Spider-Man: Far from Home

The creators of the Marvel Universe finally decided to visit our little country as well, as they discovered that Europe presents an interesting market. I’m glad that they chose Prague and Liberec as some of the filming locations. My relationship to Spiderman is such that I grew up with the first movie trilogy, mostly ignored the movies with Andrew Garfield, and he regained my attention with Tom Holland. As I enjoyed the previous instalment, I had one more reason to look forward to this one. And I wasn’t disappointed. There was a lot of fun, a sufficient number of nostalgic moments, and I greatly enjoyed the shots of the ravaged Old Time Square (or Liberec Square). It all has pleasant young adult vibes that are a good fit for the new Spiderman, filling a certain gap in the Marvel Universe these days. (23/07/2019)

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)

This feel-good adventure movie is elevated to the four-star level by multiple aspects and their fresh interaction – frequent moving around nice European locations, more space for Jon Favreau and his nice performance in the mentor role, frequent references to Tony Stark and Mysterio’s impressive technological games, paralleling the very charm of film illusion. And the well-depicted inner struggle of Spider-Man with his own responsibility and the inevitable expectations he has for himself. (26/08/2019)

An easygoing piece that after the dramatic Endgame wanted to remind fans that Marvel is first and foremost a fun realm of blockbuster filmmaking. The first half is a lot of fun, actually, and it was surprising to see a superhero movie with a teenage romance line being far better than most thoroughbred teenage comedies – Peter’s troubles with his love interest and the subsequent dilemma about his own self work great, both in terms of humour and as an important causal element for the fundamental villain twist. And actually, overall, it’s a very nice spectacle that you will surely enjoy if you like Spider-Man and the Marvel universe, which allows for a rather sophisticated incorporation of illusory motifs and original antagonists. Unfortunately, it’s brought down by the shabby second half, which numbs the viewer with unnecessarily long illusory sequences and delivers a comedic finale where the characters, though they are truly putting their necks on the line, run to the Crown Jewels and share their secret weaknesses. The action is nothing great, either, and the final fate of the villain is quite inadequate given his potential. Also, the concept of travelling through well-known European locations has hardly any value and the interesting post-credit scenes underscores Sony’s stupid decision not to continue with this promising story. 70% (25/09/2019)