SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY

Spider-Man: Brand New Day brings a great maturity to the beloved web-swinger that when paired with Tom Holland’s best performance to date in the titular role, Destin Daniel Cretton’s excellent and energetic direction, and a remarkable turn from Sadie Sink, creates an exciting, emotional and exhilarating big screen return for everyone’s favourite superhero!

After the staggering success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans have eagerly been awaiting Peter Parker’s return to the big screen, and after four and a half years, the wait is finally over. Shrouded in secrecy, with little information about the plot, Spider-Man returns in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and not only is it worth the wait and the mystery, it's one of the web-slinger’s greatest big screen outings to date. Not only has the storyline grown up with Tom Holland and viewers in what is easily the most mature films in his tenure as Spider-Man, echoing the maturity and emotional weight of Andrew Garfield’s films, with a stellar supporting of Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal and Jacob Batalon and the brilliant direction of Destin Daniel Cretton who conjures up unforgettable set pieces, Spider-Man: Brand New Day reignites audiences’ love of the superhero genre with an intelligent and moving story that is everything fans of the infamous web-slinger could hope for and more.

For his first three solo films as Spider-Man as he navigated high school, discovering his powers and his first love, Holland’s Spider-Man films have all been about his discovering that with great power comes great responsibility. Within minutes of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it is evident that Peter has learnt this lesson and has become the hero he was always destined to become. The opening montage shows him web-swinging through New York City, thwarting crime and becoming the inspiring hero the city needs, giving audiences the comic book hero that we have all known and loved for over sixty years. Never short on Marvel Cinematic Universe cameos with appearances from Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, notable Spider-Man comic book villains, and some more surprises, there is a lot happening in this film but it never feels like an easter egg filled film. Each appearance serves a purpose, propelling Peter’s story forward, capturing the cross over nature of the comic books with ease while never letting the focus shift away from the character driven story. Though, most importantly, it's a hopeful superhero film that reminds audiences why we love these heroes, the beacon of light and inspiration they provide to their world and ours, forgoing the doom and gloom world ending stakes for an exciting cinematic experience that gives Spider-Man brand new life.

But, at the same time as we get to see Spider-Man in all his comic book glory, Brand New Day is fittingly the most mature outing for Holland yet. Dealing with themes of loneliness and human connection, the story is a natural continuation of Peter’s story following the events of No Way Home and the spell that caused the world to forget Peter Parker ever existed. Watching MJ and Ned move on with their lives, with Peter yearning for their friendship and human connection, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers’ story understands the hero’s sacrifice and that Peter has to learn to rediscover human connection in spite of it, never easily or magically solving this loneliness and reuniting Peter with his best friends. Instead, they play the long game and have Peter evolve as an individual, moving through a profound internal darkness to find peace with the decision he has made and discover that just because you are alone it doesn’t mean you still can’t find human connection.

Where the film ever so slightly stumbles is in its pacing as the story feels like it is constantly shifting gears between three separate films in the first half with Peter adapting to his new heightened abilities and the ramifications of them, reconnecting with MJ and Ned and the amplification of his loneliness that he can no longer hide from, and the arrival of Sink’s mysterious character. Though, once the identity of Sink’s character is revealed in the second half, each of these independent storylines is tied together with ease by the film’s central themes and course corrects the at times sluggish pacing of the first act as each of the individual plot lines previously established now builds towards an exciting and emotionally powerful conclusion. Not only does the writing work through Peter’s inner conflict with his emotions, but McKenna and Sommers do a great job of thematically beginning to introduce a central idea that will become focal point to the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, carefully laying the groundwork for the franchise’s future within this self-contained story and never for a second sacrificing character development for a grand reveal.

With a more mature story for this outing, it comes as no surprise that Holland gives his best performance to date as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Grappling with an overwhelming loneliness and an intoxicating power that can consume him, Holland delivers a profoundly moving performance balanced against the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man hero that he has grown into, embracing the inherent darkness in the story but without letting it overwhelm the audience. As Spider-Man, Holland has a surefire comedic timing and presence that delivers big laughs and unwavering entertainment, which is only bolstered by his great pairing alongside Jon Bernthal who shines as Frank Castle/Punisher. Though, the strongest aspect of Holland’s performance comes in the third act alongside Sink, where he fully embodies the great responsibility that has been bestowed upon Peter and takes his performance to a place that his career has never allowed him to go before, presenting him with the opportunity to display some of his finest acting of his career to date.

Once again Zendaya is excellent as MJ, easily finding that often cynical wise cracking energy that has defined this iteration of the beloved comic book character. But, it is in her more dramatic moments opposite Holland where they soar together, navigating the complex emotions of their characters’ relationship with a yearning, heartbreak and hopefulness that creates some of the most emotional scenes of the film. Though, it is Sink who steals the entire film when her character takes centre stage in the final act. After a dark and mysterious performance in the first two acts as Spider-Man’s newest foe, Sink brings great empathy to her character in creating her tragic backstory in addition to a commanding power that develops some incredible moments opposite Holland, while showcasing throughout the film an immense talent far beyond her years that only makes what is in store for her next in both her career and the MCU all the more exciting.

After dazzling behind the camera with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Cretton’s direction helps to deliver both an emotional and exhilarating comic book experience. The fight sequences are masterful, fully utilizing Spider-Man’s ability with slick choreography and the performance of it by Holland and the stunt performers, and stylish camera work that captures the excitement of a comic book film and Spider-Man’s web swinging in spades. Though it is the two big fight sequences teased in the trailer, the Spider-Man/Hulk/Punisher sequence and The Hand prison fight, that deliver top tier set pieces that not only are breathtaking moments that showcase Spider-Man and his powers in all their natural glory that echo to the grandeur of the Insomniac video games, but are unequivocally two of the best superhero fight sequences in recent memory from the MCU! Yes, there are some moments of obvious CGI that stick out, but with so much of the film featuring great stunt work and otherwise great visual and practical effects work, it's a stunning big screen spectacle that helps remind why superhero films have dominated the box office for years on end.

Flying across the screen with an abundance of heart, laughter and spectacle driven filmmaking that never for a second fails to excite, Spider-Man is back and better than ever in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Leaving behind the high school era and starting a brand new life for the character, audiences are finally treated to the classic comic book Spider-Man that they have loved for decades in the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which under the insightful direction of Destin Daniel Cretton balances powerful emotions, world building and great character development to create a story that is equally as profoundly moving as it is exciting. Led by the stellar performances of Tom Holland, Zendaya and Sadie Sink who excel every second they are on screen, Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes the beloved character to uncharted territory in one of Marvel’s most emotionally intelligent films in its handling of loneliness and human connection while never for a second short selling the big screen spectacle that audiences have come to know and love from the superhero genre.