Spider-Man: Far from Home

Alright, let's start at the beginning one last time.

Again...

Spider-Man: Far from Home sounds like the whimper to Endgame's bang. But it's not. 

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has a lot to deal with. There's the fact he and half the universe were vaporized by Thanos, brought back five years later and his mentor/surrogate father figure Tony Stark died to put down the Mad Titan for good. But at least he gets to go on a class trip to Europe! But Nick Fury won't let him rest. Spidey's got a mission.

The Elementals, embodiments of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, crossed the multiverse to this dimension. Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), aka Mysterio, is the last survivor of The Elementals' dimension. He needs Spidey's help to finish off the last Elemental. Oh yeah, Beck defeated two Elementals and fought the third by the time he met Spidey. Sounds easy. But how will Spidey balance his normal and superhero lives? There's also more to Beck and the Elementals than meets the eye.

Jon Watts returns to direct, but not write. The latter job goes to Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who also return from Homecoming. We think it's all about Spidey's leisurely summer trip getting interrupted by The Elementals. And it is. But it also deals with the aftermath of Thanos's 50% universal massacre, "The Blip," and its reversal. At least the affected treat it as an inconvenience. Peter also deals with Tony's sacrifice. Any semblance of simplicity is thrown out the window when Beck reveals his true colors. The mid-credit scene gives us one massive cliffhanger.

What can I say about the characters? Tom Holland is still likable as Peter. His relationship with classmate Michelle (Zendaya) is endearing. You can't blame him for not wanting to be Spidey so soon after Endgame. It's awesome to see him take charge when he has to. Peter's fellow students were a fine bunch, especially Ned (Jacob Batalon), Flash (Tony Revolori) and new character Brad (Remy Hii). Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan makes a great mentor figure for Peter.

Here's where I talk about Beck. We first know Beck as an easygoing man with a troubled backstory. But then, the facade fades away to reveal a narcissistic sociopath. He'll threaten his colleagues as easy as he'll praise them. His pettiness alone makes him as dangerous as Thanos. His illusion powers lead to some nightmarish, though somewhat overlong, sequences. They're the visual highlights of the film, especially when Mysterio tops one trick with another.

Overall, Spider-Man Far from Home is a strong follow-up to not just Endgame, but Into the Spider-Verse. We get some great comedy and action for its 129 minutes. It has more tricks up its sleeve than its trailers let on. Anyone familiar with Mysterio might have suspected already. But how they explain Mysterio's methods and motivations is impressive. Even the end credits scene gives us one last surprise.

 Bring on the next movie.