Far From Home manages to capture a lot of things I’ve always loved about Peter Parker/Spider-Man as well as a lot of the things I don’t like about the MCU.

Peter is supposed to feel overwhelmed and insufficient, because we all feel that way from time to time. Peter, often against insurmountable odds, always manages to survive and save the day. He could easily bolster his life as Peter Parker by doing away with his secret identity, but doesn’t for the sake of those around him. He’s mature beyond his years and principled.

This movie, as is the case with a lot of the MCU, assumes that we the audience are all either children or dumb. Expository dialogue is everywhere and any hint of sexuality beyond a peck on the lips is nowhere to be found. I realize they’re meant to be high school kids, but Remy Hii is 35 years old in real life so forgive me if the veneer is a bit tarnished.

The action is very good. It’s some of the best in the franchise in my opinion. So many movies today have action sequences that are hard to follow, lacking in weight, or both. For a movie in where someone is swinging between objects, changing direction of both himself and the objects, and often doing so while covering large amounts of ground, it’s surprisingly fluid and well-managed.

I found it funny that Peter gets hit by a train in Berlin and wakes up in jail in the Netherlands. That’s a ten hour train ride, so I’m just picturing Peter’s lifeless body flapping in the wind while the train continues on its way.

I’m looking forward to the next installment but really hope that Peter Parker is shown to be more mature and competent. He made major strides in that direction during this movie, so I think my worries may be unfounded.