Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Mould: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Trammell Tillman and Mark Ruffalo
Rating: ★★★★
It’s a good time to watch a movie, and if your name is in it, it’s even better Tom Holland. For the second time in July, the young British actor is starring in a big-budget show that’s much more than that. Like The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is rooted in reality and offers a surprisingly nuanced look at loneliness, identity, and the cost of the greater good. It balances the grandeur of a superhero movie with the complexities of a modern tale of identity crisis, and does it so expertly that you can’t help but be…um…wondered.
Spider-Man Brand New Day Plot
Four years have passed since Peter Parker (Tom Holland) made the difficult choice to let the world, including his loved ones, forget who he is. Now, he’s just Spider-Man. But years of pushing his identity down into his own mind have caused the spider DNA inside him to explode, leading to complications. As he investigates a mysterious enemy who can possess humans and force them to obey him like puppets, Peter discovers that this path leads him to a reunion with MJ (Zendaya), possibly harming her. As he goes up against this impossible foe he finds an unexpected ally in The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and finds himself biting off more than he can chew, including an encounter with The Hulk.
Story of suppressed and bursting emotions
Brand New Day is just about Peter trying to be Spider-Man. He made the world forget him, and for four years he has been trying to push his alter ego down as well. The film explores what happens when a person suppresses who they really are. What happens when you forget yourself and what you stand for? Are you still the same person, or have you grown into a monster that you need to fight from within? It also attempts to answer the question of the greater good, and when it needs to be answered. It quite cleverly balances the question of what matters more – the suffering and rights of an individual or the well-being of society.
Embracing complex emotions and themes is nothing new for Marvel. And this film is the best example of how this franchise has balanced entertainment with substance, without losing the plot. It’s a throwback to the best Marvel, back in the days when Iron Man 3 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier did it all flawlessly. It even pales in comparison to Marvel’s recent efforts to depict heavy emotions like grief and loneliness in entertaining shows like WandaVision and Thunderbolts.
marvel signature
If you’ve read this far, you might be mistaken in thinking that Brand New Day is a heavy movie. But it is full of joy. And the shift from fun to grittiness is never jarring. It’s a recipe Marvel has cooked up in over 40 movies and shows, and delivers it again here, piping hot. It’s full of jokes, wisecracks and one-liners that keep the entertainment alive. Tom’s Peter is growing up. He is no longer in high school, and shows increased sass. There are fun little homages to previous Spider-Man films from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, none of which feel out of place. The chemistry between Tom and John (Spidey and the Punisher) is a treat to watch as the optimistic young pacifist tries to rein in the trigger-happy veteran, sometimes much to his dismay. Mark Ruffalo’s extended cameo as Bruce Banner is nice, but the film finally gives his Hulk the menacing turn he deserves. Ever since Mark played the Hulk, one has felt like his Hulk has been reduced to rock bottom. Here, the animal is let loose, even if for a short period of time. And it gives us one of the most memorable moments of the film.
a visual spectacle
And despite all these qualities, the USP of the film for me, are the visuals. Finally, for the first time since Toby’s Spider-Man films, New York gets a chance to become a character in a Spidey adventure. Director Destin Daniel Cretton has not only incorporated the energy of the Big Apple into the film, but also brought back great scenes of Spider-Man swinging across streets and off the side of skyscrapers. Brilliantly filmed and wonderfully presented, these shots create so much awe that it feels as if you’re hanging out with the friendly neighborhood hero on his adventures. It highlights the joy of a superhero film, which is much needed today, when the genre has become so over-the-top.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, No Way Home, follows an incredible action. But unlike its predecessor, it doesn’t rely on nostalgia. It even incorporates more of the MCU than any Spidey movie before it. Is this the best Spider-Man movie ever? No, but it may make the top 3 of all time. But this is definitely Tom’s best Spider-Man film, and the best gift the MCU could give itself before Doomsday begins later this year.