I’ve made it clear in past reviews that I don’t have the same “superhero fatigue” many other moviegoers are experiencing, or at least not to the same degree. Does the Marvel Cinematic Universe feel like it’s floundering at the moment? Yes, but I would argue that it’s comparable to Pixar’s early run of success pre-Cars 2: no one can stay on top forever, and that’s okay. Additionally, I fully admit my bias — I have a nerdy emotional bond with a fair few Marvel characters, one of whom appears in this film, if briefly. But there’s something about Spider-Man as a concept that I think will always rise above however I or any broader audience feel about superhero movies at any given time. Spider-Man is unquestionably the most evergreen of characters, and director Destin Daniel Cretton and his cast and crew prove that yet again in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Nevertheless, the MCU’s recent floundering is why we find ourselves in a spot where Brand New Day feels so vitally important to the franchise. Not only is it tasked with setting a few things in motion for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, it also obviously has a major emotional hurdle to clear: cleaning up the mess Peter Parker (Tom Holland) made for himself in No Way Home, the MCU’s previous Spider-Man installment, and doing so convincingly. Spoilers for No Way Home (but if you didn’t see that movie, why would you be interested in this one?), but here, Peter is tasked with staying silent regarding the fact that he is the alter ego of Spider-Man for the benefit and protection of his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Having revisited No Way Home recently, I find it so endearing that Peter’s goal in wiping the world’s memory of his identity having been revealed is so pure: he wants MJ and Ned to be able to get accepted and go to college without the distraction of the controversies Spider-Man (or really any superhero in the MCU, for that matter) often finds himself in.
The spell Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) cast to wipe the world’s memory obviously had emotional ramifications for Peter which Brand New Day addresses. He’s lost the love of his life, and he’s simply the “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” again, this time with no friends of his own. When dual threats emerge, — Peter is losing his ability to control his arachnid hormones at the same time that a strange entity is causing chaos in New York by possessing people’s bodies — Peter leaps into action, but gets a lot more action than he bargained for. The effect is a film which is definitely fun and exciting, but has certain story beats which feel oddly forced. Also, it’s a story which one could imagine having the same outcome had those beats been excised. Nothing in the film is outright bad, but because of these minor contrivances, I can’t say I loved it like I loved No Way Home. Then again, No Way Home did have the handicap of multiple characters from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, the first two of which I adore, so that definitely sweetened that deal for me.
The sweetness here is that Cretton and writers Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna figured out a credible way to get Peter to the point where he can tell MJ the truth about who he is, and have MJ respond believably. There are multiple scenes which address this, and all of them are deeply felt, thanks in no small part to the obviously strong chemistry between real-life married couple Tom Holland and Zendaya. More than any cameo from any other superhero, that’s the real star of this blockbuster. In that sense, it’s a somewhat surprisingly somber film for what it is, but that shouldn’t deter anyone from having tons of fun with it. Spider-Man as a concept may be a bit over-exposed, but no one ever seems to get tired of it, and if they keep making Spider-Man movies at the quality level of Brand New Day, no one ever will. | George Napper
