Do you sit through all the credits? Most fans of Fantasy/SciFi films do. This is particularly true of the films in the Marvel Comic Universe (MCU). Most of the films have a teaser, a cliffhanger, or introduce a character that will star in the next film. I like a little heads up from reviewers and friends if there’s a good reason to sit through a credit sequence. My particular favorite was a quick flash of the Avengers hanging out eating sandwiches; not a plot twist, just a fun moment of the Super Heroes relaxing. I have friends who won’t go see Spiderman: Far From Home because they haven’t seen Avengers Endgame. This newest, Jon Watts-directed Spiderman film happens AFTER the sequence of events in the Endgame film. So can you see this film if you missed the other film and should you wait for the last credit to roll?
First, you CAN see Spiderman: Far From Home if you haven’t seen Avengers Endgame but only if you at least know the general plot line of that film. If you’ve stayed away from reviews, don’t ever listen to teenagers talking and/or you live remotely with no WiFi–okay, maybe wait to see the re-release of that last film. It’s just eclipsed Avatar in dollars made at the box office (not counting Gone With The Wind). So you have your chance…
Second, stay for the mid-credit sequence if you’re a big fan of Spiderman films and for the second reveal at the very end if you like plot-twists and surprises. If you’re like me, wondering why the studio needs to keep reinventing this character…you can skip the wait. I enjoyed this version and find Tom Holland charming and Zendaya’s sarcastic take on Mary Jane refreshing. I’m also a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal, Jon Favreau, and Marisa Tomei, so I enjoyed seeing them on screen. The young actors who play the sweethearts of the film are a delight. And any film that wants to portray the Dutch as lovely people is A-OK in my book.
Was the plot silly? The action sequences too long? Did the characters act in ways that made little sense save to advance the plot? Well, of course! It’s a 2-hour film crammed with visits to other countries so that the “heroes” can wreak havoc to some recognizable landmarks. The excuses for there being no other Avengers available to help this teenage boy fight an International-World-Threatening-Villain are as lame as the chaperones sent on this high school trip. Yet if you endured the 3-hour Avengers Endgame and the dark, dark plots of that film and the one before it…this will be a relief. A light comic romp with some well-drawn characters. Not as enjoyable as the animated Into the Spiderverse, or half as clever…but a good bet that the MCU is back to having a little fun.
Drinks with Films Review: 3 cups of tea (out of 5), a tip of the hat to the London Bridge
