Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

Introduction (Warning Contains Spoilers)

With the upcoming release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day we thought we’d take another look at Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man trilogy.

After our review on Spider-Man: Homecoming it was only right that we get back into the swing of things by looking at the 2019 sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Following the emotionally draining events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home takes place as we see how Peter Parker is dealing with them personally while also examining what his future holds as a superhero.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is the twenty-third film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is directed by Jon Watts and its screenplay was written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.

In this sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Tom Holland reprises his role as Peter Parker. He joins forces once again with Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Marisa Tomei. Newcomers include Jake Gyllenhaal who plays Quentin Beck/Mysterio. And Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

The movie continues on with the theme of the first movie. Peter Parker balancing life as a superhero while trying to be a teenager. This time while on a school trip across Europe, Peter Parker finds that all hopes of a normal holiday are dashed.

When Nick Fury recruits Peter to prevent further mysterious elemental attacks, Peter needs to ask himself if he’s ready for more big-time responsibilities—and if he can be his own hero.

With sequels such as this one, filmmakers face quite the challenge. How do you carry forward the vision from your original release without compromising it? How do you come up with new ideas that still reflect back on what people loved about the initial film?

The question is whether Far From Home achieves that balance. Does it improve upon Homecoming? Does it create something new? This review explores those questions.

Returning Director: Jon Watts Builds The World

Far From Home was directed by Jon Watts again, after his Homecoming directorial debut. Directors who return to their projects can have a lot of pressure, especially with successful franchises. They need to add to the story without losing the original feel.

Watts knows how Homecoming was successful. The humour and youthful spirit are still part of Far From Home. Peter Parker is once again the emotional focus of the film.

But it is obvious that Watts definitely increases the scope for this one. The original film revolved around the life of Peter in Queens, while Far From Home sends him around various European locations.

The move itself seems bigger and bolder. In the film, there are larger threats and more intense situations. Watts demonstrates great skill in handling the big sequences.

The Mysterio illusion sequences are those in which Watts reveals his true directorial potential. These are the sequences that give Watts room for experimentation. They differ greatly from the usual Marvel action scenes.

In the film, there are unusual angles and surreal images. It is very hard to distinguish reality from illusions here. These are some of the best scenes in the movie.

Still, there are certain downsides to this new scale. Some of the minor character sequences seem less developed. There is less of the down-to-earth feel that Homecoming had.

The first movie definitely gave off the vibe of a movie with neighborhood charm. It was the vibe of someone finding out his powers. The next movie gives off the vibe of a worldwide superhero movie.

Overall, Watts proves himself to be a better director. He succeeds in expanding the universe. He also succeeds in keeping the personality of the Holland Spider-Man.

Cinematography: A Bigger Visual Identity

Cinematographer Matthew J. Lloyd replaces Salvatore Totino, resulting in a stark difference from Homecoming.

The photography style was perfect for the first movie. The photography centered on ordinary life in Queens. It helped make Peter feel like a regular teenager.

Lloyd, on the other hand, uses a slicker and more cinematic style that fits the bigger picture in which this movie is set. The location of the movie in Europe enables Lloyd to produce more dramatic shots.

In fact, Venice, Prague, and London are used very well in the movie. These locations offer adventure and help in illustrating Peter’s growing world.

The visual effects of the action scenes become more dynamic with the photography of Lloyd. The movements of the camera generate the feeling of excitement.

The most significant difference is seen in Mysterio’s illusions. This changes the whole cinematographic style, using strange colors, unusual images, and innovative camera work.

Cinematography also contributes to the viewer being immersed into Peter’s confusion and sharing uncertainty with him.”

The better quality of cinematography, however, sometimes misses the charm of close connection with Peter in Homecoming that was created by Totino.

Different but not worse approach to cinematography comes from the new situation of Peter. The world has become so much wider.

Visual Effects: A Major Step Forward

One of the most noticeable areas of improvement in comparison to Homecoming is the visual effects. Sequel differs not only by its larger scope but also by its higher ambitions.

International settings and massive action scenes are featured in the film. In addition, special creatures called Elementals need heavy digital effects. Furthermore, there is massive destruction in the movie.

CGI effects work rather well in the movie. They perfectly blend with real settings which makes action scenes believable.

Tower of London and Tower Wharf are perfect examples of real locations used in the production.

Filmmakers also worked on sets and used digital effects. That allowed them to create dangerous action scenes. Overall, the combination of reality and fantasy is done very well here.

The visual effects work best during Mysterio’s illusions. The visual effects do not work for their own sake. They actually enhance the plot.

The illusion scenes symbolize Peter’s confusion and fragility. Through visual effects, the viewer can see how Peter tries to understand the reality around him.

Sometimes, however, action scenes become visually overwhelming. Modern superhero movies often suffer from excessive spectacle. Far From Home does have this issue too sometimes.

But still, the visual effects work impressively. They broaden the universe without fully diverting from Peter’s development.

Themes And Story: Peter Parker Growing Up

The themes in Far From Home are a natural progression from those in Homecoming. Responsibility and identity were explored in the first movie. In this case, however, Peter must contend with legacy and loss.

He is haunted by the death of Tony Stark. His experiences with being Iron Man’s protege weigh on his conscience.

Whether Peter can find out his identity by himself is the question that is asked in this movie. It’s not about him replacing Tony Stark; it’s about him finding his own identity.

It is closely related to Peter’s development since it shows not only the development of the superhero but also Peter as a person.

The tone in this movie is also darker than the tone in Homecoming where everything was more teenage and funny.

The incidents of Endgame result in a sense of loss. Peter tries to experience typical teenage fun. However, he is unable to escape his obligations.

As such, Endgame becomes a coming-of-age movie. Peter matures into an adult. He has to make tough decisions.

It is a good plot on the whole. The development of Peter’s character is convincing. However, there are some flaws in the movie.

The main issue is the film’s relation to the whole MCU. Endgame mentions are essential to the plot. Some viewers might be confused by the mentions.

Those who know about Marvel history would easily understand that. For new viewers, there would be some difficult emotions. The movie is very dependent on the past.

Far From Home demands certain information. However, notwithstanding the problem, the main plotline is still quite clear. It is the emotional development of Peter which gives sense to the film.

Performances: Tom Holland Leads The Way

It is the most convincing performance by Tom Holland as Peter Parker because he seems to be more at ease in the role.

The film Homecoming evidently helped him craft the character. He brings in more of his personal touch this time around.

He is great when it comes to comedy. When it comes to drama, Holland is no less impressive.

He works very well with experienced actors. The scenes with Samuel L. Jackson exhibit good chemistry. He never gets intimidated by bigger characters.

One of the best things about him is the vulnerability of Peter Parker. Peter Parker possesses amazing powers. But at the same time, he is young and inexperienced.

He wants to believe people and do the right thing, but that sometimes lands him in trouble. And this is one of the most important characteristics of Peter Parker.

Holland brings this aspect of Peter Parker really well.

Zendaya Expands MJ’s Role

Zendaya gets a much bigger part in Far From Home. MJ plays an integral part in the storyline.

In this incarnation, MJ is completely different from what we have seen before. She is not a typical romantic interest. She is smart, independent and self-assured.

Zendaya portrays her character with these qualities. MJ is not easily influenced by Spider-Man’s reputation. Instead, she is interested in Peter himself.

She is eager to know the truth. She is also eager to help Peter when he faces difficulties. Thus, MJ becomes an active character.

The chemistry that she shares with Tom Holland is yet another positive point. Their bond is awkward and realistic, depicting teenage love not ideal romance.

Jacob Batalon And The Importance Of Friendship

The chemistry that she shares with Tom Holland is yet another positive point. Their bond is awkward and realistic, depicting teenage love not ideal romance.

Jacob Batalon appears once again as Ned Leeds. He continues being one of the main friends of Peter.

Ned keeps on making people laugh in the movie. Still, he is more than a mere comic character. He symbolizes Peter’s link to ordinary life.

The chemistry of Batalon and Holland stays as good as before. The friendship of two boys seems genuine and realistic.

Despite being developed less than before, Ned stays important. He makes us remember that Peter has people around him.

Jake Gyllenhaal As Mysterio

Jake Gyllenhaal has one of the most impressive performances in the film. Mysterio is a character that works because he tests Peter mentally.

The character has the desire to be the next big hero, like Iron Man. The difference is that the character fails to understand what it takes to be a hero.

What the character wants is attention and admiration. The character does not want any responsibilities of being a hero.

This makes him the exact opposite of Peter Parker. The character has no confidence but still tries to help people.

Gyllenhaal manages to capture both the good and evil sides of his character in an impressive way.

Supporting Performances

Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury. His inclusion lends gravitas to the storyline.

Jackson’s acting is vital to the audience’s understanding of Fury’s part in the story. Confidence and authority help convey Fury’s background.

Jackson also makes Fury a humorous character. It is entertaining to see how Fury reacts in Peter’s teenage world.

Also appearing is Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan. The movie also makes use of Happy in an emotional way.

Peter and Happy both grieve for Tony Stark, and this forms the basis of their bond.

Marisa Tomei portrays Aunt May. Her character has been enhanced by her relationship with Happy.

May is symbolic of Peter coming into maturity. She knows that Peter has to do things on his own.

Final Verdict

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a successful sequel that expands Peter Parker’s story. It does not always match the grounded charm of Homecoming.

However, it offers stronger emotional themes and bigger ambition. The performances remain one of its greatest strengths.

Tom Holland continues to define this version of Spider-Man. The film explores grief, responsibility and personal growth effectively.

Its MCU connections can create accessibility problems. The larger scale can also reduce some of the original’s intimacy.

Despite these weaknesses, the sequel achieves its main goal. It builds upon the first film while adding something new.

Far From Home proves that growing up is part of being a hero. Peter Parker’s greatest challenge is discovering who he wants to become.