‘Spider-Man' Swings Again With A Successful Sequel

Peter Parker might be forgiven for craving a vacation as “Spider-Man: Far From Home” begins.

After an emotional and strenuous last few movies with the Avengers, a break sounds nice. “I didn’t think I had to save the world this summer,” he complains.

But, you know the drill: With great power comes great responsibility. So it’s just a matter of time before Parker’s European school trip is interrupted by mayhem that requires a webslinger. We’re just glad the filmmakers didn’t also take a vacation as well.

In this ambitious and ultimately successful sequel to “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Parker trades New York’s Coney Island and the Staten Island ferry for such iconic cities as Venice, Berlin, London and Prague. Seeing him swing from ancient bell towers instead of Manhattan skyscrapers is weirdly thrilling.

The first half of ”Spider-Man: Far From Home ” could stand alone — Parker juggles trying to romance the tough-but-vulnerable MJ (the always welcome Zendaya) while also fighting giant monsters beside a ragtag group of superheroes. Perhaps it’s a little underwhelming, but it’s solid. Just stick around: Things get positively bizarre in the second half as the film shifts up a few gears, turning into a kind of commentary on filmmaking illusion itself. It goes from sunny pop to acid jazz, from “Saved By the Bell” to “The Matrix.”