Fans of the Tom Holland-led Spidey series should take the title of the latest installment – “Spider-Man Brand New Day” – literally and seriously.
Mostly gone are the playful, semi-subversive attitude and genial undertone, and in their place a more somber, less naïve Peter Parker/Spidey emerges.
That’s what will happen when you’ve lost everyone—some through circumstance, others by choice—that you love.
Contending with isolation is but one thread in “Brand New Day,” one of the most action-packed and possibly most emotionally resonant entries into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is director Destin Daniel Cretton’s take on the character, courtesy of writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, the duo behind the series’ previous three films, that showcases the evolution of the titular hero and succeeds on a personal level.
They, however, have to serve two masters and in this case that involves contributing to the establishment of a throughline to other franchises and potentially “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is being released this holiday season.
That being the case, we are given a story that serves that end, and actually feels secondary to what Peter Parker is enduring personally.
When a shadowy figure shows up in New York City seeking access to some mysterious material held at the equally clandestine Department of Damage Control, a government agency established to study and monitor meta humans. That person has the ability to pop through other people’s minds and they are desperate to find that substance. They confound Spider-Man with that ability and use it to get close to the one person he loves most, MJ (Zendaya, Holland’s real-life spouse), the woman for whom he sacrificed his happiness.
In the meantime, he’s evolving physically and has to deal with his powers heightening to the point of overwhelming him, something that he resists.
Both of those situations allow for appearances by other luminaries from the MCU including Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who makes his debut on the big screen, and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) from “Thunderbolts*” and “Black Widow.”
In some respect, they all help Peter on his journey as he seeks answers and solutions to the questions and situations that have his life in a perpetual funk.
To a surprising degree, the screen writers and director Cretton, who previously directed “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” manage to bind those disparate elements to help Parker get to where he needs.
Many of the issues represent emotional turmoil as he’s clearly tortured by the absence of his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ, and his new nemesis forces him to have to serve as their protector once again.
Those moments give Holland an opportunity to showcase his acting chops as he moves Peter from awkward, young superhero to an adult who takes the mantra “with great powers, come great responsibility” very seriously. Holland does an effective job bringing out those character traits showing tremendous growth in the role.
Batalon and Zendaya, as usual, prove to be able partners.
Bernthal’s Punisher brings some edge to the proceedings and serves as an emotional counterweight to Spidey. More impressive, we see a side of Bernthal’s character not previously displayed in any other appearance and he actually provides much of the film’s humor.
As strong as those elements are, Cretton and the stunt team certainly do not forget that his is a superhero film and “Brand New Day” is filled with thrilling action sequences and, the writers, despite the emotional heft, do not forget one of the key traits of the main character, his sense of humor, subtle thought it may be. That saves the film from sinking into morass.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” proves to be a worthy entry into the MCU and Spidey’s cinematic canon thanks in no small part to the efforts of Holland and filmmakers who maintain serious respect for who the character is and what he represents.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
Review
Movie: “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo
Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
Running time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some language.
Grade: B+
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ gives character emotional heft | Review
Reporting by George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By George M. Thomas, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
