Spider-man: Far from Home
I was going to binge watch Stranger Things tomorrow, but I might have to wait, because new canon would interfere with me wallowing in all my Spider-man big emotions. Many many spoilers behind the cut.
I still remember feeling outraged that they were remaking Spiderman AGAIN and not making him Miles Morales, and almost boycotting, which I'm so glad I didn't do because I swear Tom Holland is the Peter Parker OF MY HEART. He's SUCH a teenager (everyone in the cast is such a teenager) and that makes such a big difference (just like Miles being such a middle-schooler did in Into the Spiderverse). It hits my emotions differently. I mainly end up wanting to hug him and squeeze him and call him George.
So I spent so much of this film being ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS at Nick Fury trying to make this 16 year old kid into the next Ironman (and feeling that that characterization was a little off for him, honestsly), so the post-credits reveal was really interesting. (And clearly I have to watch it again to figure out what Fury is doing in that Skrull ship? Or was it that place they went to in Captain Marvel? I only saw Captain Marvel once so I don't remember that part very well).
Anyway. The teen stuff was some of my favorite parts of the film. Peter pining for MJ! MJ pining for Peter but being unable to tell him! (I also liked that MJ got to be more than just ironic observer in this film, and that we got to see so much of her inner goth). The whole Ned and Betty romance, which was HILARIOUS and also the most authentically early high school relationship I've ever seen on film.
But I also really loved how much this film was Peter (for himself but also as an audience stand-in) processing his grief for Tony. Oh god, that cheesy film at the opening--I've never simultaneously cried and giggled at a Marvel movie before, but every single time there was a Tony image in the film hit me right in the feels. And given how pivotal Tony was to this universe's Spider-man, it felt appropriate that Mysterio's motives (and henchmen) were all SI-related.
And wow, Jake Gyllenhaal was great. I mean, I kind of knew Mysterio had to be the big villain, just from comics osmosis, but he was such a good mentor/friend to Peter in the first half of the film I was assuming he'd get corrupted by merging with the fire creature or something, so I was shocked (and kind of impressed) by the big reveal. And he really played Peter like a fiddle, which makes sense: Peter is clearly looking for someone to fill the Tony/Uncle Ben role in his life, and it looked at first like Mysterio would be the one.
Speaking of mentors: I actually kind of loved Happy in this? Especially the romance/fling with Aunt May, but also the way he is clearly (kind of) seeing reflections of Tony in Peter while still actually supporting Peter. And clearly Peter is going to need support, given the mid-credits scene. OH MY GOD. The false accusations are bad enough, but the identity reveal? YIKES. I saw someone's commentary on Tumblr that it's a sort of an inverse of the first "I am Ironman" reveal, which makes it thematically quite appropriate (especially if it's setting up a potential theme for movie three that no, he isn't Ironman, he's Spider-man, and that's quite enough), but POOR PETER. He finally got to date MJ (whose hilarious reaction to webswinging is just what mine would be) and now this? *Hugs the poor spider-baby*
A couple other comments on plot:
1. I was a little disappointed that the multiverse was just part of the fake Mysterio backstory rather than canon confirmation of a multiverse.
2. Mysterio's trap for Peter in Berlin was amazing, though it seemed to be drawing on a lot of psychology/history from Peter's life that I don't think he had access to, so I was a little confused by some of that.
3. Other than explaining Fury's somewhat-out-of-character actions, I wonder if the appearance of the Skrulls is setting up something? (I mean besides a space war--are there going to be bad Skrulls impersonating people coming up?)
This entry is crossposted at https://norwich36.dreamwidth.org/290012.html, but feel free to reply at either place.
I still remember feeling outraged that they were remaking Spiderman AGAIN and not making him Miles Morales, and almost boycotting, which I'm so glad I didn't do because I swear Tom Holland is the Peter Parker OF MY HEART. He's SUCH a teenager (everyone in the cast is such a teenager) and that makes such a big difference (just like Miles being such a middle-schooler did in Into the Spiderverse). It hits my emotions differently. I mainly end up wanting to hug him and squeeze him and call him George.
So I spent so much of this film being ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS at Nick Fury trying to make this 16 year old kid into the next Ironman (and feeling that that characterization was a little off for him, honestsly), so the post-credits reveal was really interesting. (And clearly I have to watch it again to figure out what Fury is doing in that Skrull ship? Or was it that place they went to in Captain Marvel? I only saw Captain Marvel once so I don't remember that part very well).
Anyway. The teen stuff was some of my favorite parts of the film. Peter pining for MJ! MJ pining for Peter but being unable to tell him! (I also liked that MJ got to be more than just ironic observer in this film, and that we got to see so much of her inner goth). The whole Ned and Betty romance, which was HILARIOUS and also the most authentically early high school relationship I've ever seen on film.
But I also really loved how much this film was Peter (for himself but also as an audience stand-in) processing his grief for Tony. Oh god, that cheesy film at the opening--I've never simultaneously cried and giggled at a Marvel movie before, but every single time there was a Tony image in the film hit me right in the feels. And given how pivotal Tony was to this universe's Spider-man, it felt appropriate that Mysterio's motives (and henchmen) were all SI-related.
And wow, Jake Gyllenhaal was great. I mean, I kind of knew Mysterio had to be the big villain, just from comics osmosis, but he was such a good mentor/friend to Peter in the first half of the film I was assuming he'd get corrupted by merging with the fire creature or something, so I was shocked (and kind of impressed) by the big reveal. And he really played Peter like a fiddle, which makes sense: Peter is clearly looking for someone to fill the Tony/Uncle Ben role in his life, and it looked at first like Mysterio would be the one.
Speaking of mentors: I actually kind of loved Happy in this? Especially the romance/fling with Aunt May, but also the way he is clearly (kind of) seeing reflections of Tony in Peter while still actually supporting Peter. And clearly Peter is going to need support, given the mid-credits scene. OH MY GOD. The false accusations are bad enough, but the identity reveal? YIKES. I saw someone's commentary on Tumblr that it's a sort of an inverse of the first "I am Ironman" reveal, which makes it thematically quite appropriate (especially if it's setting up a potential theme for movie three that no, he isn't Ironman, he's Spider-man, and that's quite enough), but POOR PETER. He finally got to date MJ (whose hilarious reaction to webswinging is just what mine would be) and now this? *Hugs the poor spider-baby*
A couple other comments on plot:
1. I was a little disappointed that the multiverse was just part of the fake Mysterio backstory rather than canon confirmation of a multiverse.
2. Mysterio's trap for Peter in Berlin was amazing, though it seemed to be drawing on a lot of psychology/history from Peter's life that I don't think he had access to, so I was a little confused by some of that.
3. Other than explaining Fury's somewhat-out-of-character actions, I wonder if the appearance of the Skrulls is setting up something? (I mean besides a space war--are there going to be bad Skrulls impersonating people coming up?)
This entry is crossposted at https://norwich36.dreamwidth.org/290012.html, but feel free to reply at either place.