《蜘蛛侠：英雄远征》

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” is the second installment in the latest live-action “Spider-Man” reboot.

The young cast, led by Tom Holland as the titular hero and Zendaya as a shy girl, is appealing as well as funny. But without a proper villain*, as well as a good substitute* for Robert Downey Jr.’s late Tony Stark, this film is somewhat disappointing.

Holland first turned up as Spider-Man in “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016, then again two years later in “Avengers: Infinity War” and in between was front and center in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

At the beginning of the film, Peter Parker (Spider-Man) is so exhausted from his recent labors that he wants to spend part of the summer on a tour to Europe with some school chums*, one of whom, MJ (Zendaya), he is very fond of. His Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), who looks after him, slips his Spider costume into his bag, but Parker wishes to leave work behind and doesn’t take a call from minder* Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).

The beginning part of the film feels like a pleasant romantic comedy that director Jon Watts proves himself rather good at. But things suddenly become quite Marvelish upon the group’s arrival in Venice, where everyone’s good time is intruded upon* by a destructive storm cloud that rips through the glorious city, ruining much of it as the whirlwind gradually takes the shape of a giant watery beast. Forced to spring into action, Spidey does what he can to prevent further destruction, although this proves to be just the first in a series of attacks that coincide with* the group’s arrivals in Prague, Berlin and London.

The man behind these attacks is Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). This latter name is quite fitting in that the man’s rationale* for all the wanton destruction proves not only mysterious but unconvincing*. Mysterio is one of the least persuasive bad boys in the annals of cinematic Marvel. He may be a trickster, but his motivations as a villain are too vague and implausible to gain much traction, even as something to hate.

Similarly coming up short are the physical manifestations of Mysterio’s infernos and Spidey’s efforts to fight them. As a result, one must be content with enjoying the passing wit of the screenplay by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and the charms of the young leading actors.(SD-Agencies)