Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)

A bit of a scattered sequel, with some promising new elements not fully realized (the Endgame aftermath and emotion isn’t committed to; the initially intriguing villain is sloppily developed-see the ham-fisted exposition at the bar). The awesome action and sly commentary on superhero sci-fi and spectacle (“nowadays they’ll believe anything”) that come with the twist are great though, as is the continuation of the coming-of-age comedy and plot from its predecessor (see the bridge awkwardness).

6

Dope (2015)

Life changes for Malcolm, a geek who’s surviving life in a tough neighborhood, after a chance invitation to an underground party leads him and his friends into a Los Angeles adventure. (IMDb)

Despite a fresh-feeling setting, nice-looking cinematography, active editing, great music, and a trio of likeable protagonists, the film struggles to connect in a solid way up until Malcolm’s dramatic gun draw, thanks to some messy writing that half-hazardly breezes through a high school partying plot and too often feels try-hard with its humour. A unique fourth-wall-breaking “moral of the story” hits home though, and re-frames the film’s brazen Superbad-esque story in a thought-provoking way.

6.5/10 (Alright)