SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019) REVIEW

Watched in: July 2019

Didn't like ▢ Alright ▢ Liked ▢ Loved ✔︎

Did I cry?: A lil bit

Would I watch it again: Yes

Would I recommend?: Yes

Watchability: Easy

Watch with: Family ▢ Friends ✔︎ Self ▢

I recently saw the most recent release from Marvel, Spider-man: Far From Home, dir. by Jon Watts and staring Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal. Heres what I thought...

Plot & Story

This film was half teen romance, half superhero action film, and I was 100% here for it. The two very different genres met beautifully in the middle and made for a story that was both interesting and heartwarming. The plot was easy enough to follow despite at times being fairly complicated, as you would expect from the MCU, as everything was explained and the audience was allowed time to get to grips with new development; we weren't rushed. It was charming, as Homecoming was, but this time had sharper edges, more possibility of something going wrong, and this added a sense of trepidation we have come to expect from Marvel films. Saying that however, it was in general such an uplifting film, and such a breath of fresh air after Endgame, as you felt you could finally breath again. I loved how prominently featured Tony Stark was in this movie, obviously not truly there but definitely in spirit, and it made my heart happy to know he wasn't forgotten in our world or in theirs, and his legacy still lives on. Compared to some films in the MCU, this film wasn't overly high action, just a few great fight scenes that served to forward the plot and advance character, and I think this really benefitted the film, as it wouldn't have felt right for it to be all action. I think it was a wonderful, fitting start to the new phase, and the story development we're introduced to both thrills and terrifies in the most exciting of ways.

Characters & Performance

Tom Holland, of course, was on form in this film. He brings such a lovely innocence to his Spider-man that lets you really feel his pain and his joy, and his line deliverance makes every line hilarious and memorable. He is also very relatable, as are all the characters to be honest, and this makes the film so much easier to enjoy. I really loved Gyllenhaal in this film, I think he was the perfect casting choice for Mysterio and he has such a presence about him, and was not only able to convince the characters within the film of certain things, but also the audience watching as well. I'll be honest, I wasn't as big a fan of Ned in this one as I was in Homecoming, which is a really minor thing as he really has no effect on the plot, but he just wasn't being the great friend we know him to be and was a bit hypocritical, which was just a bit off-putting at times. Regardless of that though, the relationships between the characters, old and new, were built very naturally and were lovely to watch.

Direction & Cinematography

A classic Marvel film with rom-com edges, this film shows off everything that is brilliant about Marvel and the way the create things. This story is so different to what we've seen from them over the last couple of years, bar maybe Ant-man and the Wasp, because its so much more about the characters themselves rather than how they fall into the timeline, and we're able to see the characters grow and develop as people which is so lovely. Therefore, both sides of the coin have to be perfectly entwined; the hard hitting action scenes can't seem out of place with the funny, romantic moments, and of course they hit it right on the head. The two worked harmoniously, and fused to create just a lovely story whole. In terms of actual design, the warped reality scenes really stood out, as they were so gorgeously shot and so incredible to watch, I myself was struggling to keep up with what was real and that is exactly the effect they were going for. They had to be so imaginative with the way they portrayed the different story elements, and it really did come across brilliantly in the end.

Personal Opinions

I thought this film was a fabulous mix of funny, touching and intense, bringing a tear to my eye and then seconds later making me laugh out loud. Holland's Spider-man is always so fun to watch and I think the character has come even further since Endgame, with character development we didn't get to see but we know is there shining through. It will be an easy film to revisit, and I'll enjoy it thoroughly when I do. It's a shining example of what's to come from this new phase of the MCU.

Final rating: ★★★★★

Did you enjoy Far From Home? Let me know down below!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6320628/