The Nerdee Foodee

We all knew after Endgame that Far From Home will not only be the follow up (an epilogue if you will) to most Marvel fans call the end of an era, but also ushering in the next phase of the MCU. Fans were a mix of concern and eagerness awaiting this release to see just what the future may hold for the next generation of Marvel superhero movies. That being said, if you have not seen the movie, and do not want it spoiled, please do not read on.

Do not say I didn’t warn you!

With that little disclaimer aside, let us swing forward onto the review!

Far From Home starts off with the teen comedy/action spirit, but matures a bit from there as Peter Parker grows as a character. FFH‘s opening scene did a light-hearted remembrance of who we lost during Endgame, as well as a small recap of the five years post Snap from the viewpoint of Peter’s classmates. The wounds from Endgame may still be fresh, but at least this bit gave viewers laughs with the tears. This sets the tone for the film overall. It is a great story about dealing with grief, as much as growing up, and finding yourself. Peter, not only has to still cope with the loss of his father figure, he also has to deal with idea that Tony Stark passed his technology on to him. While Homecoming starred an eager Peter, who wanted to prove himself worthy of the title Avenger, FFH has a doubtful, depressed, and unsure Peter.

Tom Holland’s range of emotion in his acting makes viewers feel everything Peter is feeling and going through. Pairing the already loveable character of Peter Parker with Holland’s talent and charm makes it hard not to love this version of Peter. He works beautifully with every actor he is paired with during his scenes. Each character relationship and interaction flows because of this, whether it is the friend, almost father/son relationship with Quentin Beck, the best friend comradery with Ned, or even the hilariously cute, but awkward relationship he forms with MJ. He indeed shines in this movie the more Peter learns and grows.

Zendaya as MJ is such a strong and right choice. Zendaya delivers an effortless performance of being your average crime drama loving teen. MJ is a direct deviation from the stereotypical main girl. While being witty, smart, loyal and strong, MJ is also pretty in a non typical way (i.e. she is not always put together with makeup and having her hair done runway ready), awkward, and nerdy. Her dead pan awkward style of humor brings a different aspect of comedy to the film. All courtesy of Zendaya’s many priceless facial expressions, and line delivery. One could say she is nerdy, modern girl next door of the next generation, who also kicks ass when she needs to. Girls of all ages can not only look up to her, but relate to her.

What is a superhero movie without a villain? Jake Gyllenhaal oozes dark charisma as Quentin Beck a.k.a Mysterio. He makes you want to trust him, even if you know he is too good to be true. When Gyllenhaal pulls the switch from promising hero, to manipulative villain, it shows his range of acting talent. Not only that, but the casting, as well as character design is so well done it is eerie when Beck puts on E.D.I.T.H his looks are reminiscent of Tony Stark. Viewers will see why Peter looks up to him, and wants to trust him so badly.

While Quentin Beck is seen as Mysterio, Mysterio is more than just Quentin Beck. It was an interesting choice to make the villain a company of people working together. Everyone on Beck’s crew being a disgruntled ex-employee of Tony Stark. Thus, giving the classic Spidey villain an interesting twist, and yet again showing that the MCU is very much connected.

Everything about Mysterio is fun to look at. The costume itself draws you in with all the little details that light up, and the interesting fabric textures. Even more so, the special effects team killed it with all the illusions. They were abstract instead of subtly bending reality, unless it was needed for an added twist. The abstractness could have easily been too trippy, but it was the right blend letting you think about what Peter feared. The behind the scenes crew really did something special with Mysterio that commanded viewers’ attention throughout the film.

The topics of dealing with anxiety, and self-doubt were handled with care. From Peter giving up E.D.I.T.H to Beck when the idea of becoming the next Tony Stark became too much for him to handle, to figuring out what being an Avenger and hero means to him. Writer Chris McKenna made a great choice of featuring moments forcing the public eye on Spider-Man after all is said and done with Thanos. Those moments brought out Peter’s anxiety to the forefront and showed a character the viewers could find relatable during various points in their lives. A choice could have very easily been to skirt around the topic, or just show glimpses of anxiety, especially for a boy. It would not have shown the character depth we see from Peter. Plus, it turns the idea of boys and men having to not show emotion and keep themselves together to show that they are strong on its head. That it is ok to feel pain, anxiety, even ask for help when you cannot stand on your own. FFH (like with Homecoming) had a Peter Parker, who did not want to endanger his family or friends, so he removed himself from them. Unlike with Homecoming though, Peter reached out and asked for help when the going got too much for him to handle. He realized that his friends and family are there for him; because he is not alone in this fight.

Not every movie is perfect. An issue with having a well known villain is that fans of the comics are waiting for the moment that Beck reveals his true face. The trailers did not give much to a villain other than the Elementals, but fans could pick up on that Mysterio is not a total hero. This leaving the first quarter of the movie feeling a touch slow. There was sense of something not right with Nick Fury when he did not pick up on anything that was off about Beck and the Elementals. It was hard not to doubt the writing choices of his character. Unfortunately, viewers had to wait until the very last end credit scene to have some semblance of peace of mind concerning this. Could have Nick Fury and Maria Hill being Skrulls been an interesting play? Maybe, but the execution of the idea fell flat. Almost as flat as some of the scenes with Ned. Homecoming developed an established strong friendship into a possible crime fighting duo. FFH has Ned ditch Peter for most of the movie all because of a girl. While relatable to almost anyone who went to high school, the bit got tiresome. Due to this, there was little development between Ned and Peter, especially where helping Peter with saving the world is concerned. Clearly the ploy was to have Peter grow from being truly alone, and learn to ask for help. It also led to Peter and MJ getting together. An over used cliché used with good intentions. Hopefully with Ned and Betty ending things at the end, there can be room for the making of a strong trio.

FFH wrapped up its fun ride giving a nod to Sam Rami’s 2002 Spider-Man films with Peter swinging through the city. The ending mood is bright, and lifted. All until the first end credit scene. Another nod to Rami’s movies is the return of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. A man you love to hate. All this nostalgia and light-hearted mood is flipped when it is revealed that Beck, or actually Mysterio gets the final word making Spider-Man out to be the bad guy, as well as revealing Peter’s alter ego to the world. The one thing Peter did not want this whole time. Such a great segway to where Spider-Man will venture from there now that Peter’s cover is blown. Fans may still be wondering where the MCU will go from here, but for now there is a glimmer of hope that the future will be bright.