After the hype around Avengers: Endgame in April, Spider-Man: Far From Home has some big shoes to fill. And in the absence of Tony Stark, so does Peter Parker.
The ghost of Iron Man hangs over the Spider-Man sequel heavily, with Robert Downey Jrs late hero basically another character in the film. But thankfully, theres enough action and high school hijinks to ensure that Far From Home isnt just an ode to Stark – despite it starting off with a hilariously 90s star-wipe tribute to the fallen Avengers (picture watermarks and Whitney Houston included).
Tom Holland is as charming as ever as he returns to play Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man – although the emphasis is placed on the former in Far From Home, as all he wants to do is recover from the battle against Thanos and the snap (or, as this film calls it, The Blip) and go on his summer science trip to Europe with his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his crush MJ (Zendaya).
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Peter plans to sit with MJ on the plane, take her to the top of the Eiffel Tower and give her a black dahlia necklace (her favourite flower because of the murder). Unfortunately, his plan is scuppered by the arrival of Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), who needs Peter to team up with new hero Quentin Beck, or Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to battle the Elementals – huge monsters made of earth, wind, water and fire that are wreaking havoc across the earth.
Peter is forced to choose between being the next Tony Stark or being a normal high school kid and getting the girl of his dreams, and while this is a Marvel movie and were here for the superheroes, its the latter scenes that make Far From Home a joy to watch. Much like the John Hughes-ness of Homecoming, its the teenage moments that will make you smile most during Far From Home, whether thats Ned experiencing love at a breakneck speed, or Flash (Tony Revolori) live-streaming literally everything, or Peters chest-beating against school hottie Brad Davis (the scene-stealing Remy Hii) who is also competing for MJs affections. Tom Holland truly brings an endearing quality to Spider-Man, setting it apart from the other films of the MCU, and Far From Home could have benefitted from devoting more time to Holland and Batalons double act.
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But it is a Marvel film after all, and we need the big battles – and without spoiling anything, theres enough plot in Far From Home to cause gasps in the cinema and pull the rug out from under you. All of the action takes place against gorgeous European backdrops, whether its Spidey flying around Venice, or a huge Elemental clash against Londons Tower Bridge. Those here for the superheroes wont be disappointed, even if there is a slight confusion about why all the responsibility is being placed on Spideys shoulders when theres an abundance of Avengers and Asgardians still operating.
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While this is definitely a Spider-Man film, not an Avengers one, there are a few too many who will be the next Tony Stark? mentions, with the message of the film being clumsily hammered home at any given opportunity. But on balance, Holland manages to pull it back and keep Far From Home in the charming zone, rather than the saccharine. Is it betRead More – Source
