Far From Home, But In Good Hands

Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

Well, true believers, we’ve reached the end of an era for the MCU. The Infinity Saga that it’s been building up to since the beginning is over, and so are the Stan Lee cameos. The only question now is how Marvel will be able to top something as massive Avengers: Endgame? I’m worried about the MCU’s future, but after seeing Spider-Man: Far From Home, I realized that even as the old cast exits, the movies are in good hands.

Spoilers for Endgame are to follow.

Quick Plot

It’s been eight months since the events of Avengers: Endgame, and Earth’s trying to adjust to having half its population return, all while asking who will take Tony Stark’s place as its greatest hero. All eyes seem to think Spider-Man’s the next Iron Man, but after everything he’s been through, all Peter wants to do is take a vacation. No matter how hard Peter tries, though, trouble seems to find him. Next thing he knows, his summer trip to Europe’s been hijacked by Nick Fury and a man named Mysterio as a new threat emerges. Now he has to save the world, all while dealing with typical teen angst like telling MJ he likes her. So much for summer vacation.

A Hilarious Epilogue

This film is essentially an epilogue to the universe-shaking events of Endgame, and I cannot thank Marvel for doing this for us. After dealing with the highest-grossing superhero film of all time, fans needed a chance to unwind and relax. Granted, this is a superhero movie, but Far From Home’s as close as we’re going to get to a relaxing story.

Like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home’s as much of a comedy as it is a superhero movie. Most of the characters give us moments that make us want to laugh that include classic scenarios such as:

• Walking in on something at the worst possible time and misunderstanding the situation
• Dorky/useless teachers
• Awkward confessions when everyone thinks they’re about to die (“I’m in love with Spider-Man’s aunt.)
• Awkward Teen Romance
• And More!

After seeing Endgame, this film’s what we needed: a good, long laugh. The kind that we can count on Spider-Man giving us.

Legacies and Next Generation

A significant part of the film’s plot is dealing with the aftermath of Endgame and Iron Man’s passing. After giving his life to save the universe, Earth considers Tony Stark, the greatest hero of all time. Everywhere you look in the film; you see images of Tony. There’s graffiti art, tribute videos, and photos. I think I saw a documentary or movie about his life. It’s both annoying and heart-warming to see how everyone almost everyone loves Tony Stark now. I say annoying because I know that if he were still alive, it would inflate Tony’s already massive ego.

All joking aside, this film’s about dealing with the loss of the character who started the MCU, and figuring out who will take his place. Everyone, both in film and in real life, hopes that Spider-Man will be Iron Man’s successor. I do, too; Spidey is Marvel’s poster boy. Nick Fury even gives Peter the proverbial keys to the armory: a set of glasses with one of Tony’s AI’s that gives him access to the Stark satellite network. The AI’s also named EDITH: Even Dead, I‘m The Hero. Classic Tony.

A New Hero

As the film makes visible, though, Peter doesn’t think he’s ready or able to be Iron Man’s successor. He’s still a teenager, and he’s being thrown into the deep end without any floaties. He even tries to pass on EDITH to someone else, only for it to nearly end in disaster.

What Peter learns in the movie, though, is that he doesn’t have to be like Tony Stark. No one can replace Tony Stark. Instead of focusing on living up to Iron Man’s legacy, Peter learns that he needs to be the hero only he can be. When he learns to stop living in his late mentor’s shadow, we see he’s more than capable of being Tony’s successor. In a particularly touching moment before the final battle, we see Peter hard at work on a new suit in a moment that mirrors that of Tony Stark. That’s the moment I knew the MCU was in good hands.

Plus, it helped that Happy put on “Back in Black” by AC/DC. That’s a callback to the very first scene in Iron Man.

Conclusion

I’m still worried about the future of the MCU, but after watching this film, I can tell that it still has plenty of fire left in it. The story of the Avengers may be over for now, but there are plenty of other stories waiting to be told. If anything, I think Spider-Man: Far From Home has shown me that the MCU’s in good hands. Tom Holland’s still my favorite Spider-Man, and I hope that he has the time of his life playing him for years to come.

This film’s a fun story that bids goodbye to the Infinity Saga and paves the way for the next stage in the MCU. I can see it becoming a must-see film for the Summer of 2019. So, get ready for plenty of action, teen drama, and laughs with Spider-Man: Far From Home, now in theaters.

I Give Spider-Man: Far From Home a 4.5/5.

In a few days, I will be talling about the post-credit scenes for Far From Home. Check back soon.

By the way, I TOTALLY CALLED IT ABOUT MYSTERIO!

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