He’s a Spider-Man, finally! Tom Holland really can do whatever a spider can, and is no longer playing Spider-Boy. In his fourth solo Spider-Man movie, and his seventh time playing Spider-Man on screen, he has knocked it out of the park. Marvel’s use of Spider-Man IP in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has built a lot of hype for the franchise over the years; he’s a unique and beloved character. In his first appearance in “Captain America: Civil War,” he was a young boy with a dream and Tony Stark’s new tech. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” takes us back to Spider-Man school, and I am sat. It’s got homages to the comics that aren’t cheesy; everything in this film feels intentional but exactly in the right place.
In “Brand New Day,” Spider-Man is finally out of high school, and the quality difference shows. The previous Spider-Man trilogy was a fun wink-and-nod, but often had Spider-Man dealing with the fallout from other Avengers movies. Here, though the MCU events are certainly present, Peter Parker’s story and Spider-Man is finally centered, where they belong. Without Tony Stark, Peter is just another New Yorker, trying to get by in the big city and be a friendly neighbor. Turns out, that takes a toll.
I really hope this is the start of a new Spider-Man trilogy with Destin Daniel Cretton at the helm. I enjoyed all the previous Marvel films, directed by Jon Watts, but Cretton’s direction breathes fresh life into this character and his story. It might be because Cretton is dedicated to action, which really shows in gorgeously choreographed fight scenes. But his ability to balance action with emotion is what sells the film. Tom Holland has grown and is ready to flex his acting muscles, showing us some nuance and maturity, and yearning – don’t forget the yearning. Cretton and Holland’s collaboration is really working, and deserves two more films to flesh out the storylines started in “Brand New Day.”
This is a Spider-Man that many can relate to, not the boy who received toys from billionaires, or help from magicians, but a young man, lonely and trying to ignore that fact. The theme of the film is growth and grief; it’s painful and messy and deeply human. To be able to tap into those emotions while wearing spandex and shooting webs is a skill.
This Spider-Man movie is special because finally the character emerges as a leader, not a
follower. Other Spider-Man films in the MCU are constantly battling bigger plotlines while trying to keep Spider-Man in the neighborhood, or putting Spider-Man in space where he knows exactly one person, Tony Stark. Instead of dealing with MCU Avengers fallout, “Brand New Day” is sowing the seeds for the future of the MCU. The introduction of a new character, played by Sadie Sink, means that Spider-Man is finally setting up the MCU storylines, instead of being weighed down by them. It will be nice to see Peter interact with more superheroes, not just Tony Stark and his ersatz mentor, Doctor Strange, and to see him shape the MCU.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is playing at the Peterborough Community Theatre starting Friday, August 21, for just one week. Swing by the theatre and see it!