Spider-Man: Brand New Day

by Philip Price

Photo: Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya & Mark Ruffalo 
Rated: PG-13 (sequences of action/violence and some language)
Runtime: 2 hours & 25 minutes 

 
From the opening Marvel Studios logo, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” deals with the repercussions of Peter Parker’s decision to wipe himself from the memories of those who meant the most to him. As the opening montage extends, we learn Peter has, in fact, spent four years letting Spider-Man wipe Peter from existence even more, dedicating himself to the role of crime fighter to such an unhealthy extent that it isn’t much of a surprise when a biological and psychological monster begins to take over the friendly neighborhood host. Soon after these suspicious symptoms begin to appear, E.V., Peter’s self-created AI assistant, suggests he maintain a better balance in his life, which, of course, is one of the key thematic tenets of the Peter Parker story. ‘Brand New Day,’ while still not incorporating every hallmark of the Spider-Man story the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has yet to acknowledge, understands that at the core of “with great power comes great responsibility” is Peter’s inner turmoil; his internal struggle between the life he must lead and the one he’s left behind. 
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A now thirty-year-old Tom Holland, the first actor to portray the webslinger in four consecutive films, lends this arc its necessary weight as the MCU more or less hands him the keys to the universe after a trilogy of playing understudy to Tony Stark, Nick Fury and Doctor Strange. Is it a pity the push and pull of high school is no longer the driving force behind Peter’s ever-present self-conflict? Sure, but having Holland finally sit in the driver's seat in a more mature, dramatic rendering of the character not only shows necessary growth for the character but delivers a version of Spider-Man who audiences will have no trouble believing can carry the MCU comfortably on his shoulders, as that is no doubt the intent. Deadpool could have been talking about Holland as much as he was Hugh Jackman when he said, “they’re going to make him do this until he’s 90!” 

Maybe the highest praise one can heap on ‘Brand New Day’ is how it embraces that world the MCU occupies with minimal feelings of obligation in the narrative. There is certainly set-up for other events and characters that will play larger roles down the road, but none of these extraneous factors ever feel like they are impeding on the narrative surrounding the titular hero; so much of it is organic, like Peter’s new web shooters. The best example of this is how the inclusion of Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner and Sadie Sink’s character are all either serving a purpose in line with the plot, helping to further the story, or emphasizing key ideas the script is keen to discuss. Furthermore, much like our protagonist, director Destin Daniel Cretton and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers allow the story to take its time in building back Peter’s life, figuring out how to adjust to this new reality as well as whether there is a place for Peter in his own life and where Spider-Man fits into New York City. The film takes its time, not speeding through one box to check another but instead gradually putting these boxes together to build a whirlwind of critical events that converge on Peter, emphasizing the mounting struggle and pressure he feels in tangible ways. Underscoring the aforementioned balance and loneliness that has resulted from a lack of such.

While there may be some who quibble with the inclusion of so many other heroes, it seems evident Marvel Studios had two primary objectives when setting out to (re)set the table with ‘Brand New Day.’ The first being to position Spider-Man as the heir to the MCU mantle, and second, to introduce a well-known, very powerful Marvel character and position them as a villain; launching the origin story for one of the stars of their next big team-up in a highly anticipated sequel to Marvel's top-billed superstar ... I mean superhero. As a Spider-Man fan who was brought to the character via the ‘90s animated series, I've always wanted to see Spidey fight alongside other New York-based heroes like The Punisher and Daredevil, as it not only makes logistical sense, but in the case of ‘Brand New Day,’ Jon Bernthal's anti-hero becomes something of a symbol for Spidey's influence and moral code. The increase in arachnid hormones in Peter's DNA triggered by MJ (Zendaya) and Ned's (Jacob Batalon) return to NYC from MIT and heightened by the reality that he is no longer a part of their lives is largely included so that the plot can integrate Banner's Hulk and introduce the inhibitor technology he's developed to manage his outbursts. Undoubtedly, this piece of technology that Peter further perfects for his own needs will become a keystone in the MCU moving forward, but even beyond the plot machinations this aspect serves the "balance" theme as Peter ultimately comes to realize that he is only suppressing a natural part of his evolution; that by accepting his "mutation" he is able to dictate how these heightened senses are used rather than allowing himself to be controlled by them.

Naturally, if you have been following this film on the internet at all, what Peter is experiencing is echoed by the villain's arc. This is beautifully threaded (I know how that sounds, but I really did appreciate it) throughout with small indications before culminating in a well-written moment of understanding and clarity amongst the chaos that allows for the return of Marisa Tomei's Aunt May, making it all the more emotionally moving. Sink, who has had to remain silent about who she is portraying in the film, is given an origin story that isn't necessarily faithful to the source material yet is utilized within this story in such a complementary way to our hero's journey that it's not hard to see why the decision was made. Of course, the appearance of this character in the MCU leads to more questions than this film on its own has the space to answer, though it's not difficult to imagine Kevin Feige and co. know exactly how such answers will play out. It would seem The Department of Damage Control (DODC), which technically made its first appearance in ‘Homecoming’ but is ushered to the forefront here, as led by Tramell Tillman's Bill Metzger will factor in heavily. The DODC serves as the starting point for what will become the central dilemma and conflict when the MCU not only becomes populated by heroes who stumbled upon their powers but also by a whole group of super-powered people who are the next stage in human evolution.    

All of this may be getting a little too far into the weeds. Taking 10 steps back to appreciate what sets ‘Brand New Day’ apart from its predecessors is Cretton’s vision for this phase of Holland’s Spider-Man and how clear it is from the get-go. The CG stew is still apparent in a fair amount of the action/swinging sequences - most notably when Zendaya’s MJ is involved - yet it’s clear this is intended to be much more of a grounded Spider-Man despite the amount of time he spends airborne; the dedication to how much Spidey is in his suit here is super admirable ... and used for comic effect perfectly. This is, after all, a New York City Spidey story first and foremost. One can feel Cretton's aim to make this film feel like a live-action comic book or Saturday morning cartoon at points - obviously in the opening montage that cycles through Spider-Man's rogue's gallery - but there is a sequence at the center of the film featuring Spidey, Hulk, The Punisher and Sink's character all battling it out or trying to assist one another in a fight that made me feel like I was right back in my childhood home, watching the 20" console TV, with a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in front of me. Though I don't know that ‘Brand New Day’ breaks through the "really good and a lot of fun" ceiling to achieve true greatness, I did love Ned’s Instagram handle, thought Holland’s Brooklyn accent was a lot more natural if not a little thicker this time around, and that Florence Pugh is just a treasure and Marvel really lucked out casting her when they did. Needless to say, much like Frank Castle, ‘Spider-Man’ movies just make me a more enjoyable person to be around.