Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man returns for another solo outing in Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, Spider-Man: Far From Home. Jon Watts, who helmed Spider-Man: Homecoming, returns to the director’s chair, reuniting with screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
Eight months after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is juggling his superhero duties as Spider-Man and his sophomore year of high school. While Peter is mourning the death of mentor Tony Stark, he is elated to learn that his school is taking a summer field trip to Europe. Peter sees this as the perfect chance to confess his feelings to MJ (Zendaya).
Before Peter leaves, he decides to dodge a call from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as he wants to focus on enjoying his summer. While on vacation, an incident occurs, and Peter is forced to save the day from otherworldly beings known as the Eternals. Later, Peter meets fellow superhero Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), who claims he can stop the Eternals.
Tom Holland continues to make the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man his own. Holland gives Peter the right amount of teenage angst. At the same time, he displays significant athletics in the action sequences as Spider-Man. Zendaya was a joy to watch as MJ, and their chemistry is excellent on screen. The couple’s budding romance never comes off as forced, but as natural. The bulk of the characters from the previous film also return, including Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), May Parker (Marisa Tomei) and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau). All three do great with the material they’re given.
Making his first comic book film is Jake Gyllenhaal as Quentin Beck / Mysterio. Gyllenhaal is an excellent addition to the cast, and his character does an excellent job of manipulating everyone’s love of superheroes and that need for heroes. If RDJ’s, Tony Stark/Iron Man, was a father figure, then is Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck / Mysterio is the cool uncle. It’s a high contrast to see how Peter’s arc interacts with both men.
Spider-Man: Far From Home has some very intense action; kudos to director Watts for avoiding shaky cam during these sequences. Instead, Watts puts us right into the action, and I had a smile on my face the entire time. While I generally was fond of Spider-Man: Far From Home, I did have an issue with some of the supporting cast. Tony Revolori gives a one-note performance as Flash Thompson, which I could’ve done without. I had the same sentiment for Remy Hii’s portrayal of Brad Davis, a popular student who Parker sees as competition for MJ’s affection. The backstory that Brad has is just creepy, and his character wasn’t needed in the film.
Spider-Man: Far From Home did the impossible with its marketing, and kept its plot under wraps before the release date. I highly advise that you go into the film blind so you can enjoy all of the twists that screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers give its audience. Filled with thrilling action set pieces and hilarious moments, Spider-Man: Far From Home is an excellent time at the movies.
Final Grade B+
Filmmaker Minhal Baig takes audiences to Windy City for her third directorial effort in “We Grown Now” from Sony Pictures Classics. Baig also pens the screenplay, which is set in 1992. In the vibrant heart of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green, two inseparable pals, Malik (played by Blake Cameron Jones) and Eric (portrayed by Gian Knight Ramirez), transform their bustling neighborhood into a playground of dreams.
John Travolta returns to the world of bank robbing in “Cash Out” from Saban Films. Ives directs the film from a screenplay by Dipo Oseni and Doug Richardson. Mason (Travolta) is the leader of a high-end crew of thieves that includes his girlfriend Amelia (Kristin Davis), his younger brother Shawn (Lukas Haas), Anton (Quavo), Link (Nataku Yura), and Hector (Noel Gugliemi). Mason decides to hang it up for good after a double-cross from Amelia, who is undercover, spells a near-miss with the law.
The year was 1976, and Marvin Gaye was on top of the world. Three years earlier, he solidified his place as an R&B lover man with his groundbreaking album “Let’s Get It On .”For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to revisit Marvin’s follow-up, “I Want You.” The album “I Want You” marked a notable shift in Marvin Gaye’s musical direction, inspired by his relationship with Jan Hunter. Gaye’s music moved from his traditional Motown and doo-wop-influenced sound towards a more funky and light-disco soul. Despite this change, the album continued to explore the sexual themes in Gaye’s previous work, expanding on them further.
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