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Tom Holland is Spider-Man and John Bernthal is Punisher in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios
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Tom Holland is Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios
If the first three Spider-Man movies were high school, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is college. Don’t expect the same teenage notebook-animation vibes from this fourth movie. Marvel’s Spidey story has matured and have no worry, they did it without nuking the fridge (I’ll explain that more in a bit).
To put it another way, cinematic Spider-Man has entered the comic book equivalent of his Todd McFarlane era. Not just because of the dense web of a story that reaches further into Marvel’s universe, pulling in Punisher and other characters comic book fans may know. But also, you have not seen Spider-Man on screen like this, slinging through skyscrapers, falling through the city, moving with hyper-kinetic grace. This is a spectacular Spider-Man, who makes it worth a trip to the movie theater. I can’t stress this enough: See this on a big screen.
And yes, stay in your seat through the credits. There is one end-credit scene.
Some significant time has passed since we last saw Spider-Man. Peter’s old friends — best pal Ned, and his love M.J. — no longer remember him, have gone off to college, and are entering new phases of their lives. Peter is on his own, living in the real world, working as a full-time superhero in New York City. It’s a lonely life. Because of a decision he made in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” the world has forgotten Peter Parker exists. But the world definitely knows Spider-Man, who has spent these past years cleaning up the streets and taking down bad guys. But Spider-Man crosses paths with Ned and M.J., thanks to a new, mysterious villain in town who can really get into your head. To make matters worse, Peter’s body is changing in strange spider ways. And he just got done with puberty, too. This is bad timing.
Marvel had something special with its three amazing Spider-Man movies starring Tom Holland — all hits. By bringing in a fourth film, Marvel risks nuking the fridge, the film version of jumping the shark. You know, when a film franchise stretches its run too far and the movie utterly fails (such as “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” when Indiana hides in a fridge to survive a nuclear blast). The original ’80s Superman movies went over OK, until “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.” The three Jason Bourne films were pretty great, but “The Bourne Legacy,” not so much. There’s “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Terminator Salvation,” you get the idea. Then again, success could lead to the heights of good movies like “Rocky IV,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” or “Toy Story 4.”
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” rises into the list of successful fourth films. Sure, it has a few flaws. It’s still a mystery how Peter Parker is able to keep a roof over his head or pay for groceries when he’s a full-time volunteer superhero. You’ll be left with a few lingering curiosities around some characters. Still, this film gives hope that Marvel can weave a new web of movies to carry its cinematic universe forward. It’s a sigh of relief after the studio spent a few years following “Avengers: Endgame” with hit-or-miss movies, feeling directionless.
This is truly a “Brand New Day” for Marvel. Some of this credit goes to the filmmaking team, that is largely in tact from the first three Spider-Man movies. “Brand New Day” is penned by the same writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. The great casting continues with Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, John Bernthal, and now Sadie Sink.
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Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios
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Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios
Thrown into this mix is director Destin Daniel Cretton (who previously directed Marvel’s Shang-Chi movie and contributed to the impressive series “Wonder Man” that deserves way more attention). Cretton continues to capture the core spirit of Spider-Man that made the previous films so well done. But he is able to evolve this story with fresh texture that doesn’t abandon the previous movies, but builds upon them respectfully. On top of that, he fills the screen with iconic scenes ripped right out of comic book panels. Watching this movie feels as if you’re scanning a comic page-by-page, panel-by-panel. It’s a beautiful visual work of art, as well as a thrilling cinematic adventure.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day”
4/5 stars
Screen or Stream?: Screen! And find a big screen, be it IMAX or Dolby. This isn’t just a movie. It’s a ride.
Rated PG-13.
