(Spoilers abound!)
If you think the heartache Avengers: Endgame has caused is over, think again.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the second installment from the Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Spider-Man franchise. It continues to the story of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) a short time after “The Blip,” or the disappearance of half the world’s population because of Thanos‘ snap. Peter reels from the loss of his mentor and father figure, Tony Stark, while the world assumes he is his successor as protector of mankind. As he embarks on a European field trip with his classmates, danger follows him in the form of Elementals, which are being thwarted by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Maria Hill (Colbie Smulders), and a powerful escapee from the alternate universe (!!!) Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), who adapts the nickname Mysterio. In his quest to stop the Elementals from destroying earth, conquering MJ‘s (Zendaya) heart, and filling Stark’s glasses, he discovers something that possibly threatens his future.
The movie does a good job of conveying to the audience how Spider-Man is his own hero while reminding that he was raised, if you will, by Tony. His demise is Peter’s Uncle Ben moment, where he begins to fully feel the weight of being a friendly, neighbourhood masked arachnid in his shoulders. It also conveys Mysterio differently; not just as a person but as a group of people with specific skills and specific grievances against Stark, and Beck only serving as its poster boy. Peter’s character also truly shines with supports such as Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), and Ned (Jacob Batalon), who are key people in his life, and are now making stories of their own.
Side note: I don’t know if I’m glad Remy Hii managed to portray a high school student, but I sure am glad to see him in big-time roles. Fun fact, he is one of those people who I first knew through the Netflix Marco Polo series and managed to cross into the MCU, aside from Benedict Wong.
As for the special effects, they’re spectacular in the sense that they made the visual effects of a team doing visual effects. Visual effects-ception. Same with the first movie, there were scenes where Peter’s introspection was portrayed tastefully. They were also able to put bits and pieces of imagery reminiscent of Tony without showing Robert Downey Jr‘s face, which is good. (They have to work around contractual issues, surely.) Also, the soundtrack interlaces the themes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Avengers, and early 90’s music, which adds to the movie’s atmosphere and tone.
I have many good points for this movie that I would like you, viewer, to see for yourself. Bottomline is, Spider-Man: Far From Home is the perfect movie to follow the mammoth Avengers: Endgame and end the third phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
P.S. Stay until the very end. You don’t wanna miss things!
We would like to thank Philips Monitors and MMD Philippines for the special screening.