Spider-Man: Far From Home-A Fun Superhero European Vacation Bet Than it’s Online Reputation
Spider-Man: Far From Home still has its merits, and I think it's a better film than people online make it out to be. The film does capture the fundamental conflict at the core of the character, that of Peter struggling to balance being a teenager and a superhero, in a way that I find pretty compelling and, in a way, feels like a solid continuation from Homecoming. The European vacation feel of a lot of the film is admittedly quite enjoyable, with a lot of scenic shots of European locales. Mysterio also continues to be an incredibly entertaining villain, as through his interesting motivation and plan, Jake Gyllenhaal's scenery-chewing performance, and the visually creative illusion sequences, he feels ripped straight from the comics. Solid VFX and camerawork lead to some fun action, notably the London Battle, as watching Spider-Man swinging and destroying dozens upon dozens of drones is a blast.
However, while not without its standout elements, on this rewatch, a lot of the clunkier, unintentionally awkward aspects of the script became much more apparent to me. Some of the teenage coming-of-age elements feel off, with Brad being a way too over-the-top romantic rival for Peter. The B-plot with Ned and Betty also feels like an odd way to remove Ned from much of the story, and the storyline ultimately goes nowhere by the end.
Many characters act too dumb in ways that feel out of character. Peter haphazardly sets off a drone strike, which does admittedly lead to a fun action sequence but makes Peter feel way too dumb. Nick Fury, especially, feels entirely out of character, being overly snappy and angry towards Peter, and one of the main reasons Mysterio's plan works is because the writers make Nick Fury much dumber than he usually is. The post-credit scene attempts to alleviate how out of character Nick Fury felt throughout the film, but personally, it's always felt like a cheap band-aid fix to a much larger script issue.
There's also a lot more misplaced humor than I remember. The film treats so much Post-Endgame world-building too lightly, with elements such as the "Blip" treated mostly for tonally misplaced humor. Much of the other jokes could also be pretty hit-or-miss at times.
On this rewatch, I've noticed more of Far From Home's flaws, particularly in its script. So, I understand why many online view this film with such disdain, as I can see how many of my issues with film could be bigger deals for many. But I do admit the movie also has a lot of elements that make it pretty fun, and I find Peter's arc in the film pretty compelling.
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