So we reach the end of Phase Three, and what an ending this is. Not as epic in scale as Endgame and not as good as it either. But, this to me, is better than Homecoming. Better arcs, a better realisation of character and overall an excellent way to represent story through visuals.

For some Mysterio has been poorly represented in recent media. But here, he is done so well and the abilities are Doctor Strange visuals of good. While still not copying anything we've seen yet. [spoiler]This allows for great tension and using trust against the characters that I don't think has been seen in the MCU since The Winter Soldier.[/spoiler]

Tom Halland is Spider-Man. There's no denying it, he was born for this role as Robert Downey Jr was for Iron Man. Which makes this story sink so well into the narrative when it all comes down to loss and how to avoid falling into stress and anxiety's grip. Which makes this an important movie to follow Endgame. Wrapping everything up nicely and even starting some great elements for the future.

So yes, there are end credit scenes in this movie. Two of them. But instead of not caring about a bit of strapped on humour, stay. These scenes are vital for the future of this series of films. Plus, there is an added bonus for those who are fans of the original Sam Raimi trilogy.

So yes, it is a good movie. But there are flaws. For one, there is the whole convenient timing and placement of things. Which I thought they were going to explain but never did. The story does feel like a bit of rehash of Homecoming and how the motives of some are shown, and that was my biggest gripe.

This film is funny, has good action, pretty well-done CGI and amazing performances from all its cast. This movie deserves to follow Endgame and closes Phase Three fluently. Spider-Man: Far From Home is a great movie and has given me hope for the future of Marvel's plan.

**8.6/10**

[8.5/10] There’s a great deal of call and response between *Spider-Man: Far From Home* and its predecessor, *Spider-Man: Homecoming*. The web-slinger’s first MCU movie centered on Peter Parker being relegated to “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” when he aspired to be an Avenger. In this one, he’s straining to enjoy a normal life while being pushed and prodded to fill the big shoes of some big names. Once again, Peter tries to live up to the shining example of Iron Man, while facing off against someone who sees Tony Stark as a wretched usurper to be toppled instead of emulated.

And once more, Peter Parker, and by extension Spider-Man, has to come of age, figure out who he is and where he fits into the grand, globe-threatening events that imperil his friends and into the pantheon of heroes defending the Earth against them.

*Far From Home* anchors itself on the pressure and difficulty of that quest. With the backdrop of an international jaunt, the threat of friendly pretender to the throne, and perils of navigating the post-“blip” high school social scene, Spider-Man feels overwhelmed. He has to try to live up to the legacy of his idol rather than try to earn his notice, to deal with the expectation of being Spider-Man, rather than to get people’s attention as the wall-crawler. The personal struggle grounds both the globe-trotting adventure and the goofy humor that are nicely marbled throughout the film’s runtime.

That’s the most impressive thing about *Far From Home* -- it is so many films at once, without ever losing the unity of purpose or tonal consistency. It is a superhero movie, with the appropriate number of bad guys, twists, and colorful clashes. It is a travelogue, with Peter and his classmates zipping through a number of picturesque European locales. It is a coming of age story, one that takes advantage of the shadow Tony Stark casts in a cinematic universe built around the character. And it is, assuredly, a comedy, full of the sorts of silly laughs that keep the film feeling light and fun despite its world-threatening stakes and the personal difficulties at its core.

That last part will stick with viewers as long as Peter’s personal journey will. A recent article asked where the blockbuster studio comedies have gone, and you’re looking at it! (Er...reading about it.) Whether it’s Martin Starr stealing the show as Peter’s sad sack, high spirited teacher, the adorably silly teenage romance between Ned and Betty, or the simple physical comedy of Happy Hogan flailing a shield at an attacking drone to predictably weak results, there’s ample chuckles to be had. Beyond the MCU’s usual quippiness, there’s a lighter, more flopsweat-y tone to Peter Parker’s adventures that makes these Spidey films winning outing.

*Far From Home* also wrings the humor from the awkward interactions between teenagers. Part of what makes the film work so well as both drama and comedy is that its kids feel like kids. While a love triangle between Peter, M.J., and suave newcomer Brad feels a little contrived, for the most part, the movie walks the line between the heightened realism of comic book flicks, and the recognizable pains and absurdities of youth well. The trials and travails of friendship, romance, and expectation are all relatable here, even if outfitted with spandex and explosions.

But those are fun too! Beyond the gorgeous settings in Venice or Prague, the visuals of the film pop. Spider-Man himself has never looked this good in live action, flipping and thwipping through any number of impressive city scapes as the camera follows his balletic rooftop leaps and bounds. In sequences like a perilous ferris wheel ride, the editing team does a nice job of balancing the swirl and swarm of a supernatural threat with the personal stakes of two people in danger for us to latch onto.

And while some of the fully-CGI sequences have that “video game cutscene” feel to them, *Far From Home* takes advantage of Mysterio’s presence for some visual creativity. Inventive set pieces that send Spider-Man bursting through skyscraper-level “elementals” or rumbling through a nightmare that doubles as a tweaking of his deepest insecurities, see director Jon Watts and company showing off what their version of Spider-Man, and his coterie, are capable of.

What a coterie, though! In addition to the young cast, who are just as sharp and likable as they were in *Homecoming*, the MCU representative du jour is Nick Fury, who is understandably a little off in this guise, but whose dry wit and gravitas-laden pronouncement fit well with Peter’s anxieties about batting in the big leagues. Jake Gyllenhall does good work as Mysterio, both in his friendly older brother mode, and in his scheming, aggrieved former employee mode. The character has intrigue and, like Vulture before him, legitimate grievances with Tony Stark that add depth to his motivation even as he goes full mustache-twirl at points. The notion of the post-superhero, post-blip world demanding beaming heroes and outlandish backstories in order for anyone to be heard lightly deconstructs both the world of the MCU and the current cinematic moment, with Gyllenhall living up to each.

The most surprising heavy hitter here, however, is Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, who does some predictable bumbling, and some flirting with Aunt May, but who ultimately gives Peter what he needs to move forward. With a central focus of both protagonist and antagonist claiming and living up to Tony Stark’s legacy, and constant visual reminders of the mark that Iron Man left on the world, Happy tells Peter the most important thing he could here: that Tony was a mess.

There’s a distance between the sterling image our culture crystalizes for its hero and the reality of who they were. There’s a comfort to Peter knowing that the real Tony Stark, the one who lived and faltered apart from pictures painted on murals, doubted himself and screwed up and made as many messes as he solved. *Far From Home* signposts it a little too neatly with its song cues, but realizing that his idol is flawed and human gives him what he needs to relax and do what he does best for the people he cares about, which makes him more like Tony than he realizes.

The scene also works as a benediction from Jon Favreau, who directed the first *Iron Man* film, for this next, Stark-less phase of the MCU. His speech, along with a winking opening report, is an acknowledgement that the films that spurred this massive media uber-franchise were not perfect despite their veneration and consternation, and that there’s plenty of worthy ground to cover in the movies to come.

That ground will be covered by a Spider-Man, and hopefully a distinctive crew of other heroes, who better understand their place in this world. Peter Parker leaves *Far From Home* a different person than when he started. As in *Homecoming*, he’s once again made peace with the space between where he is and where he thought he wanted to be, even if, as the post-credits scene suggests, there’s plenty more challenges, pressures, and menace to come.

With this being the 8th Spider-Man film to have been released in the last 17 years it is safe to say that I like most people have started to find it difficult to get exited whenever Spidey is back on the big screen. That being said I am a big fan of 2017′s Spider-Man: Homecoming so I was fairly curious to see what director John Watts was planning on doing next with the character.

I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of this film. Watts seems to realise that both Spider-Man and the MCU as a whole are seen as a little played out by this point, he attempts to breath new life into both in a way that may not sit right with everyone but personally made me love this movie. There are so many jokes, one-liners and light comedic jabs aimed at the conventions seen in this franchise that it almost borders on self parody. Given the grand nature of many of the most recent MCU films it is refreshing to see something like this that is able to take a step back and point out how ridiculous the whole thing is. Martin Starr and J.B. Smoove have so much more screen time than I would have expected and really get a chance to deliver some funny material. This could be a turn off to some comic book fans but I think they do a good job with the comedy throughout and so it never bothered me.

That is not to say that the film never takes itself seriously, in fact the character interactions and dialogue in this film are consistently sharp and well written, with a few moments even allowing Tom Holland to fully show of his dramatic skills. Peter Parker’s groups of friends are also just as fleshed out and interesting s they were in Homecoming with some of them even getting more screen time ans baring on the plot this time around.

Jake Gyllenhaal (despite appearing like he has never seen any of these movies) delivers a characteristically brilliant performance bringing a fan favourite character to life in a unique an genuinely entertaining way.

My favourite aspect of this film is best not talked about in a spoiler free review but I do have to give major props to the special effects department.

While I feel like this does not have quite as much replay value as Homecoming this is well worth checking out as a fun summer blockbuster with some moments of genuine brilliance. Hardcore fans of Spider-Man may not be happy with the direction that the MCU is going with this character but personally I think if they keep making movies that are this good then I don’t have much of an issue.

I just came home with the kids from the cinema where we had watched Spider-Man: Far From Home so I thought I would write a few lines while it was still fresh in my mind.

I have to say that it was a decent enough movie. I didn’t exactly regret having forked out the money to watch it in the cinema but that’s about it. It’s far from a great movie and the end scene…well it’s a typical really crappy Hollywood ending where the writer cannot be bothered to spend time creating something intelligent so he just goes for the usual sensationalist cliffhanger bullshit.

As with the previous movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming, this is a Spider-Man for kids, or at least younger people, movie which perhaps is part of why I am somewhat lukewarm towards it. This one did not feel as childish as the previous one but there is still a lot of teenage angst and rubbish in it. The plot is of course highly predictable as well.

The special effects on the other hand are quite good and essentially what makes the movie worth watching. At least to me. The end fight with hundreds of those drones flying around intermixed with Mysterio’s illusions where quite cool. A bit over the top perhaps but cool nonetheless.

I'll be honest upfront and say that I am still not a fan of MJ. She is supposed to be a redhead, she is supposed to be a sexpot, and she is supposed to both know she's hot and have no issues telling other people that. She's supposed to be well out of Parker's league. This is a bit too far from the source material for me.

And the same goes with Flash. He's really supposed to be that guy that burns out the moment he graduates from high school. All muscle and no brain. And this Flash has a future. He's not going to deliver your pizza when you go visit your parents.

But, beyond that, it's still a fun movie, but one that didn't have as many laughs as the first outing. Although Holland still delivers, this has a more somber and serious tone and, really, Jake Gyllenhaal is not at all as good of a villain as Michael Keaton was. He's kind of irritating to watch and, really he always has been.

The plot twist, if took my wife by surprise, but honestly it was something that absolutely everyone familiar with the source material could see coming from the trailers. It didn't come as a surprise for those of us that read the comic books.

Still, it was fun and sentimental and paid a respect to the Avengers that I suspect certain movies in the franchise will not. That being said it's not going to have the laughs of Homecoming, it couldn't and still feel appropriate.