panos75’s review published on Letterboxd:
Eight months after the undoing of Thanos's snap and Tony Stark's death, Peter Parker struggles to adapt to the new reality. He and his classmates are about to go on vacation to Europe, but little does he know that trouble is about to follow him there.
Well, that was a rude awakening after the unique experience of "Endgame". Granted, Jon Watts is nowhere near as talented a filmmaker as the Russos. But still, it was reasonable to expect something better than this subpar mix of "American Pie"-style comedy and chaotic action.
The biggest problem for me is Peter's character. He always was supposed to be a socially awkward teenager but in this film he has become a whiny klutz. One wonders what MJ sees and is romantically attracted to this loser. And while the constant effort to turn Spider-Man into Iron Man Jr. was mildly annoying in "Homecoming" it becomes really grating in "Far From Home". And it's not like the plot is engrossing or airtight enough to make us overlook the mischaracterizations. The holes are so glaring that the film collapses even after the most cursory scrutiny.
While the movie treats the characters in a questionable way, the actors don't miss a beat and are as endearing as ever. Tom Holland is full of energy and emotion, we always get what's going on in his mind.
Zendaya is also very convincing as emo-MJ. Her chemistry with Holland while not perfect is quite good. Jake Gylenhaal steals the show as Mysterio. He is over the top when need is, but never becomes a caricature. Overall, one of the best MCU villains.
Maybe the reason I didn't enjoy this particular chapter is because I'm too old. I suspect that if I were thirty years younger I would have had a blast. But after seeing what modern comic book movies are capable of in the last decade, it's difficult to be satisfied with what "Far From Home" offers.
