Geekscape Reviews ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ In 4DX
After the traumatizing events of Avengers: Endgame, it’s hard to imagine a state of normalcy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As phase three comes to a close, Spider-Man: Far From Home had the unique challenge of trying to restore the lighthearted, action packed status quo that these films are known for while helping Peter Parker, (once again played by the charming Tom Holland), grow in a post Iron Man world. If you’re wondering where they could possibly go from here, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
Taking place in the aftermath of the snap, (or The Blip as its being called), Peter’s classmates coincidentally faded to dust at the end of Infinity War, ensuring that Ned, MJ and Flash would stay at Peter’s side as he returns to his high school life. After fighting for the fate of the universe, there’s nothing more that our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man would enjoy more than to take a break and enjoy his overseas class trip with his friends, all while trying to win the heart of his equally quirky classmate, (reprised by Zendaya with more screen time to match her dry wit first seen in Homecoming). However, Nick Fury has other plans, as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. seeks the hero’s assistance to fight off a group of elementals that are terrorizing the region. Fighting alongside Mysterio, the hero from another universe, Peter finds himself trying to live up to the legacy that Tony Stark left behind while wanting to enjoy life as a normal teenager.
Far From Home manages to hit all of the familiar beats that have become synonymous with the MCU in excellent fashion. From the witty one-liners to the lighthearted humor, the dialogue between Peter and his friends serves as a nice contrast compared to the no-nonsense Fury. Yet, it’s Jake Gyllenhaal’s take on Mysterio that really steals the show, bringing sincerity and gravity to Quentin Beck that makes me hope he sticks around in this franchise. He brings the character to life in a way that blew away my expectations, especially considering the background of the character in the comics. If I had one complaint about his character and the movie as a whole, I would have preferred that Beck stayed more of a Spider-Man focused character rather than being tied to events of the past. Still, the way he’s implemented into the MCU is clever, helping the events of the film wrap up phase 3 in a way that links it to the history of these films.
When it comes to the action, Far From Home is easily one of the most exciting films in that regard, which is high praise when directly following a film like Endgame. As seen in the trailers, the battles with the Elementals are stunning as it is. Sandman from Spider-Man 3 back in the day was a visual marvel, so seeing effects like these consisting of water, fire and wind with 2019 technology is as amazing as it sounds. This is all amplified by the 4DX effect, which was the best use of the technology that I’ve experienced so far. Taking full advantage of the nature of the Elemental fights, water, mist, wind and lighting effects created an incredibly immersive experience. This is in addition to the sway of the seats that synced up with Spider-Man’s swinging, feeling like you were moving with the wall crawler.
It’s hard to believe, but as great as the Elemental fights were, they managed to be upstaged only a few minutes later. Without spoiling the movie, there are a few late-film fight scenes that rival the infamous Scarecrow hallucination fights from the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game. As a visual mind trip that looks like something you’d expect out of Doctor Strange as opposed to Spider-Man, these scenes show the kind of controlled insanity that a film of this magnitude can pull off. And somehow, they manage to be scary, heart-wrenching, tense and thrilling all at once. If there’s one thing that you’ll be talking about when leaving the theater, this will be it. Well… That and the shocking post-credit scenes that you’ll ABSOLUTELY want to stay for.
With blow-away visuals, charming humor, characters that pull you in thanks to some highly skilled actors and an ending that will completely turn Peter’s world upside-down, Spider-Man: Far From Home is a can’t miss film, especially in 4DX. While I wish that the eventual villain would have been more centralized around Spider-Man, they way they’re written works in a way that this can be easily forgiven. When you think the tank has to be running low in a post-Endgame world, Marvel finds a way to close the chapter on phase 3 while building a high amount of anticipation for what phase 4 has in store. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and do it now. Then wait patiently like the rest of us to find out what this universe has in store for us for the next 11 years.
Final Score: 4.5/5
