Avengers: Endgame', the blip has left families very confused. Children who disappeared return to families now five years older and kid brothers are now older siblings. Watts shows us the impact of the unexpected reunion with a marching band suddenly disrupting a basketball game. Parker was one of the kids who disappeared and is re-accommodated in a return to normality. Not too much is made of this. The TV channel of ‘Midtown High’ reflects on the passing of superheroes (this film will spoil ‘Avengers: Endgame’ if you haven’t seen it) but then gets on with the show. Parker’s classmates are heading for a whistle-stop tour of Europe – Venice, Prague and Paris – as part of a ‘science’ trip. Peter intends to give MJ (Zendaya) a black dahlia necklace that he will purchase in Venice and present to her on the Eiffel Tower. After that, he hopes that she will finally really, really like him. 

Would that it were so simple! First, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), another blip survivor, has been trying to get hold of him, the remnants of SHIELD being a few superheroes short, but Parker won’t return his calls. Then there is a benefactor’s gift – ‘Edith’, a voice-activated weapons control system given to Parker as a going-away present. Can Parker use it wisely? (Edith is an acronym, but to reveal it would be a double spoiler.) 

In Venice, the Euro-trippers are threatened by a mysterious water monster that does to the architecture what excessive tourism started. Parker springs into action but the creature is contained by the mysterious Mysterio aka Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal). I know what you’re thinking: since when does a Marvel superhero have such a corny name? (I’m not talking about Quentin). It is explained through Italian.

Beck is working with Fury to contain the Elementals who have come from a parallel Earth (yes, there’s a multi-verse) to wreak destruction in all the best tourist spots. Parker is asked to help but being sixteen he just wants to hang out with his friends. There is a neat sub-plot involving Parker’s best buddy (and 'FOS') Ned (Jacob Batalon) who unexpectedly has a holiday romance leaving Parker stranded. Then Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) starts seeing Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), Tony Stark’s right-hand man. It’s all too much.

The film resolves its character arcs neatly, but borrows its plot from another superhero movie. At its heart are disgruntled former employees – wait, didn’t we have that in ‘Batman Forever’?

‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ doesn’t exactly tick the originality box but it knows what it is doing. Parker’s best efforts to keep his class safe from danger are scuppered – what’s wrong with a four hour opera? It also resembles a Bond and or disaster movie, trashing historic cityscapes. There is at least one surprise (in the first of two scenes inserted into the end credits) and a livelier audience than the one I saw the movie with might have whooped and cheered at one cameo.

Watts gets the pacing exactly right, with plenty of whistle-stop incidents and some surrealism. You’ll be reminded of the burly brawl from ‘The Matrix Reloaded’. Gyllenhaal is somewhat dialled down in his first big budget blockbuster since 2010’s ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’. In the intervening years he has notched up a series of award-candy performances and seems slightly embarrassed by his glow-in-the-dark body armour. He has one great moment – only one – but is slightly undone by his dialogue. As sequels go, this retains the spirit of 2017’s ‘Homecoming’ whilst playing with the extended Marvel character-verse. Do stay for the sequence at the end of the film with another ‘twist’.

Rating: Four Stars

‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ is in UK cinemas from Tuesday 2 July 2019