Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jan 15, 2019 | 4 comments

Far from home, but close to our hearts…

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Hey, have you seen the first Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer?

Check it out:

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Now, here are 13 QUICK THOUGHTS:

1. I’ve been waiting forever for the perfect Spidey movie and while this one won’t be that – prime Spider-Man needs to be battling evildoers in Manhattan – I liked pretty much everything I saw here.

2. And that’s not to, say, knock Venice, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is one of my favorite places to visit. (Not to mention London and Paris and …) The scenery is going to be killer in this one.

3. Although we finally do get a shot of our web-slinger zipping through the greatest city on the planet:

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4. Let’s jump right to Mysterio. I’ve avoided pix that have been out there so I was actually startled that they’re giving Jake Gyllenhaal a version of the classic costume. Not so long ago, producers would eschew such a flashy, comic-booky outfit in favor of, say, a generic black leather outfit with a tricked out motorcycle helmet. That’s commitment, folks.

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5. Because Mysterio is one of the coolest-looking bad guys in comics history.

From my Ideal Spider-Man playset.

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6. Tom Holland’s really comfortable in the role, isn’t he? My fave version of Mr. Parker is college/post-college Petey. But the Marvel Studios folks have done a good job with High School Pete.

7. Happy and Aunt May? Looks like those rumors are true. Cute. Yet another reason for Pete to feel mortified.

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8. Nick Fury’s getting to be the Zelig of the MCU. He doesn’t get his own movie but he keeps showing up in everyone else’s.

9. Will MJ ever say, “Face it Tiger, you just hit the jackpot”?

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10. The red-and-black outfit? Yeah, OK, fine. Nod to the early comics coloring, and so on. (Not sure I like the white spider on the back, but hey.) Anyway, it still, ahem, bugs me that we haven’t gotten Spidey’s classic red-and-blue outfit in the MCU. I understand why – to distinguish from previous series and to MAKE MORE TOYS – but that look is the best in comics history other than that guy in Metropolis and that other guy in Gotham. (Click here for more on that.)

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11. Requisite obvious Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame joke: I guess Peter survives. Har har har.

12. Back to Venice: Do you remember when Aquaman visited? I do. (Click here.)

13. The music. The music, the music, the music. The 1967 cartoon theme is, to this very day, Spider-Man’s most cherished musical touchstone but it’s always been played for laughs in the movies. Finally, Paul Francis Webster and Bob Harris’ tune gets the epic treatment it deserves.

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MORE

— 13 COVERS: Spider-Man vs. Mysterio. Click here.

— 13 Things to Love About SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. Click here.