Spider-Man: Far From Home (no spoilers)

(M) ★★★★

Director: Jon Watts.

Cast: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, J. B. Smoove, Marisa Tomei.

"Have you considered wearing a fishbowl on your head?"

Spider-man has always been the most relatable Marvel superhero. Even with his radioactive spider-given superpowers, his alter-ego Peter Parker has still had the same issues a normal person has. He's got girl problems, he's got money problems, he's got work/life balance problems. Hey, look - he's just like us!

It's something the previous Spidey movies have known and used to their advantage too, but somehow, in the hands of Holland and the MCU, the real and foibled Peter Parker shines through stronger than ever. Even here in Far From Home, where the webslinger faces a threat well above his pay grade, the fact that Peter is just "a kid from Queens" stands out more than ever.

This pimples-and-all humanity is part of what made Homecoming great, and it's a key factor in Far From Home's brilliance. In the face of the most OTT and large-scale villain the wallcrawler has ever faced in one of his own celluloid adventures, Spider-man is more human, more vulnerable, and more real than ever before. In fact it's Peter's human flaws that drive yet another great entry into the near-impeccable MCU catalogue.

After the events of Avengers: Endgame (referred to as 'The Blip' here), Peter is desperate for a break and plans to leave his Spidey suit at home for his upcoming European school trip. But Nick Fury (Jackson) has other plans, and the one-eyed spy ropes Peter in to help new superhero Mysterio (Gyllenhaal) deal with a new threat - a series of city-smashing big bads called The Elementals. But all Peter wants to do is be a normal kid, enjoy his holiday, and tell his crush MJ (Zendaya) that he has feelings for her.

Firstly, do not see this if you haven't seen Endgame. Far From Home does a pretty great job of catching you up on the things you need to know, but this clever opening round-up is full of spoilers. Also the effects of Endgame play a big part in Far From Home. It's impacts on Peter leave him grappling with what is expected of him, and whether he's up to it, and the divide between his duties and his desires. It's the whole "great powers, great responsibilities" thing, but no one says it - the film just shows it, like all good scripts should. 

The script from Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (who worked on Homecoming) is largely great. It's occasionally a little too-self aware and too goofy, particularly when dealing with the teachers on the school trip, but for the most part the film balances its humour and heart nicely. Things move at a good pace and it's surprises are well managed, although the villain's plan is overly elaborate (although their motives are still interesting). There are also a few cliched travelogue moments, but that's probably to be expected.

One of the best elements of the screenplay is a subtle thematic subtext about not believing everything you read in the media, which is not only timely, but a new one for the MCU. It plays nicely into many of the characters' agendas, as well as providing a nice twist in the mid-credits scene.

As mentioned, Holland is superb in the role. Of the three live-action big screen Spideys to date, he's the best, hands down. And that's saying something, given Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were no slouches in the role. Holland is not only a believable teen (he's 23?!?!) but he's imbues Peter/Spider-Man with the right mix of physicality, goofiness, charm, naivety, earnestness, bravery, selfishness and selflessness.

Jackson is his usual cool-ass self, it's nice to see Smulders' Maria Hill back on the big screen, even though (yet again) she's given very little to do, while Zendaya and Batalon are again fun and funny as Peter's classmates. A more fleshed-out role for Zendaya is particularly welcome. Gyllenhaal, who once famously came close to being Spider-man himself, is also solid, making Quentin Beck AKA Mysterio a fascinating character. He certainly one of the more interesting characters to join the MCU in recent times, and will leave a big mark on the franchise.

With these big-budget blockbusters, it's easy to become tired of the CG-driven action, but Far From Home has some new tricks. It's set pieces are increasingly cool, with the London-set final act busting out some mind-blowing sequences that are well-staged, well-filmed, and pretty dazzling, even in this day and age. 

While it feels more like a placeholder in the mega-franchise as opposed to signalling the start of the next equivalent to the Infinity Saga, Far From Home sends Spider-Man's arc into interesting new directions. And after the intensity of Endgame, it's a welcome return to some frivolity and fun. If nothing else, it's the most enjoyable European vacation ever committed to the big screen (sorry Griswolds), and amazingly, it's even better than Homecoming.