"Avengers: Endgame" is over. Now Peter Parker needs a vacation. Will he get it?

Kaleidoscope returns after a month due to illness with Sony/Columbia's & Marvel's production of "Spider-Man: Far From Home.  Directed by Jon Watts, the movie stars Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Cobie Smulders, Maris Tomei, Martin Starr, J. B. Smoove, & Jon Favreau.  Rated 'PG-13', it has a running time of 2 hr., 9 min.

In the prologue, the setting is Ixtenco, Mexico.  Nick Fury (Jackson) & Maria Hill (Smulders) are investigating an unusual storm that is not only destructive but also takes on an anthropomorphic form & seems to be sentient; it is called an Earth Elemental.  Also arriving on the scene is a super-powered man named Quentin Beck (Gyllenhaal) who fights & defeats the creature.  Segue to New York City's Midtown HS of Science & Technology which restarts its school year in the summer in order to accommodate those students who have disappeared for 5 years due to 'The Blip' caused by Thanos.  Additionally, the school has organized a 2-week field trip to Europe led by teachers Mr. Harrington (Starr) & Mr. Dell (Smoove).  Attendees include Peter Parker (Holland), Peter's longed-for love MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Batalon), & several others.  Still upset over the death of Tony Stark, Peter plans to both tell MJ about his love for her and to avoid any heroics & just be normal Pete on the vacation.  Before leaving on the vacation, Peter is appearing in his Spiderman suit at a fundraiser for the homeless sponsored by his Aunt May (Tomei).  While there, Happy Hogan (Favreau), who seems smitten with May, arrives & advises Peter that Nick Fury will be calling Peter.  When Fury does just that, Peter ignores the call, infuriating Nick on the other end.  Soon, Peter leaves on the vacation.  This is only midway through Act I--which ends on a twist that has not been revealed in the trailers.  The film's action & humor steadily increase from that midpoint.

Jon Watts, who also helmed "SM: Homecoming" directs this next chapter with elan & flair, keeping a nice balance between the 2 qualities.  He elicits genuine warmth among the main characters, especially with Peter's seeming unrequited love of MJ & how that makes him feel.  The action sequences are well staged; he directs them lucidly including the ones that make the audience jump with surprise.  Chris McKenna's & Erik Sommers's screenplay is one of the better ones in the MCU.  Whereas there was overlong sag in the second act of "Avenger: Endgame", nothing of the sort is found here.  From the exposition in the 1st half of Act I until the movie's end, the pacing is crisp & sharp.  The script gives ample time to all of the characters allowing them to make the most of their scenes.  The banter among the teens is distinctly realistic & believable.  The 2 films of this 2nd reboot have allowed the principal characters to be among the most realistic in the 23 films completed so far in the MCU.  Tom Holland is outstanding as Peter/Spidey.  Tobey Maguire was good in the 1st 3 iterations.  Andrew Garfield was a bit miscast in the next 2.  Holland, however, is a revelation.  Although he is 23, he is completely subsumed into Peter.  We not only acknowledge him as Peter, we completely believe that he is a teenager--looking & acting as an adolescent would.  Not only as an adolescent but as an American teenager; this is amazing as Holland is British.  Zendaya, also 23, is a little bit harder to buy as a teenager.  Still, she convincingly appeals as the innocent who continues to steal Peter's heart.  Gyllenhaal gives a very good performance as Quentin Beck/Mysterio; saying anything more would be too much of a spoiler.  Jackson continues his ubiquitous role as the hard edged, no nonsense Fury.  His presence is welcome in any film; in fact, it seems as if he appears in every other film that is released.  Michael Giacchino's score is most impressive.  While incorporating some of the familiar MCU motifs, he has written stirring, exciting themes that are Spidey-unique.  Matthew J. Lloyd's cinematography, coupled with Leigh Folsom Boyd's & Dab Lebental's editing, is clear & smooth.  There is never a doubt as to what is occurring on screen.

I give "Spider-Man: Far From Home" 9 out of 10 nuggets.  It is a worthy continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Led by an outstanding performance by Tom Holland, the film is an excellent blend of humor, action, & character interaction.  Head to your local cineplex for a rollicking good time.