It seems like Marvel is very wisely doing its best to try and create enough novelty in each of its super hero series so that the genre will not simply get played out too quickly. Although all of the films are united by interesting characters, special effects and amazing action, some of the movies are attempting to reach different niches. Ant-Man has gone full comedy. Guardians of the Galaxy has combined heart and comedy. Thor has... I don't know what Thor has done but it is incredibly fun! Black Panther is super serious.
Spider-Man is no exception. I believe the creative team is trying to make teen movies with some action and special effects thrown in. And this is absolutely fine with me. Not only do my own children relate to the characters, these films have made me nostalgic for Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink, The Karate Kid, Weird Science... and now that I think of it... Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
In fact, I think that is the best way to describe Far From Home. Imagine if instead of Ferris Bueller jumping up on stage to perform "Twist and Shout", he put a mask on and beat the crap out of a ton of robot drones. That is what Spider-Man Far From Home is. It is a teen movie first and a super hero movie second. I happened to enjoy the teen story so much that I actually found the action sequences a bit distracting. There were times when I found myself thinking, "I hope this battle ends soon so we can get back to the story."
*Just add CGI drones!*I realize my take may be different than many other adults. Some adults have left silly teen movies in their past. However, due to my role as a parent of teens and the teacher of them as well, I still feel a connection to that silly part of my personality. If you are the type of person who flips through channels, stumbles upon Ten Things I Hate About You and leaves it on, I think you will love this movie.
One huge part of Marvel's magical formula for success has been nearly perfect casting. The Spider-Man series is a prime example. Tom Holland was a perfect choice to play a young "ah shucks" version of Peter Parker. I love the way he portrays Peter's awe and wonder with himself and the super humans he teams up with. I also enjoy the creators' decision to have Zendaya portray MJ with a ton of teen angst. Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds make an excellent comedic side kick. I even thought it was quite clever to make Flash Thompson an intellectual bully rather than your typical jock.
This cast pulls off quite a few entertaining comedic scenes in between the standard amazing action sequences. I found myself smiling nearly the entire movie. Of course some of the plot is very far fetched (it is about a dude running around in underoos after all) but that does not take away from the film's fun-factor.
So is Spider-Man Far From Home worth your time?
If you are like me and can still enjoy silly teen movies, absolutely. If you are a real adult and you don't care about teen comedy/drama, you can still enjoy this movie for the action. In addition, the connection to The Infinity Gauntlet Saga makes this an absolute must-see for Marvel fans. So just channel your inner teen, turn off your brain, and have some nice summer movie fun!