‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ REVIEW: A Bold New Swing That Finds the Web-Slinger Back to His Roots
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ REVIEW: A Bold New Swing That Finds the Web-Slinger Back to His Roots
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD FOR ‘SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY.’
We have grown up with Spider-Man, and as someone born from the dawn of the new millennium, I’ve got to experience three iterations of the web-slinger on the big screen. There was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man reboot films, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s reclaiming of their big boy back into the fold and into the larger universe with Tom Holland.
Spider-Man (Tom Holland) web-slinging into action in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ | Still courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Holland when he first came into the picture. Yes, we finally got to see a much younger and more naive take on the character, now co-existing with the rest of the MCU. But it feels a bit misaligned when you get to see him grow under the guidance of Tony Stark/Iron Man, who is always in the background. It always ties back to Tony Stark, from the villains to the cool gadgets and his purpose. But as the years go by, and having gone through numerous phases throughout the Infinity and Multiverse Sagas, Holland’s Spider-Man found an anchor in his development through Tony. With his death in Avengers: Endgame, Peter was one of the heroes/characters who needed to learn to live with it the most.
Jon Watts’ Home trilogy — comprised of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home — served its purpose in offering this generation a Spider-Man they can grow with. We get to see Peter juggle heroism and school, come to terms with burgeoning crushes and love, all the while catastrophic events constantly get in the way. “Stay close to the ground,” as Tony says to Peter in his advice on shifting his focus toward smaller problems rather than Avengers-level threats.
MJ (Zendaya) and Spider-Man in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ | Still courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
With Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that hits closer to home. We are five years removed from the events of No Way Home, which saw Peter cross paths with the other Peters (Tobey and Andrew) in the fight to save the multiverse from the “Sinister Six,” composed of the villains across all Spider-Man iterations. The ending saw Holland’s Peter wish for everyone to forget he was ever Spider-Man, not to forget that there is a Spider-Man, but only that everyone in the world (after the revelation by Mysterio) knew he was Spider-Man.
Now, all alone, even without Aunt May, MJ, and Ned by his side — he moves forward.
Under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wonder Man), we have a Spider-Man in the MCU who we can universally get behind, both with his characterization and the way he is presented on screen. The film makes us realize that Watts has been starving us for years to have stylistic shots and better web-slinging with this iteration. With Cretton’s resume, specifically with Shang-Chi, the action in the film is top-notch, fully showcasing the agility and strength of the character in its fullest form.
Spider-Man and The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ | Still courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
Working closely with Detective Jean DeWolff (played by Liza Colón-Zayas, who we know well from The Bear), Peter gets to stay closer to the ground and be the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man he was always meant to be. These moments that run through days and weeks of him saving people and helping arrest criminals do give major Insomniac Spider-Man video game vibes. As of this writing, it’s criminal of me to not have finished the game and have been putting it on the back burner for so long. Blame my attention span for that. But as the film unfolds, Cretton and the rest of the crew surely got my attention.
For starters, Holland elevates his performance as a more mature Peter Parker, as he should. Might I say that this is his best performance as Spider-Man to date? He gets to embrace this side of Peter that comic book fans have always resonated with — that despite the odds and adversities that come mostly in his personal life, he never loses his grip on becoming an inspiration to all. But of course, this Spidey outing has to have a bigger threat that disrupts these “street-level” heroic moments. Something uncanny gets in the way in the form of a telepath who has been jumping from body to body — from ordinary citizens to villains like the Hand and Scorpion (Michael Mando), and heroes like the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Punisher (Jon Bernthal).
Peter covered in webs in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ | Still courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
This telepath is, to no surprise, Jean Grey (Sadie Sink). After all, it was no secret at all. Perhaps, a part of me didn’t want it to be her, as it would seem like such a weird choice to have Jean pop up in a Spider-Man film. However, I’m sure glad I was wrong. Her inclusion in the film clearly suggests that the engines are starting for more mutants of the MCU generation to make their presence known, especially when an X-Men film is already in development. This becomes such a unique way to get Peter to grapple with his past — losing Aunt May, MJ, and Ned. Now, all alone, we are all rooting for him to eventually reconnect with the people close to him.
Although he’s still aided by an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant in E.V., Peter has clearly found his footing. Even with Frank Castle/Punisher coming into play and his meeting with Bruce Banner, these appearances serve their purpose. And it all ties in with Jean, which gives us a first glimpse of what she and the mutantkind in the MCU could bring. Even going as far as Jean tapping into MJ, with such a pivotal scene in the film where Peter finally gets the chance to have that kiss with MJ, but as it turns out, it wasn’t the real her.
Spider-Man versus the Hand in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ | Still courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
There is so much emotional anchor to it all, with Peter reconnecting with the people he lost, who have become strangers from his past that he knows he still needs in his life moving forward. This characterization of Peter, which could’ve gone in a different direction, was done perfectly by Cretton, along with Far From Home and No Way Home scribes Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
The evolution also plays into his own growth as Peter, dealing with what’s inside of him with his arachnid abilities that tie back to and give hints even to his evolution. Amid all the chaos happening in the background, there is still an ongoing struggle deep inside as he gains even more enhanced abilities that lead to him having organic webs. But what really knocked it out of the park is how Peter was able to come to terms with being the best of both worlds, of finally embracing the balance of being Peter Parker and Spider-Man — both the man and the hero.
Peter yearning while perched on a steel beam in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ | Still courtesy of Columbia Pictures Philippines
Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t just a typical solo outing featuring the web-slinger, but a perfect emotionally charged mix of rebirth for the character, the franchise, and Holland himself. This is the Spider-Man we’ve all been waiting for to come out of the cobwebs, and there’s no better way to be excited for this iteration even more with what lies ahead.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is now swinging in Philippine cinemas.
