Spider-Man: Far from Home

Lies, tricks and acrobatics. The second Spide-Man movie is a successful follow-up to the first one, as well as to Avengers: Endgame, although the storytelling is a little heavy-handed. Compromises are made in the quest for originality. The juxtaposition of the school trip and destructive fights is inconsistent. There is a reason for this, but it spoils the viewer’s enjoyment a little. The romantic interest works at 100% and Holland and Zendaya lend the required chemistry and a certain cuteness to the story of the loser/nerd in the love story. The storyline with Mysterio has one massive weak point in that people who have read the comic book know it already, but the screenwriters don't take that into account. Even so, Gyllenhaal delivers an interestingly double-faceted performance, accentuated especially in the second half. The illusionary scene is  an unbelievable shower of ideas, the action in the climax is a fan’s dream come true and the setting in Prague/Liberec of course pleases us Czechs. Even so, the first movie impressed me a little more. The post-credits scenes are really worth it this time. (04/07/2019)

Not only a great continuation of the story of Spider-Man (and Peter Parker... and the Night Monkey), but also a great unwinding of the entire Marvel world, which has undergone some really interesting changes since Endgame that the script can – and does – benefit from. Perhaps only the villain could have been better (the Vulture set the bar very high in the last film), but the elaborate and imaginative great illusion scenes are a pretty solid offset to the predictability. I like how Spider-Man is only just becoming the real Spider-Man (although someone else is being Uncle Ben to him, of course) and how Peter Parker doesn't forget that he's supposed to be Peter Parker too. Tom Holland is sensational in the role and Zendaya is even better than last time. The comedy, the action, the surprises, it's all there. The direction is seamless, Michael Giacchino's score is once again worth a hundred points (although he plays with the Avengers theme at times in a way that almost sounds like Lord of the Rings)... If Prague had a shortage of tourists, it could start preparing for them. (03/07/2019)

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS!) I'll freely admit that I'm not exactly a die-hard Spidey fan, but after the spectacular Avengers: Endgame that concluded the more than decade-long Marvel saga, I am happy for any "lesser" film in this cinematic universe, so I was very happy to see the latest spider adventure despite its main character. Of course, it was nice that a not insignificant part of the plot takes place in our metropolis and it was funny to hear Czech lines, announcements or singing. The film has a slower start, despite the skirmishes with the elementals, but everything picks up with the arrival of the real bad guy on the scene. I downright liked the illusionistic sequences and the fact that you basically didn't know who you are actually dealing with until the end credits – in this case, it really and absolutely pays to wait for BOTH post-credit scenes, which on the one hand open the door for the sequel, and on the other hand slightly mess with the viewer and their gullibility to what they've seen. Tom Holland was the most bearable in all his Marvel movies this time around, Zendaya is a looker at first sight, Jake Gyllenhaal's casting made me downright happy, and Samuel L. Jackson has never let me down as Nick Fury so far. Even if the film doesn't reach the quality of the team-ups, it still passes by briskly in the cinema, abounds with plenty of well-made action, offers more than one good moment of surprise, has a well-chosen soundtrack and as a bonus, it takes you on a tour around Europe. (06/07/2019)

I feel the same way about this as about the first installment, which means I could have about a million issues with it, but the fact remains that I enjoyed the full two hours of it. While it has its weaker moments, it is a decent follow-up to the Endgame. But the thing that completely won me over, besides satirizing the stereotypes of selected European nations, were the scenes shot in Prague, which was given the most space here since Mission: Impossible. The production obviously made every effort to make Prague look like actual Prague, so, in addition to the perfectly lit Prague tourist landmarks, what popped out at me in the closing credits which I found amusing was that this Spider-Man will most likely be the only Marvel movie in which you get to hear “Moravian Polka”. There were also some twists which I didn’t expect at all (especially both post-credits scenes are some of the best of Marvel) and Jake Gyllenhaal is excellent as always, his performance often going beyond the script. Finally, I must add that if I’ll ever be thrilled to see a particular Marvel movie again, then definitely this one. (11/07/2019)

A solid sequel to Spider-Man that mines emotions to the max again in the opening thanks to Whitney Houston after the events of Endgame. The first hour is a bit more sedate and those who mind teenage humour might be bored, but once the action shifts to Prague and Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio steps in it's a brisk and fun ride with one unexpected twist and solid action (the highlight is definitely the duelling illusion, which is so visually imaginative and exciting it will take your breath away, because you've never seen anything like it before). The finale is traditionally big and pleasantly emotional, also thanks to the romance with Zendaya, who is becoming into a great actress. The post-credit scene was definitely great. I had a good time and the film is definitely worth seeing. 80% (02/07/2019)