For good and ill, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” feels the most like a five-issue “Amazing Spider-Man” comic book story arc of any MCU project. There’s the ramp up of a mysterious villain, escalation of stakes, confronting various low-level baddies along the way, personal issues, big reveals, and many guest appearances from various folks from across the Marvel (Cinematic) Universe. That means it’s often awkward and overstuffed, but also hits some highs not previously met by the “Spider-Man” series in the MCU. Director Destin Daniel Cretton, working from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (based off a slew of various Spider-Man lore), delivers a film that is often entertaining, fun, and looks pretty good, but also never really gels into as much of a satisfying whole like the previous MCU “Spider-Man” entries.
It’s been four years since Spider-Man (Tom Holland) made everyone magically forget Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” And in that time, the wallcrawler has tackled a bunch of different costumed thugs and other criminals, becoming a beloved hero of New York City and even having a NYPD detective (Liza Colón-Zayas) on speed dial. But he has done this at the price of Peter Parker—there is no duality anymore, just the friendly neighborhood vigilante in place of any meaningful social life or relationships. But things start escalating around the same time as an invisible enemy threatens the city. Attacking government buildings by hijacking the minds of innocent people, Spider-Man tries to determine what’s happening, all while he himself seems to be going through an evolutionary change of his own, and the return to Queens of Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya). It’s a lot to wrap his head around, but luckily he has folks like Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), and others to help him out. Maybe.
At 145 minutes, you could almost cut up “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” into five 30-minute chunks and I bet it would work like pretty engaging episodic television. Massively budgeted and star-studded TV, but not that astronomical given some other stuff streaming these days. It’s less episodic than it is feeling like a TPB collecting issues of “Amazing Spider-Man” than, with each bleeding into one another in its superpowered soap opera style while escalating action sequences and stakes. And to be sure – everything connects! If something is introduced, it will pay off later in some (usually not that surprising) way. Not a lot in “Brand New Day” is that much of a curveball—but there are some unexpected choices that are very rewarding because of the filmmakers’ willingness to go to tricky emotional areas. Still, if you’ve seen the trailer or read any “Spider-Man” comics, you can guess a bunch of it. But that doesn’t make it bad, just a bit more disappointing than “No Way Home” was which chose to change things up in surprising ways fairly consistently.
“Brand New Day” features some fun action sequences, funny moments between the cast, easter eggs for dorks like me (they featured Boomerang!!! For five seconds, but still!), credible moments of drama, all in a tangled narrative web that mostly works if is a bit unwieldy. Holland should probably be brooding more as the poor loner with only his AI as company (voice provided by Naomi Watts), but in a way it’s a good definition of who Spider-Man/Peter Parker is—life continuously hands him losses but he pushes on through with a flip and a flippant response and hopes that things can get better. Yes, he appears teary-eyed and distraught many times, but he finds a way to do Good even in that state. That’s the essence of the character that both the actor and filmmakers all nail pretty well. The rest of the cast acquits themselves well, with Bernthal shining while also bringing more comedy to his Frank Castle than he’s usually allowed to on the streaming shows (but not at the expense of his own dour nature). Also of particular note is Trammell Tillman as the head of Damage Control and Sadie Sink as his mysterious foe; they deliver great performances that expertly contrast with another that makes them riveting to watch interact.
Director Cretton does a lot of good in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” with some fun montages, comic accurate splash page moments, music cues, and again these strong performances from the entire cast who find new life in all of their characters—even after some of them have been playing these folks for over 10 years. The cinematography from DP Brett Pawlak is good to mostly okay—not a lot of stirring imagery that will stay with people, but he does find real tenderness and vulnerability in his lens when the moment calls for it and depicts the action well. Production Designer Charles Wood and Costume Designer Sanja Milković Hays deliver excellent work with some cool designs that feel heightened but lived in at the same time.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is enjoyable but not as much as some of the other MCU “Spider-Man” entries. It will not convert any non-Marvel fan to see these as anything than popcorn blockbusters—and that’s okay! It has a lot to offer with cameos and what the future may hold for Marvel and more. It showcases comic book-y elements in a way that doesn’t feel abashed or embarrassed, truly embracing the medium and the tropes in a way that’s refreshing if a bit clunky. With its long runtime and episodic vibe, you may find yourself growing a bit bored at moments, but those pass quickly as it moves onto the next adventure that the gang must tackle. There’s lots to like about “Brand New Day,” but also there’s just lots to “Brand New Day” in general.
3.5 / 5 Stars
Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tramell Tillman, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mando
