Spider-Man: Far from Home
3/4
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Cobie Smulders
Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Action Violence, Some Language and Brief Suggestive Comments
The difference between a good superhero movie and a bad one is its reliance on continuity and Easter eggs. Of course ties to previous films and setting up future installments is important, but the good ones leave them where they belong: as details. Telling its own story with a strong focus on the present characters must be paramount. A strong narrative and characters we identify with will always win out over regular endorphin rushes from recognition of the in-jokes. It would behoove Kevin Feige to recognize this, as the films that concentrate more on storytelling rather than generating clickbait are the more successful films. "Black Panther," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" are remembered more than "Captain America: Civil War" and "Thor: Ragnarok" for this reason.
After the events of The Avengers films, Peter Parker (Holland) is looking for a break. Being a superhero has its perks, but it's dangerous, tiring and it takes a toll on his personal life. He believes that a school trip through Europe will be the perfect vacation, so he leaves his suit at home so he can concentrate on a far more pressing matter: getting close to the aloof and alluring MJ (Zendaya). Of course, this being an MCU movie, things don't work out like he planned. A magic-wielding man from another version of Earth, whom Peter dubs "Mysterio" (Gyllenhaal), has shown up and is battling elementals that destroyed his Earth and threaten to destroy Peter's. Now the two must team up to stop it.
"Spider-Man: Far from Home" works because it places the story and the characters over marketing, special effects and casting as wide of a net as possible. Zergnet is going to have a hard time coming up with clickbait for this flick. That's a good thing, because such a narrow focus allows the film's strengths (a story and characters worth caring about) to shine. Director Jon Watts takes his time and allows the characters to grow on us. We feel Peter's divided goals, Nick Fury's (Jackson) determination, and Mysterio's motives. That makes each scene pay off because we have an investment in the outcome. That wasn't true of "Captain Marvel," which was made simply to create a deus ex machina in "The Avengers: Infinity War." Watts has more respect for the audience than making a film simply to check off a box.
The acting is one of the film's strengths. Tom Holland makes an ideal Peter Parker. He tries to do the right thing but recognizes his limitations. One of the ongoing conflicts he has is that he must reconcile the responsibilities that Tony Stark placed on him while he is still a teenager. Zendaya makes for a great love interest: quirky and ironic to be interesting, but not so much that she's insufferable (you won't find this MJ in a Wes Anderson flick). Samuel L. Jackson does his thing as the increasingly obsessed badass Nick Fury. Jacob Batalon, so irritating in the first film, is back, although he's no longer so annoying that I wished someone would throw him in front of a bus. Either his acting has improved, or Watts recognized the problem and gave him a role that was less taxing on his limited talents. "Spider-Man: Far From Home" still has an annoying character, only this time it's the teacher Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr), who is one of those teachers that tries too hard to be hip and cool. Flash Gordon, once again played by Tony Revolori (who did in fact star in a Wes Anderson movie), is pretty grating as well.
The best performance is given by Jake Gyllenhaal. The actor always impresses, but he hasn't been this good in years. He's suitably strong and heroic, and the scene where he develops a older/younger brother relationship with Peter is nicely played. Of course, as is usually the case, there's more to Mysterio than we initially suspect, and Gyllenhaal handles this new development like a seasoned pro.
I think I'd be less bitter about the fact that MCU movies being so ubiquitous if they were more like this and less like "Captain Marvel" or "Ant-Man," which exist not because of a personal drive to tell a story but because they fulfill an obligation. With these new movies featuring the webslinger, there's less of a sense that these movies are simply checking off the necessary requirements. There's effort involved here. And it pays off nicely.
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Cobie Smulders
Rated PG-13 for Sci-Fi Action Violence, Some Language and Brief Suggestive Comments
The difference between a good superhero movie and a bad one is its reliance on continuity and Easter eggs. Of course ties to previous films and setting up future installments is important, but the good ones leave them where they belong: as details. Telling its own story with a strong focus on the present characters must be paramount. A strong narrative and characters we identify with will always win out over regular endorphin rushes from recognition of the in-jokes. It would behoove Kevin Feige to recognize this, as the films that concentrate more on storytelling rather than generating clickbait are the more successful films. "Black Panther," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" are remembered more than "Captain America: Civil War" and "Thor: Ragnarok" for this reason.
After the events of The Avengers films, Peter Parker (Holland) is looking for a break. Being a superhero has its perks, but it's dangerous, tiring and it takes a toll on his personal life. He believes that a school trip through Europe will be the perfect vacation, so he leaves his suit at home so he can concentrate on a far more pressing matter: getting close to the aloof and alluring MJ (Zendaya). Of course, this being an MCU movie, things don't work out like he planned. A magic-wielding man from another version of Earth, whom Peter dubs "Mysterio" (Gyllenhaal), has shown up and is battling elementals that destroyed his Earth and threaten to destroy Peter's. Now the two must team up to stop it.
"Spider-Man: Far from Home" works because it places the story and the characters over marketing, special effects and casting as wide of a net as possible. Zergnet is going to have a hard time coming up with clickbait for this flick. That's a good thing, because such a narrow focus allows the film's strengths (a story and characters worth caring about) to shine. Director Jon Watts takes his time and allows the characters to grow on us. We feel Peter's divided goals, Nick Fury's (Jackson) determination, and Mysterio's motives. That makes each scene pay off because we have an investment in the outcome. That wasn't true of "Captain Marvel," which was made simply to create a deus ex machina in "The Avengers: Infinity War." Watts has more respect for the audience than making a film simply to check off a box.
The acting is one of the film's strengths. Tom Holland makes an ideal Peter Parker. He tries to do the right thing but recognizes his limitations. One of the ongoing conflicts he has is that he must reconcile the responsibilities that Tony Stark placed on him while he is still a teenager. Zendaya makes for a great love interest: quirky and ironic to be interesting, but not so much that she's insufferable (you won't find this MJ in a Wes Anderson flick). Samuel L. Jackson does his thing as the increasingly obsessed badass Nick Fury. Jacob Batalon, so irritating in the first film, is back, although he's no longer so annoying that I wished someone would throw him in front of a bus. Either his acting has improved, or Watts recognized the problem and gave him a role that was less taxing on his limited talents. "Spider-Man: Far From Home" still has an annoying character, only this time it's the teacher Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr), who is one of those teachers that tries too hard to be hip and cool. Flash Gordon, once again played by Tony Revolori (who did in fact star in a Wes Anderson movie), is pretty grating as well.
The best performance is given by Jake Gyllenhaal. The actor always impresses, but he hasn't been this good in years. He's suitably strong and heroic, and the scene where he develops a older/younger brother relationship with Peter is nicely played. Of course, as is usually the case, there's more to Mysterio than we initially suspect, and Gyllenhaal handles this new development like a seasoned pro.
I think I'd be less bitter about the fact that MCU movies being so ubiquitous if they were more like this and less like "Captain Marvel" or "Ant-Man," which exist not because of a personal drive to tell a story but because they fulfill an obligation. With these new movies featuring the webslinger, there's less of a sense that these movies are simply checking off the necessary requirements. There's effort involved here. And it pays off nicely.
maybe your reviews would be better if you added pictures or video trailers
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