Warning: Mild spoilers below!
As the newest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe hits theatres this week, now is a perfect opportunity to prepare yourself for the insanity that is “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” Tom Holland reprises his role as the iconic Peter Parker, along with Zendaya as M.J, and Jacob Batalon as Peter’s trusted friend, Ned Leeds.
After the world suffers from “The Blip” (which could’ve simply been called “The Snap,” but I’m just the messenger,) all seems normal at Midtown High when Peter and his classmates head out for a trip to Europe, heading to cities such as Prague and Berlin. All he wants is to have a great time in Europe with his classmates and confess his love to the girl of his dreams, but evil forces get in the way of his fun.
And so, moviegoers attending last week’s advance screening were set for the ride of a lifetime, myself included.
Here are a few things I’ve learned after watching “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”
Everything is not what it seems.
This is to be taken both figuratively and literally. When Peter Parker faces a new foe, the villain’s illusions and trickery messes with the mind for Spider-Man and the people around him.. Fortunately, Parker sticks to the mantra said by many a superhero: “No matter how many times I get hit, I always get back up.” (That is also to be taken literally.)
You can’t live up to everyone’s expectations.
Nope. Not even when you’re Spider-Man. Peter Parker definitely has huge shoes to fill after the death of his trusted mentor and father figure on occasion, Tony Stark (aka Iron Man.) He now is short on guidance as the world watches for what the masked hero does next.
Samuel L. Jackson doesn’t mess around.
What else can be expected from Samuel L. Jackson though, right? Nick Fury’s tough love methods prevent Peter from getting killed on multiple occasions, and at the end of the day, makes sure a plan gets executed. His sense of judgement, however, could use a little work, especially when it comes to newcomers on the team of superhero justice. Case in point: Quentin Beck. Leading to lesson #4…
Technology is insane!
Quentin Beck, also known as Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a charismatic tech extraordinaire who has become the genius that theatre kids would adore and fear all at once. After gaining the trust of a very vulnerable Peter Parker, it is revealed that he has a whole plot to become the new Iron Man, filled with a team of “showrunners” to help him carry out the evil plan, all while intending to kill a superhero in the process.
Peter Parker’s still just a kid.
Since “The Blip” affected Peter, he’s still a teen even after saving the universe years prior. And since he’s still a teen, he still wants to live a normal life — have friends, confess his love to M.J., that sort of thing. He’s under a lot of pressure, as many of us young adults can relate to, even if we don’t have the responsibility of saving New York (and parts of Europe) like Spider-Man does.
All in all, there’s some pretty interesting takeaways and life lessons that made me realize a few things about myself (including the fact that I really need to brush up on my MCU knowledge!) There’s a bit of Spider-Man in us all, whether you’re ready to travel the globe, handling a huge change, or experiencing a major shift in the space-time continuum that causes you to stay the same age for the next five years.
Catch “Spider-Man: Far From Home” in theaters starting July 2 and get tangled into the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe web!
