Spider-Man: Far from Home

The creators of the Marvel Universe finally decided to visit our little country as well, as they discovered that Europe presents an interesting market. I’m glad that they chose Prague and Liberec as some of the filming locations. My relationship to Spiderman is such that I grew up with the first movie trilogy, mostly ignored the movies with Andrew Garfield, and he regained my attention with Tom Holland. As I enjoyed the previous instalment, I had one more reason to look forward to this one. And I wasn’t disappointed. There was a lot of fun, a sufficient number of nostalgic moments, and I greatly enjoyed the shots of the ravaged Old Time Square (or Liberec Square). It all has pleasant young adult vibes that are a good fit for the new Spiderman, filling a certain gap in the Marvel Universe these days. (07/23/2019)

This year has actually been pretty good so far. The only thing I had to suffer through from Marvel was the awful Captain America, and with Endgame I just pretended I didn't know it existed. When that huge color spectrum of objects and characters in monumental resolution came flying out at me again after so long, which mercilessly testifies to the fact that even a normal street had to be created mostly from a green screen, I was quite startled. This despite the fact that I surprisingly liked the previous Homecoming for its return to its roots. I mean, Spider-Man, as he himself hints at several times in this installment, is one of those "street-level heroes" whose main agenda is to right everyday wrongs against everyday but upstanding citizens, and ascribing the role of savior of the world to him doesn't sit well. While the first action scene in the last installment took place essentially in the confines of a laundromat against a bunch of common thugs, now it's already taking place in Venice against 20-foot elementals. The one delight there is in all sorts of details, realistic object physics, and the need to improvise with limited surroundings. It's boring to see buildings getting torn down and cars exploding again. The only thing that remains at least preserved is the identity of the villain, who, as in the first installment, is created as a result of the indestructible arrogant Stark hegemony. Besides, in an age of necessary war on tourism and its ensuing tastelessness and disposability, it's hard to rise above the issues of the plot, which constantly serves us images of whiny, spoiled American tourists with cell phones for heads raiding European capitals for instant gratification. No matter how much it makes me enjoy the idea of a conversation between a director and a Czech location scout: "With Prague, I'd like to shore up the quirkiness and history of the place by having the heroes arrive in that city just as some of their traditional celebrations are going on or something. What do they have there?" "Uh, well, there's always drunk guys chasing women with sticks and beating them up in the spring. They have to give them something in return, usually eggs or more booze. If they don’t, they're a write-off." "Hahahaha you're funny, but seriously, what are their specific traditions?" "Well then, like in February, kids dressed up as the three kings walk the streets and sign their names in chalk on the door to get some kind of a handout..." "Well, see, that's a nice custom..." "...and one of them in is blackface." "Oh, good gracious! Please, say no more. Do they at least know what paper lanterns are?" "Well, I guess so?" "Then let’s go with the Festival of Lights idea." (10/02/2019)

Not only a great continuation of the story of Spider-Man (and Peter Parker... and the Night Monkey), but also a great unwinding of the entire Marvel world, which has undergone some really interesting changes since Endgame that the script can – and does – benefit from. Perhaps only the villain could have been better (the Vulture set the bar very high in the last film), but the elaborate and imaginative great illusion scenes are a pretty solid offset to the predictability. I like how Spider-Man is only just becoming the real Spider-Man (although someone else is being Uncle Ben to him, of course) and how Peter Parker doesn't forget that he's supposed to be Peter Parker too. Tom Holland is sensational in the role and Zendaya is even better than last time. The comedy, the action, the surprises, it's all there. The direction is seamless, Michael Giacchino's score is once again worth a hundred points (although he plays with the Avengers theme at times in a way that almost sounds like Lord of the Rings)... If Prague had a shortage of tourists, it could start preparing for them. (07/03/2019)

A solid sequel to Spider-Man that mines emotions to the max again in the opening thanks to Whitney Houston after the events of Endgame. The first hour is a bit more sedate and those who mind teenage humour might be bored, but once the action shifts to Prague and Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio steps in it's a brisk and fun ride with one unexpected twist and solid action (the highlight is definitely the duelling illusion, which is so visually imaginative and exciting it will take your breath away, because you've never seen anything like it before). The finale is traditionally big and pleasantly emotional, also thanks to the romance with Zendaya, who is becoming into a great actress. The post-credit scene was definitely great. I had a good time and the film is definitely worth seeing. 80% (07/02/2019)

This feel-good adventure movie is elevated to the four-star level by multiple aspects and their fresh interaction – frequent moving around nice European locations, more space for Jon Favreau and his nice performance in the mentor role, frequent references to Tony Stark and Mysterio’s impressive technological games, paralleling the very charm of film illusion. And the well-depicted inner struggle of Spider-Man with his own responsibility and the inevitable expectations he has for himself. (08/26/2019)