Spider-Man: Far From Home

Why does it feel like every Spider-Man movie is about the web-slinging kid having to come of age? Far From Home is no different.

Whilst trying to take a holiday, sorry vacation, with his classmates, Peter Parker / Spider-Man’s, Tom Holland (“Spider-Man: Homecoming“, “The Impossible“), plans are thrown into disarray when old Mr One Eye himself Nick Fury, Samuel L. Jackson (“Glass“, “Incredibles 2“), turns up unannounced.

Well, it’s not that unannounced, Fury has been trying to call Spider-Man but Spider-Man has been sending him to voicemail, much to Fury’s, well, fury.

Finally, whilst in Rome, Fury does catch up to Spidey and introduces him to Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, Jake Gyllenhaal (“Stronger“, “Life“), a man with a fishbowl on his head who is from a parallel universe.

Beck has arrived to warn this Earth of some impending monsters, of which he’s already defeated three, and the fourth and final one must be defeated before it gets too big.

With the help of Spider-Man, they defeat this threat, leading Parker to trust Beck so much that he gives him some glasses Tony Stark has left him that have a new AI, Edith (Even Dead I’m The Hero), that controls all of Stark Enterprises defence systems and more.

But Beck isn’t all the he appears and by the time Parker realises what he’s done, he has a new enemy to face.

Whilst all this is going on Parker just wants to have his trip with his friends and get to know MJ, Zendaya (“Duck Duck Goose“, “Shake It Up (TV)”), and tell her how he feels. But the responsibility of being Spider-Man, of being an Avenger, weigh heavily on his young shoulders.

Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (“Ant-Man And The Wasp”, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle“) and directed by Jon Watts (“Cop Car”, “Spider-Man: Homecoming“), Spider-Man: Far From Home is a non-stop adrenaline rush.

From start to finish it is full of jokes, action, slapstick and plenty of innuendo-esq moments. This is fine, but it’s at the expense of any heart or emotion as much as Holland tries his best to inject some into proceedings, it’s difficult when everything is exploding around you.

Both Holland and Gyllenhaal are great, they play their roles perfectly although Mysterio feels like a watered down bad-guy compared with some we’ve encountered in the MCU.

Aunt May, Marisa Tomei (“Empire (TV)”, “The Big Short“), and Happy Hogan, Jon Favreau (“The Jungle Book“, “Chef”), get much bigger parts, Hogan more so picking up the mentoring gap left behind by Tony Stark.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is an entertaining CGI-fest that zips around the world like it’s won a free trip. It doesn’t feel particularly new or ground-breaking but it is a fun, enjoyable swing through the buildings with your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.