Spider-Man: Far From Home hit theaters last week. It’s the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, though the fifth movie in which we’ve seen this particular incarnation of Spider-Man. (Personally, I think Tom Holland is the best of the bunch – he has the youth, exuberance, naiveté and physicality that works so much better than what McGuire and Garfield ever showcased.) It’s also the close of Phase 3 of the MCU, an epilogue of sorts to Avengers: End Game. And the movie works really well on a number of levels. 

First off, this is truly a Spider-Man movie. From the very beginning you get a lighter atmosphere than the most recent MCU films, which is what the character has always been like in the comics. So you know things aren’t necessarily going to be as serious or gloomy. At the same time, though, you also realize that this is still a superhero movie so some crap is definitely going to go down.

Second, the story embraces the fact that it’s happening pretty immediately after the events in End Game. There are consequences to deal with and decisions to be made on the part of a lot of characters, but most especially for Peter Parker. This is the movie where Peter truly grows on an emotional level and accepts his role as a hero in the wider scheme of themes. It’s pretty subtle throughout the film, but obvious – and quite satisfying – by the end.

Then there’s the villain aspect of the film. This is a different experience for those who are just MCU fans vs those who know characters from the comics. It’s not as much of a surprise for the comicbook fans when the true villain is revealed. However, it’s interesting how they changed the back story to fit things into the MCU storyline and upgraded the tech along with it.

And I’d be remise to not mention the smartness factor on display. We know that “the kids” in the movie are intelligent – they go to a STEM school, after all. But it’s nice to see some of this actually on display in the movie. MJ is unquestionably Peter’s equal and surprises him when she figures a little something out. And we get to see Peter putting his smarts on display in little ways throughout the movie, but also in a very significant way using Stark technology.

Far From Home is the fun, action-packed Spidey movie everyone wants, with the lighter tone that MCU fans need after so much heaviness. Plus, the credit scenes (because all Marvel movies have a little something at the end) give us so much more than we bargained for, making everyone question just what’s in store for the next phase of the MCU.