Spider-Man: Far From Home Review - 9 Ups & 4 Downs

3. The Action

There could have been major scope here to make a John Hughes-infused teen movie looking at a young man struggling to balance the pressures of expectations with his own romantic impulses and a journey to find himself. That could have filled up an entire plot even without any action bundled in as well, so it's great to see how impressive the action sequences are.

Thanks to the stunning effects and the possibilities afforded by Mysterio's powers, one sequence in particular that fully explores what he is capable of is just breath-taking. It is innovative, imaginative and hugely impactful and there's very little in the MCU like it.

Even the battle sequences are great too, with the stunts and effects teams coming up with yet more impressive ways to use Spider-Man's swing mechanics and also the new possibilties of Mysterio's flight. And none of that is compromised particularly by ropey ragdoll effects either. Mercifully.

As the film progresses - and particularly in the explosive finale - you get a real sense of Spider-Man truly blossoming into a superhuman. Not just a character with Tony Stark's vast technological armoury behind him. Because of the exploration of one particular element of his powers (without offering unnecessary spoilers here), he feels more central to the story and not just a hero placed by convenience, which is the entire point of the story.