Back when Tobey Maguire acted as our favorite web slinger, a pompous chap told me that the actor's initial chapter pissed him off, but was too full of hot air to articulate why. Later I deduced it was Peter Parker's diligence that spurred the bum's scorn, with cowardice being his "diagnosed" excuse (ha, ha) to stay idle: Spider-man is what he'd aspire to be if only he had the courage.
Steve Ditko gave Parker heaps of courage (along with great power and responsibility), which has prevailed through decades of Marvel comics and cartoons. It's embedded in Maguire's trilogy, Andrew Garfield's love-laden set, the way-out "Spider-verse", the recent Avengers pics and Tom Holland's piloted outings.
This commendable component hits a pleasing high in "Spider-Man: Far From Home": the first in the fourth phase of the Disney-distributed, Avengers series, directed by John Watts and scripted by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, the trio responsible for "Homecoming".
This time the attentive Parker swings far from Manhattan on a European "vacation", accompanied by chaperones Mr. Harrington (Martin Starr) and Mr. Dell (J.B. Smooth), Michelle, aka MJ (Zendaya), Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), Betty Brant (Angourie Rice), Brad Davis (Remy Hii) and rude but industrious Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori). In Thompson's defense, I'll take a wiseass any day over a lazy one.
In addition to Parker and his school mates, we're given Aunt May (Marisa Tomei)'s new squeeze, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), each within proper proximity in case anything goes wrong, and of course, it does. (BTW: When it comes to Fury and Hill, a post-credits segment might reveal a catch, and I'll let it be at that.)
These skilled protectors must deal with the consequences of a parallel-plane portal that unleashes colossal creatures (Elementals) upon the Earth...or so that's the claim. And yet it's not only the irrefutable bad that seemingly slips through the other side, but assisting "good". (The quotation marks are there for a reason. Duh.)
Shoot, we're talkin' Mysterio here, aka Quentin Beck, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, an actor who might have played Spider-man in that second, Sam Raimi flick, if Maguire couldn't make it. Maybe in some alternate universe, Gyllenhal did, in fact, play the part: an idea that has led fans to ponder if Mysterio might be a parallel Parker and not the trickster of traditional lore.
So, is he another Parker? The next Iron Man? Well, I ain't gonna tell, but I'll say this much, Mysterio holds a potent place in "Far From Home". Maybe it's Gyllenhaal's clever nuances, that gladiator armor and emerald, Robot Monster dome, or maybe it's just his basic air of mystery that does the trick. Know what? I'll opt for the latter. Mysterio's equivocation colors this fast-paced adventure, even if its chief hue stems from its intrepid acts, which pile on in sterling spades in honor of those gutsy enough to rub a little elbow grease onto any sticky situation.
In fact, most of the characters demonstrate their commitment to doing right, no matter how daunting the sacrifice. Sometimes the gang gets frightened, frustrated...makes major mistakes (and good ol' Spidey is right at the top of the list), but they dust themselves off and never let others do what they can do themselves. These good folks possess integrity: a trait that cowards lack.
Yeah, bums will take offense to "Far From Home", but Spider-man isn't a hero for those pissed-off sloths. Guess that's just how it rolls in the crybaby, do-nothing annals. For the rest of us, this flick is a metaphoric testament to the bravery we apply to every sweat-brow day: that special way we rise to the occasion even when we're afraid.
Say, notice something off in the photo of Spidey and Aunt May? If you caught the flick, you'll get the drift. Wonder what was the catalyst?
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