spider-man: brand new day
★★★★
starring: tom holland, zendaya, jon bernthal, and sadie sink
REVIEWER: lyall carter
A forgotten Peter Parker lives alone as a full-time Spider-Man until mounting pressure triggers a dangerous change and a powerful new enemy emerges.
After nearly a decade, three box office smash films, and a couple of other appearances in MCU movies, Tom Holland has arguably accomplished the most of any actor in his time as New York’s most famous neighborhood hero. But this is a different kind of Spidey outing this time. Grounded, emotional, but brimming with hope, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is stacked with some of the best Spidey action sequences ever with Holland’s best performance yet as the friendly neighborhood hero.
Peter Parker devotes his life to protecting New York City as a full-time Spider-Man. But as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he's ever faced.
Before we go any further, dear reader, this is a spoiler free review so there will be few plot details. At the heart of Brand New Day is the reality that Peter is completely and utterly alone. Stripped of his relationships with MJ and Ned as well as still grieving Aunt May’s death, Peter is doing all of his superhero duties while wrapped up in grief and loneliness. These themes permeate the film with director Destin Daniel Cretton having a lot of really great things to say about them.
One of the aspects of Brand New Day that I loved was that New York City is played almost like a character itself, and the film plays as a love letter to the city. This completely works as nearly the first half of the narrative is devoted to Spidey’s duties as a true, neighborhood hero. It’s just so grounded and brilliant. While the film is a bit weighty emotionally, there’s also so many great comedic, human moments too usually played out between Spidey and his frenemy, the Punisher.
We’ve gotta talk about the action sequences. The slow mo, comic book homage scenes that are peppered throughout this movie are jaw droppingly great. Also when Spidey is web slinging through the streets of New York are the best they’ve ever been. And do you want Spidey going toe to toe with a rollcall of some of his comic book foes? Big tick!
Tom Holland is riding on the acting high of his role as Telemachus in the box office blockbuster The Odyssey and he gives his most grounded, heart aching performance here as Peter Parker. He wonderfully captures the sense of loneliness while still carrying hope that it can and will get better for him.
Grounded, emotional, but brimming with hope, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is stacked with some of the best Spidey action sequences ever with Holland’s best performance yet as the friendly neighborhood hero.
★★★★
