“With great power, comes great responsibility.” The wise words of Uncle Ben are at the core of the Spider-Man mythos, and it makes for a solid - albeit somewhat overplayed - throughline in all iterations of the hero. The fragile dichotomy of Peter Parker’s personal life and superheroic responsibilities has always been central to Spider-Man’s relatability, and both the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield films tackled this aspect with varying degrees of success. But director Jon Watts, alongside new franchise screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, introduce a fascinating new wrinkle only possible within the film’s larger cinematic universe: the ghost of Tony Stark. Iron Man, who started out as a self-interested opportunist, evolved into the world’s greatest hero, eventually making the ultimate sacrifice against Thanos. How does a high school kid live up to a legacy like that? The classic Peter Parker dilemma lives on in Far From Home, but with Stark’s sacrifice looming large, it makes for a much more compelling narrative only made possible by the interconnectedness of the MCU and the events of Endgame. Throughout the film, multiple threads pull at Peter, asking: “Are you going to step up?” Nick Fury is the one to straight-up ask the question, but whether it’s Happy Hogan, Aunt May, or Tony Stark’s technological bequeathals, Peter feels the weight of Spider-Man’s responsibilities in a way never seen before. In this regard, Far From Home feels remarkably fresh; it’s a film that takes Spider-Man in exciting new directions, but doesn’t feel like a betrayal of his core values.

Far From Home’s greatest asset, however, is its narrative structure - in addition to being a story that is fully self-aware, the film also toys with convention and audience expectations. The best way to describe Peter Parker’s latest adventure is that it is a meta magic trick, a superhero film that leans into its tropes as a distraction for its big reveal and absolutely phenomenal third act. The first half of Far From Home is an odd beast, an hour that feels uncharacteristically light and low-stakes for pretty much one reason: the elementals are boring. Faceless, dialogue-less non-entities, the elemental threat is typical, low-stakes, superhero fluff. But without spoiling too much, there’s no real way around how empty the CGI threats feel, so Jon Watts and company bolster it with what they know best: teen comedy and human drama. From Jacob Batalon as Ned, Martin Starr as the beleaguered Mr. Harrington, and Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, there’s no shortage of charm and humor in Far From Home. Even bit characters like Betty Brant (Angourie Rice) get their moments in the spotlight. But the biggest MVP of the film’s supporting cast, without question, is Zendaya’s MJ. MJ gets a full character arc and some of the film’s best moments, a fitting extrapolation of her charming yet fleeting appearance in Homecoming.

The little moments of Peter Parker’s school trip and his struggle with the costume do a great job of distracting from the slightness of the elemental monsters, so that when the film finally kicks into high-gear, its effects are really felt. Yes, Far From Home has a big twist, and yes, most people will at least have an inkling of what it is, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. The film’s third act works like gangbusters, displaying some of the greatest nods to comic book lore I’ve seen in a superhero film; comic book fans will relish in its trippy fidelity, while casual fans will marvel at its inventiveness.

Far From Home is the perfect companion piece to Avenger’s Endgame, continuing the MCU’s winning streak. A film that takes the character in new directions, but still stays true to the essence of Peter Parker and his costumed alter-ego, Far From Home reconfigures heavily-tread ground into a new context. For those worried about a Marvel Cinematic Universe without Robert Downey, Jr. or Chris Evans, Spider-Man is the antidote and the path forward.

GRADE: B+