Spider-Man: Far From Home is the second outing for our friendly neighborhood web-slinger and it’s time for a review round-up. While Peter is looking for a vacation and a normal teenage romance, the world needs Spider-Man once again. As the elementals are wreaking havoc across Europe, he finds himself teaming up with Quenton Beck, Mysterio, at the behest of Nick Fury. But, everything isn’t as it seems. With so much love for the character among our contributors for a Spider-Man: Far From Home review round-up, we’ve assembled their reactions to the film below.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
1. Did you go into Spider-Man: Far from Home with any expectations, what were they?
Nikko: I wasn’t really quite sure what to expect. I didn’t really want to go in feeling like it had to top Endgame but I also didn’t want to get my hopes up.
Lizzy: I liked Spider-Man: Homecoming but it wasn’t my favorite Spider-Man movie so I figured Far From Home would be about on that level.
CJ: I enjoyed Homecoming a fair deal, but i was wondering how Far From Home would measure up, especially in the wake of Endgame and Into The Spider-Verse.
Kate: I wanted it to put Peter through more hardship. When I say that I mean Peter, not Spider-Man. I want to see the Peter that struggles, because that’s always made him relatable.
2. Did Spider-Man: Far from Home meet your expectations?
Nikko: Since I didn’t really have any expectations, I can’t fully answer the question. However, I was genuinely surprised by the movie and its villain.
Lizzy: They actually exceeded them! I really, really loved the movie.
CJ: YES! And more! It was surprisingly great.
Kate: It did, in that Peter dealt with the loss of Tony emotionally. It didn’t in that he is still fairly privileged.
3. Who was your favorite character?
Nikko: My favorite character would have to be Peter Parker. It might be a bit obvious, but I related to the character in so many ways. Having lost people who were important to me and living up to their legacies, I can understand what his character was going through.
Lizzy: Peter is the easy answer but honestly, I am obsessed with this version of MJ. MJ is such an interesting character. Zendaya is just brilliant.
CJ: Surprising no one, Peter Parker. I love Tom Holland’s take on the character, and you can tell Peter is struggling with the weight of losing his mentor and superheroics-which is integral to the character.
Kate: Mysterio, Quentin Beck. While I haven’t been a fan of what they’ve done with Peter, Homecoming and now Far From Home have knocked villain and villain design out of the park. And honestly, MJ is a close second. It’s weird because I didn’t like her at first, but in this movie she went past love interest and into real character. She has a dark sense of humor, she like true crime, she’s the opposite of every Spidey-love interest that we’ve seen so far.
4. What was your favorite moment?
Nikko: My favorite moment of the film was the first fight between Peter and Mysterio. The visual effects were not only stunning but I could feel Peter’s constant fear of the changing environments.
Lizzy: My favorite moment was with Peter and MJ on the bridge. The two are just the perfect awkward teenage romance.This movie is in a way like the MCU version of a high school drama and I love it for that.
CJ: I loved the talk between Peter and Happy on the bridge. It was a great way for Peter to express his fears, and the performances from Holland and Favreau were heart wrenching.
Kate: It has to be the illusion fight between Mysterio and Spider-Man. It’s the only time I’ve felt like MCU team made Spider-Man feel like the comic. It’s excellently scripted, to the point that it makes me forgive bad CGI. The visual story telling in that moment is one of the best scenes all year.
5. Could it have done something better?
Nikko: The film at times felt a bit underwhelming. The action scenes that were supposed to happen before Peter left on his trip were cut out. It took a while for any real action to happen. The romance between Peter and MJ would have been even better had it not been changed into some sort of love triangle.
Lizzy: Some of the effects were so-so and after watching Endgame it sucks to be taken out of the movie because of mediocre CGI.
CJ: Much like with Homecoming, I feel like Far From Home could have had a bigger role for Aunt May, especially now that she knows Peter is Spider-Man and supports him. Maybe having her as a chaperone on the trip would have been an interesting story direction.
Kate: The story is too similar to the Homecoming. In the first one, Peter learns that he doesn’t need to be an Avenger and that Spider-Man is enough. In the second one, Peter learns that he doesn’t need to be Tony, and that being Spider-Man enough. That said, the CGI is honestly the thing that takes me out of the film.
6. How do you think Spider-Man: Far From Home handles the events of Avengers: Endgame?
Nikko: I think it did an okay job handling the events. It explained the time jump, which is known as “The Blip”, but it still didn’t provide a bigger explanation. Maybe that’s expecting too much from the film, but it would’ve benefited more from a more detailed explanation.
Lizzy: It kinda breezed past it but being someone who has been a fan of comics for years, potential plot holes like that don’t bother me too much as long as it doesn’t distract from the story.
CJ: I liked how they addressed it in the beginning; would I have liked to see more of an impact? Yes. But one of the main thrusts of the film was Peter dealing with Tony’s absence and that was handled well.
Kate: I think it did it well enough, but it also had unforgiving exposition that didn’t really serve anything to the narrative so much as: “Hey we know we have to address these things.” They didn’t use exposition thoughtfully and that was an issue.
7. Review the movie in one sentence:
Nikko: Spider-Man: Far From Home is the summer hit that wraps up a decade-long arc but also provides a direction for the future. 8/10
Lizzy: Spider-Man: Far From Home is a fun, light-hearted adventure with an incredibly endearing cast. 8/10
CJ: Both a stellar sequel and an excellent coda to the Infinity Saga, Spider-Man: Far From Home is truly spectacular. 9/10
Kate: Spider-Man: Far From Home is heartfelt, enjoyable, and perfect for fans of his first solo, but lacking in originality. 7/10
With our four contributors hovering around the same scores for the Spider-Man: Far From Home review round-up, where do you think this MCU film stacks up against the rest?
