The fourth standalone film starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man is a return to the Spidey movies of old. Without a multiverse in sight, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” delivers on the promise of the title, offering a new, almost streamlined character-driven approach. In other words, you won’t need to check Wikipedia to understand the story and characters. Last time around in 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” supervillain Mysterio publicly revealed Peter Parker’s true Spider-Man identity, thus complicating the teen superhero’s life and placing those closest to him in mortal danger. To protect his nearest and dearest and safeguard the multiverse, Parker convinces Dr. Strange to cast a spell to erase him from the collective consciousness. “Sometimes Spider-Man has to do the hard thing, even if it breaks Peter Parker’s heart,” the main character penned in a letter shown in the film. Now on his own, he keeps New York City safe, but misses his old life, particularly his former flame Mary Jane, or MJ (Zendaya). The stress of his new, anonymous existence, combined with fighting a powerful invisible villain, triggers a dangerous evolution in Peter’s arachnid DNA. “The spider is swallowing up the man.” “We are faced with a danger we can’t control,” Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman), head of the U.S. Department of Damage Control, a government agency that handles the cleanup and regulation of superhuman-related incidents, tells Parker. “One we can’t even see. You’re the only one who’s immune to it.” Big, long and loud, “Brand New Day” delivers the spectacle you expect from a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie but doesn’t forget that the ultimate appeal of the main character is his relatability. He’s blessed with superpowers – “He’s the hero every grown-up wishes they could be and every kid wants to be” – but he’s not invincible, and unlike many of his contemporaries, he’s not a god, eccentric billionaire or soldier. Instead, he’s an ordinary young man whose powers don’t solve his issues of insecurity, analysis paralysis and yearning. Then there’s the whole “with great power comes great responsibility” thing, a weight the character carries like a mantle. He’s driven to do the right thing, even if it comes at great personal cost. “Are you Peter Parker,” asks MJ, “or are you Spider-Man?” It’s the question that lies at the heart of “Brand New Day,” and the truth is he’s both: that’s the push and pull that, as he matures, makes the character interesting and enduring. Holland, in his best “half-man, half-spider” performance, nicely bridges the gap between the personal and physical, embodying the character’s emotional life with a healthy dose of humor, while delivering the web-slinging action fans want. The film’s emotional core, the relationships between himself, MJ and Peter’s former best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), is intact, and it is here director Destin Daniel Cretton pulls off his best trick. MJ and Ned’s minds have been wiped of memories of Peter, and yet the connection between them still feels tangible, even though they spend little time on screen together. The sense of longing is central to Peter’s isolation from normal life, and grounds the story in its more high-flying moments. A dynamic of a different kind is shared between Peter and Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers shave down some of the Punisher’s rough edges, turning an R-rated character into a PG package, but Bernthal sparks with Holland and provides some of the film’s comedic highlights. I’m carefully side-stepping a major spoiler, so I won’t make any comments on the future of the MCU, but make no mistake, there is some franchise-building happening here. Luckily it feels organic to the story, mirroring Parker’s own battles with isolation, loss and the internal struggle with the personal, professional and power aspect of having extraordinary gifts. Recent superhero movies have had a rough time at the box office, but with its blend of humanity and superhero antics, “Brand New Day” – even though it falls victim to an overblown final reel – is worth the trip to the theatre. 4 stars out of 5
