Review written by Christian Garcia
I am finishing off the MCU Revisit (for now..) with the final film of Marvel’s Phase Three: Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Releasing just months after the epic finale that was Avengers: Endgame, Far From Home had a difficult task of establishing the post Endgame climate of the MCU. It cleverly starts with major spoilers from Endgame, ironically spoiling the death of Tony Stark for my girlfriend. I loved it so much when it came that I wound up seeing it twice and it left me hopeful for the MCU’s future with Tom Holland leading the charge as Spider-Man.
Until No Way Home, I thought this was the best Spider-Man film yet. Seeing how the MCU climate has drastically changed since its release, does this film still hold up?
Let’s take a closer look.
The Hero's Journey
Peter Parker’s journey from the film continues as he struggles to juggle his double-life. Homecoming introduced the idea of Peter trying to live a normal life as Peter Parker while having to choose his responsibilities as Spider-Man. Homecoming did a great job of setting up the young hero’s struggle and Far From Home heightens it with Peter also coping with the loss of his mentor, Tony Stark and the weight that comes with taking his place as Earth’s protector. On top of that, they throw in the traditional teen drama as Peter tries to pursue his crush, MJ.
In the beginning of the film, Peter is adamant that he is taking the summer off from being Spider-Man and wants to just enjoy his European vacation as a normal teenager and pursue a relationship with MJ. There’s a scene where Spider-Man talks to reporters, and they bring up how he plans to fill the shoes of Tony Stark. This is where his double life as Spider-Man begins to meddle with his plans. The question weighs heavily on Peter and he leaves in a huff. It’s followed by a powerful moment where Peter looks to a mural of his fallen mentor and mourns him, feeling lost without his guidance. Nick Fury attempts to get in contact with Peter but Peter ignores him, choosing to ignore his responsibilities as Spider-Man to have a normal summer for once. Peter’s inner struggle is relatable because we know that he knows the right thing to do but also knows that doing the right thing will come at the cost of his own happiness. He wants a normal teenager life but his responsibilities as Spider-Man will never let him go.
His Spider-Man responsibilities catch up to him when he encounters Mysterio battling a monster known as the Water Elemental in Rome which with Peter’s help he is able to stop. Peter then runs into Nick Fury who briefs him on a new mission which includes Mysterio aka Quentin Beck. Fury gives Peter a pair of sunglasses that were left to him by Tony Stark. Peter is touched by the gift from his mentor which is revealed to be an A.I. device known as E.D.I.T.H. which has access to Stark Industries databases and technology.
Peter tries to get out of the mission, wanting a normal summer, but Fury hijacks his trip and brings him and his friends smack dab in the middle of more danger. Peter and Beck form a friendship as Beck appears to be the only one who understands Peter’s struggle as a hero. They have a moment where Beck seemingly fills the role of mentor to Peter when he gives him advice on how to be a hero and the risks that come with it. It’s a moment where Peter thinks he found someone who understands him, but we find out later that it is really Beck playing on Peter’s desire for a mentor to manipulate him.
During a battle with the Fire Elemental, Peter’s best friend Ned and his girlfriend get roped into the conflict and Peter chooses to save them rather than take on the enemy. Mysterio, in a feat of great heroism, takes on the monster himself and defeats it. This is a crucial moment where Peter decides he is not fit to be the hero Fury and Stark want him to be and thinks Beck is better suited for the role. Peter makes the incredibly foolish choice to hand over E.D.I.T.H. to Beck and walk away. It is revealed afterwards that Beck is really a conman and an ex-Stark Industries employee who had been using holographic illusions to masquerade as a hero.
Thinking he has put Spider-Man behind him, Peter’s world is rocked again when MJ reveals that she knows he is Spider-Man and shows him one of Beck’s Holocubes that she found during the battle with the Fire Elemental. The cube reveals Beck’s deception and Peter realizes he has made a terrible mistake. Peter attempts to warn Nick Fury but is tricked again by Beck and after a visually spectacular fight, Beck leaves Peter for dead and threatens his friends. Thankfully Peter survives and calls Happy Hogan.
In the emotional highlight of the film, Peter breaks down in front of Happy. He dwells on his mistakes and how they have now put his friends in danger and the pressure he has been feeling to be the next Iron Man. He tells Happy that he will never be Iron Man and admits how much he misses Tony. Happy and Peter mourn Tony together and Happy tells Peter no, he will never live up to Tony, but Tony could never live up to himself and used to mess up and second-guess himself all the time. He says that Tony never second-guessed choosing Peter and that Tony would not have done what he did, if he didn’t know Peter was going to be there after he was gone. This is the moment where Peter grows as Spider-Man and steps up to the plate to be the hero that Tony wanted and knew he could be. Happy looks on at Peter as he builds a new suit and smiles, seeing a glimpse of Tony in him.
In the climax, Beck attempts to create an illusion of an “Avengers Level Threat” while also planning to kill Peter’s friends to keep his plans a secret. Peter sneaks into the illusion and disables it and engages Beck in a final battle. This time Peter is not fooled by Beck’s illusions and is able to shut down his operation and reclaim E.D.I.T.H. Beck is wounded by a misfire from one of the drones and succumbs to his injuries. After overcoming the odds as Spider-Man, Peter gets his own victory when he starts a relationship with MJ.
It seems all is right with the world and that Peter has found the balance that he has been longing for…or so he thought. The mid-credits scene drops a major bombshell on Peter’s life as J. Jonah Jameson (played once again by J.K. Simmons) reveals a video made by Mysterio in which he reveals Peter’s identity as Spider-Man to the world. Leaving Peter and audiences going what the f….
The Villain
Quentin Beck aka Mysterio is a former Stark employee who created holographic technology that Tony Stark nicknamed B.A.R.F. After being fired by Stark for being too unstable, Beck and a group of former Stark Industries employees plot to create Mysterio, the ultimate superhero charade to take the place of Tony Stark.
Beck is played by Jake Gyllenhaal who puts in a great performance. Beck is charming and at first very likable but when his true colors are shown, we see that he is a master manipulator. He manipulates the young Peter Parker into trusting him enough to foolishly hand him over E.D.I.T.H. Beck’s plan of deception is a great plan as he gets the audience and Peter to trust him as a likable hero which makes his turn more shocking and garners the audience hatred.
The Film's Pros
Great Villain
Mysterio is a Spider-Man villain that I have been waiting to see on the big screen and was very excited when he was announced as this film’s villain. I found Jake Gyllenhaal to be an interesting choice at first, but he delivers a very impressive performance. At first, he is very charming and likable and like Peter, I found myself thinking he was a good guy.
Of course, I knew that Mysterio is a villain, so I was waiting to see what his angle really was and when it was revealed I wasn’t that surprised but thought that they handled the reveal well. Part of me felt that his jump to kill Peter’s friends after discovering that he knew his secret was a little sudden but given that he mentioned he was fired from Stark Industries for being too unstable, it does fit his character. Once he is revealed as a conman, his true colors show, and he becomes easily dislikable.
Compared to past (and even future) villains that have come through the MCU, Mysterio stands out as a great villain not only for his performance in this film but also because of the impact that he has. In his final act, he cons the world into believing he is still a hero, and that Spider-Man is a villain who killed him. While the concept of a villain manipulating the masses into turning against the hero is nothing new, it is handled very well and sets up the next film in such a bombshell way. And again, it has impact and lasting effects. Mysterio’s final actions greatly affects the events that transpire in Spider-Man: No Way Home and that is something that has not always been seen in the MCU, aside from Thanos. In most early MCU films, the villains are vanquished and then usually forgotten. While the Vulture was a good villain in the first film, it can be argued that his actions only effected Spider-Man and not the rest of the world. He was locked up and forgotten. Mysterio is defeated in this film, but he is far from forgotten in the next film and for a character to have that kind of impact that isn’t Thanos is something to be admired.
Being a fan of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, I was happy to see that Mysterio was not just another wasted villain in this film and that his presence not only was handled with great care but left a lasting impact on Spider-Man and the rest of the MCU.
Stunning Visuals
When Mysterio was announced as the villain for this film, I was excited to see what types of illusions and tricks he would bring to the big screen. With the technology in today’s films, I imagined Marvel Studios would be able to bring his illusions to life in a grand a visually stunning way and they did not disappoint.
When Mysterio makes an illusion of Nick Fury at headquarters, I was not so surprised when it was revealed to be an illusion, but they got me when they showed Fury taking down Beck and then it itself was revealed to be an illusion. It was a great fake out that got me and fooled Spider-Man. The visual of Iron Man rising from the grave and attacking Peter was an incredibly haunting visual.
When Peter fights Beck in the climax, he reminds himself that the illusions are not real. In the final moments, Beck tries to trick Peter with one final illusion and shoot him but Peter’s Spider sense or as he calls his “Peter Tingle” helps him see through it and stops him.
Marvel did a great job of having the illusions be so convincing that the characters and the audience had a hard time determining if they were real or not which is the best thing they could have done. It brought one of my favorite villains to life in spectacular fashion.
The Film's Cons
Another Stupid Hero Decision
This is more of a nit pick than a flaw that hurts the film, but I will put Peter’s decision to give E.D.I.T.H. to Beck as the second dumbest decision made by a superhero since Tony Stark gave the Mandarin his address in Iron Man 3. I remember watching it for the first time in theatres and thinking, that’s a terrible idea!
While I understand the idea that Holland’s Peter is a kid learning and makes mistakes along the way, it still comes off dumb for many reasons. First, Peter barely knew Beck and was too easily trusting of him. While it makes sense that Beck played on Peter’s vulnerability and manipulated it to gain his trust, Peter’s decision was too impulsive and not well thought out. The second reason this was dumb was the fact that E.D.I.T.H. was given to Peter from Tony. Tony trusted him with this technology so wouldn’t Peter think that maybe it shouldn’t have been left to just anyone. Also, it was a gift! That’s a pretty dick move to give a gift from someone you loved and cared about to someone you’ve known for like half a day!
I understand the idea that they are going for in that Peter is under a lot of pressure to live up to Tony and doesn’t want to carry the burden, but giving up something his mentor gave him that also had access to highly dangerous and advanced technology is still a stupid decision for a hero to make and one that puts himself and the people he cares about in grave danger.
Again, this is more of a nit pick than a flaw that brings the film down. It is a well-done moment to show how Holland’s Peter is still young and naïve but it’s also hard not to watch it and think, that was a dumb move.
Final Thoughts
Spider-Man: Far From Home is a great follow-up to Homecoming and furthers Tom Holland’s journey as Peter Parker now having to traverse the world without the guidance of his mentor, Tony Stark. After the emotional finale that was Avengers: Endgame, Far From Home was Marvel’s return to the fun summer blockbuster film that packs the action, humor, and emotion that the MCU is known for. Until No Way Home, I considered it to be the best of Holland’s films while still being a solid second behind Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 as my favorite Spider-Man film.
The first two Holland films while they packed the fun and humor that one expects from Spider-Man, they both lack the heavy weight that comes from a Spider-Man story. The first two Sam Raimi films will always hold a special place for me because they carried that heavy weight that Peter Parker carries living his double life as Spider-Man. While Holland’s Peter Parker is incredibly likable and is my favorite portrayal of the hero, his first two outings felt like they played it just a bit too safe. After seeing No Way Home however, I do understand why and will go more into that when I review that film down the line.
As is, Spider-Man: Far From Home does add more weight and burden to Holland’s Parker while still packing the fun adventure that one expects from a Marvel blockbuster. It takes what Homecoming established and adds more to it. It adds more weight, more development for Peter and his friends, a great villain and establishes Tom Holland as the new face of the MCU. After the departure of Robert Downey Jr., Holland had some big shoes to fill, and his character is likable and credible enough to not only be taken seriously as a hero and as a lead but also is still his own thing. Far From Home is a film that holds incredibly well 3 years later and is worth checking out.
Conclusion
And with that, the MCU Revisit is finished!! For now…
With Phase 4 still trucking on, I figured the end of Phase 3 would be a good place to stop the revisit. I will pick up again when Phase 4 finishes up. These past few months of revisiting the Marvel films have been an incredible experience for me and for my girlfriend. I loved having an excuse to go back and watch these movies again and I loved getting to watch my girlfriend experience these films for the first time. Watching her become a Marvel fan through this watch through is a memory I will always cherish.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has accomplished a lot in the last 14 years and has done something no other studio has done before or been able to do since. It took beloved comic book heroes and transformed them into household names. The MCU isn’t looking to slow down any time soon and I am excited to see what they have in store next. Their recent announcement of films covering the Kang Dynasty and the Secret Wars Saga has me and other fans excited to see what they have up their sleeve.
I hope these reviews were and are helpful for those looking to check out the Marvel films and gave you a unique perspective. The MCU is worth checking out and I hope anyone reading these choose to do so and can find films that you love and characters that you can become obsessed with. Thank you for following me on this revisit and I hope you check out my future reviews of newer Marvel films and other popular film franchises!!