'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Review: A Wonderful Evolution For The Web-Slinger
Tom Holland’s wall-crawler is back on the big screen yet again in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a fourth installment that is not only the best entry in the series yet, but one of the best Spider-Man films full stop.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ catches audiences up with Peter Parker (Tom Holland) after the events of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, where he had to make the incredibly difficult and brave decision to erase the memory of himself from those he loves most in order to save them and the rest of the world. As a result, he’s gone full tilt into Spider-Man mode, focusing his attention on cleaning up the streets of New York City as the beloved superhero, leaving him with a personal life that is lonely and isolated to say the least. However, his life becomes increasingly more stressful when a new and mysterious telepathic threat emerges that once again puts the city at risk. Making matters worse is that he’s going through intense physical changes that may make him something else entirely. Safe to say, things have become quite complicated for Peter Parker.
The main issue of the past three films in Holland’s Spidey series is that Peter has always been shackled and held back by mentor figures such as Tony Stark, Quentin Beck and Doctor Strange. Fortunately, this fourth installment remedies that issue effectively, making the character the centerpiece of his own film at last, giving him the attention and care he rightfully deserves. This sequel gives Peter his most challenging and emotional journey yet and Holland is more than up to the task as he delivers his most mature and emotionally compelling performance as the character. At this point, it’s crystal clear that the young actor has fully embodied the character, blurring the line as to where he ends and the superhero begins. He navigates Peter’s journey deftly with nuance, charm and emotional heft, resulting in his best portrayal of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man to date. Whether he’s in or out of the iconic suit, he’s as magnetic as ever.
The supporting performances are terrific as well across the board. Implementing The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) into the film was an inspired choice, not only aiding the sequel in feeling palpably more street level, but giving Peter a wonderfully gruff foil to bounce off of. Holland and Bernthal have infectious chemistry, making their scenes together some of the film’s best, not only providing ample laughs but a considerable amount of heart as well. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are also delivering strong work as they return as MJ and Ned respectively. Not only are they able to portray new, equally likable iterations of their characters, but they’re able to give them deeper shades as well, especially the former who gets far juicier material to work with here. However, Sadie Sink nearly walks away with the film as its intriguing antagonist. Not only is her work electric and emotionally charged, but her character is given welcomed depth as her arc nicely runs parallel to Peter’s in heartbreaking ways. This is a situation where the villain’s true identity is far less compelling than the character itself.
Taking the reins of the franchise from director Jon Watts is Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously helmed ‘Shang Chi’ and more recently ‘Wonder Man’, two of Marvel’s best projects since ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The difference between the two directors is staggering here, Cretton delivering the best looking Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi’s original trilogy. The boost in style, panache and practical stunt work is an incredibly refreshing change of pace, not only making this sequel look and feel like a comic book come to life, but like an actual film overall. From the lighting to the cinematography, there is far more care and precision put into the filmmaking here, which especially shines through in the film’s stunning set pieces. The action sequences will not disappoint fans of the character in the slightest, putting forth some of the most tactile, visceral and more importantly fun sequences involving the character to date. Cretton’s clear affinity for the wall-crawler bleeds through in every frame, whether it’s pitting Peter against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) or The Hand, re-creating iconic panels from the comics or making Spidey’s swinging through the city as visually immersive as possible, Cretton gets the character, plain and simple.
Not only is the film visually dazzling, but it manages to be emotionally engaging as well. Exploring Peter’s internal struggle of balancing Peter Parker and Spider-Man, a struggle that is intrinsic to the character is beautifully explored here, especially as that turmoil begins to manifest itself physically. Having his stress and emotional trauma be the catalyst for his mutation and evolution feels perfectly suited for the character, making it feel far less like a gimmick and more so as a vital change and maturation for Peter. The film also doesn’t rely on Marvel’s singular brand of humor that tends to run unchecked and rampant in many of their projects, unafraid to explore darker, more emotionally mature territory especially as Sink’s villain takes centerstage in the third act. As a result, this is the most emotional entry into the series yet, the past three films building to this emotional crescendo that not only feels earned but makes the revered hero as interesting and endearing as ever.
There are only minor flaws holding this fourth film back. Though the film doesn’t have nearly the amount of lackluster humor that has been present in many recent MCU films, there are still scenes in which that humor seeps in and overstays its welcome. Also, the sequel suffers from an issue that plagues many Marvel films in general which is the inconsistent quality of the CGI. There are moments in the film where it feels as if there is a complete CGI takeover, briefly taking the audience out of the world Cretton has thoughtfully and meticulously created. Fortunately, these moments are few and far between, but when they’re there, it’s hard not to see the stark difference from what came before.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is a wonderful and much needed evolution for the superhero, taking the character into fascinating uncharted territory as he finally matures into the man and hero he was always meant to be. It’s heavily apparent Holland, Cretton and the rest of this creative team wanted to bring something wholly fresh and more exciting to audiences this time around and they managed to knock it out of the park. If this sequel is proof of anything, it’s that the MCU is at its most compelling when it lets its heroes inhabit their own self-contained stories, not needing to be slavishly connected to the universe’s grand design. Simply put, the web-head’s future has never been brighter in Holland’s confident and assured hands.