MPAA Rating: PG-13/ Genre: Superhero/ Stars: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tony Revolori, Angourie Rice, Remy Hii, Numan Acar/ Runtime: 129 minutes

I feel it must be said, but is it just me or has the growth and development of the comic book genre of filmmaking over the past couple of decades truly been nothing short of incredible? I mean once upon a time superheroes were one of the biggest question marks in regards to what could and couldn’t be shown on the big screen. As a result of that a lot of these time-honored characters which had been an essential part of a lot of people’s lives for a long time found themselves having to really sacrifice in order to even have a chance to be brought to the silver screen let alone to TV. Thankfully this world has managed to evolve exponentially from all of that as we now see that since superhero narratives are now amongst some of the most highly sought-after material that all of Hollywood strives to obtain, filmmakers of all skill levels are being allowed to not only let a lot more of the more outlandish aspects of these characters pop up on the big screen, but a lot more out of left field narrative options are becoming a reality as well.

Of course it should go without saying, but this evolution and continued growth has been a true dream in the making for every single comic book reader across the planet. Indeed every major movie-making studio is now investing boatloads of money in the transition from page to screen of sights that for a long time really truly were just a part of the world’s imagination. Indeed this development has been a remarkable dream come true for lifelong comic book fans and things that comic book fans used to wish beyond all hope against hope that they would get to see brought so vividly to life are now no longer things to look for, but are now eagerly awaited on and what used to be enjoyable to certain groups is now popular across the board.

The reason I bring this up dear reader is because I feel that Spider-Man: Far From Home is most assuredly a terrific representation of this very phenomenon. Indeed not even thirty years ago no one in their right frame of mind in Hollywood would ever have wanted to put forth 40 shy of 200 million dollars towards the making of a film where Spider-Man found a period of rest and relaxation disrupted by a series of epic misadventures that also had another character who wears a fishbowl on his head. Flash forward to now and this honestly is a typical, run-of-the-mill film that you can expect during the summer blockbuster season. Yet even though this is not the pinnacle of films that feature our favorite arachnid hero, Into the Spider-Verse and the last 2 Avengers movies still hold that particular distinction, due to certain ingredients sadly holding this one back just a little bit, this is still really damn good and definitely one that Marvel and Spider-Man fans will enjoy time and time again.

The plot is as follows: Set in the immediate aftermath of the MCU-altering events that occurred in Avengers: Endgame, our film finds our favorite webhead very much struggling to move on in the aftermath of Tony Stark’s untimely passing. On top of that he is also saddled with pressure from the world around him to step up to the plate and become the next “Iron Man” in a lot of ways that even with the love and support both of Aunt May as well as Happy Hogan, this new world he has found himself in is really weighing our teenage webhead down to the point that he really just wants a chance to get away from it all.

Thankfully such an opportunity soon presents itself courtesy of his school due to their formation of a trip through Europe for him and all of his classmates. Suffice it to say then that Peter most assuredly is planning to ditch his Spidey suit at home and just be normal for once if for no other reason than to try and romance new-found crush M.J…of course if there is one thing worth remembering about this character it’s that he has a bad habit of never truly ever getting the things he wants the most. Suffice it to say this is definitely a streak that continues herein. That’s because as Peter has been packing for his trip, it seems that Nick Fury alongside his second-in-command Maria Hill have found themselves extremely busy having to combat a new yet seemingly quite destructive extraterrestrial threat that they have quickly given the distinction of “Elementals”. Yet while they have been able to combat the menace fairly well with the aid of a new hero that has been dubbed Mysterio, they also would greatly appreciate it if Spider-Man would also pitch in and help out. Yet although our favorite web-head is initially extremely reluctant to take part due strongly to wanting to keep his classmates aloof as to his double life, but eventually, after some persuasion courtesy of Mysterio, is pulled into the good fight once again….

Now although this is a film which is filled to the brim with action that is both significantly larger in scale than the web head’s previous solo outing and engaging as all get out, I feel that this film’s key thing holding it back is just what exactly does it do to move these characters forward in both new yet also unpredictable ways. Indeed I say this because the majority of what is seen as the “higher-tier” MCU films and even Spider-Man films for that matter are regarded as such because they took their characters and did things that this genre of movie-making had never dared think could be done before. Suffice it to say that this concept is one item that Far From Home sadly is not able to pull off though definitely not for lack of trying and when you see the movie you’ll know what I mean.

Yet while this is most definitely a film that is made with skill and care as well as possessing quite a few decisions that are both brilliant and shrewd in nature, it also doesn’t really throw any curve balls in regards to the film’s narrative. As a result this isn’t fully the next step in the evolution that you would like to see in the web-head’s time on the silver screen. Indeed it really likes a significantly higher amount of time and effort was put into making these particular characters work well within the same universe instead of the overall narrative, and while this does help define this a great movie, it also prevents it sadly from being a true marvel.

To be fair though, this is a situation where such a trade-off is definitely quite comprehensible seeing as just what the film is operating with in regards to its cast and suffice it to say the film does brilliantly when getting the best possible performances from them. This of course starts with ol’ webhead himself Tom Holland as manages to yet again provide us with a performance that just makes it clearer that this young man might just be the definitive live action version of Spider-Man to ever grace the silver screen. Not only does he just have a perfect understanding of both the hero as well as Peter Parker, but the quite emotional odyssey that he undertakes throughout this film’s duration is not only very a human and relatable one, but it is also fits just what people have come to expect from this character. Indeed it may hurt him tremendously, and it may cause him a significant amount of emotional trauma, but Spider-Man will always be one hero who will step up to the plate and get the job done no matter what and I feel that is perfectly exemplified in the journey that this character goes on in this film. Now I can’t say a whole lot because of spoilers, but what I can say is that as Mysterio, Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely phenomenal. Indeed just the fact that we get to witness this iconic comic book character as he was designed by Steve Ditko right down to the fishbowl helmet is nothing short of incredible. Yet even with a comics-accurate costume on display, it’s also a wonderful envisioning of the rest of the character as well. Indeed even though this film makes a few significant tweaks with the character, the base of who he is still manages to come through in just the right ways.

Now in addition to the stellar work done by Holland and Gyllenhaal this is also a rarity amongst sequels in that this one actually manages to utilize the returning members of the supporting cast from the first one to fantastic effect which is wonderful due to just how great that talent truly is. Indeed this starts with Zendaya who continues in her exciting new spin on the character of M.J. by bringing a witty yet also vulnerable this go-around twist to the character and she really has some wonderful moments with Peter in this one. Also as Peter’s best friend Ned, Jacob Batalon just picks up where he left off in Homecoming and continues to offer up a wonderful amount of comedy to the proceedings in part because he and Tom Holland have such a terrific chemistry with one another. Even semi-minor characters from the first one like Flash Thompson and Betty Brant get significantly more to do in this as they actually get upgraded to main cast members and are given their own little arcs in a sense. Indeed if this cast of young talent continue to offer up performances such as this we might be looking at some wonderful stars-in-the-making here in this film.

Now between a fairly decent sized cast and a narrative that hops between countries at the speed of a roadrunner, it is clear as day that this movie definitely needed someone with skill and talent to help keep it balanced and in check. Suffice it to say then that Jon Watts definitely deserves all the credit in the world for what he has been able to accomplish with this film. Indeed Spider-Man’s previous solo outing in the MCU now seems significantly smaller when you compare it to this film, and it truly has been quite extraordinary to watch Watts’ dynamic evolution as a filmmaker in such a short period of time. Not only that, but with special regard to the additions of Mysterio and the Elementals in this film, this is also an engaging film that is stuffed with exciting action and truly jaw-dropping visual effects, and yet the director does an outstanding job of ensuring you’re both smiling and glued to your seat each and every time.

All in all I feel that the world that exists in the past 20+ years has been very fortunate since it really feels like we have not had to ever truly go without seeing a Spider-Man film in theaters. Yet I think it is also an equally safe bet to make that if Spider-Man keeps being in movies of this level of quality, I feel the fans will always be there to watch our arachnid hero and his continuing fight against evil. Indeed while there are a few moments where the team in charge of this film’s twists seems to have been asleep at the wheel, this film most assuredly rebounds with an engrossing mixture of intriguing and three-dimensional characters, a wonderful plot, and just truly engaging and absolutely thrilling action that make this film a true, for lack of a better word, marvel to behold. On a scale of 1-5 I give Spider-Man: Far From Home a solid 4 out of 5.