Warning: Contains Avengers: Endgame spoilers, but no Spider-Man: Far From Home spoilers.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the fourth film of 2019 to feature Marvel Comics characters, following Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Dark Phoenix, and it is undoubtedly the best of them, if not of any Marvel film released since 2008’s Iron Man.
Much like Iron Man—the film which kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)—Far From Home is a breath of fresh air. It boasts wonderful performances, top-notch direction, and an unpredictable narrative which, while not seamless, is constantly entertaining.
The sequel to 2016’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home sends Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his classmates to Europe after the events of Endgame. There, Parker as Spider-Man, reluctantly faces off against a slew of enormous beings comprised of the four elements: air, water, earth, and fire.
Along the way, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) forces Parker into cooperation alongside Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), a daring and enterprising figure whom Parker aids with the goal to stop these elemental foes.
With all due respect to Andrew Garfield and especially to Tobey Maguire, Holland’s performance in this film is the most appealing version of Peter Parker to appear in live-action to date.
He gives a delightful showing and perfectly sells the battered post-Endgame version of the character, one who is struggling to live up to the legacy of his deceased former mentor, Tony Stark.
Bolstering Holland’s charm, is his effortless chemistry with Zendaya’s Michelle Jones (M.J.). Compared to Homecoming, Zendaya is given much more to do in Far From Home, and she demonstrates an excellent screen presence while delivering her lines with a perfectly dry cadence to offset the (intentional) awkwardness of Holland’s Parker.
Far From Home places a great deal of emphasis on the relationship between Parker and M.J., and unlike many superhero films, it never feels forced. This iteration of Parker is one of Marvel’s most sympathetic leads in years, and Holland sells the universally relatable “girl trouble” aspect of his character with tremendous success.
Of course, as is the case with any superhero film, Far From Home is packed with action-filled conflict. At the centre of this conflict is Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, whose character arrives in the film simultaneously with the elemental creatures.
Gyllenhaal is one of the most pre-eminent actors of the 2000s and his talent shines through in his performance here. He gives the film a striking dose of charisma and the nuances of his acting become increasingly apparent as the film progresses. In a film full of scene-stealers like Holland and Samuel L. Jackson, Gyllenhaal raises the bar even higher.
Speaking of Jackson, he gives another solid turn as Nick Fury and proves that his character has plenty of runway still to tread, even as he enters his second decade in the MCU. Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan also dates back to the earliest days of the franchise, and he too is given an expanded role in Far From Home, an appropriate nod to the films which established Parker’s former mentor.
Technically, Far From Home soars somewhat above the levels of mere competency established by many previous MCU films. While its score, composed by Michael Giacchino, could never reach the iconic crescendos of Danny Elfman’s scores from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), it still manages to impress with its distinctive motifs and tonal contrasts, particularly in the multi-faceted climax.
Conversely, the cinematography and editing feel pretty cookie-cutter Marvel, and while the European locations call for some interesting sets and production design, the film fails to stylize its set-pieces with the flair of, say, Thor: Ragnarok. That being said, the costume design in Far From Home is superb, both in the case of Mysterio and Spider-Man.
The script, penned by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, is well-paced, funny, and gives most of its characters plenty of exciting and interesting things to do. Despite this, it suffers from a few awkward, expository scenes. Roughly halfway into Far From Home, the film introduces a big narrative twist, but instead of immediately capitalizing upon this drama to build some momentum, everything screeches to a halt for a few minutes to dump a ton of exposition onto the audience before finally moving the plot in more interesting directions.
Fortunately, these eyebrow-raising moments occur very infrequently. Spider-Man: Far From Home is a great film with irresistible performances from its leads. It has no right being as good as it is, considering that Far From Home is the ninth film based on this particular intellectual property to be released since 2002.
Amazingly, Far From Home is the best of all of them, and is the best Marvel movie since Iron Man. It’s a breathlessly entertaining and fast-paced film that delivers great action and a memorable series of antagonists, perfectly setting the bar for the next phase of post-Endgame MCU films.
Most of all, Tom Holland is right at home in Far From Home, the film which establishes him as the new face of the MCU.
