Nearly five years ago, theater audiences shuddered as Tom Holland’s Peter Parker said the words “you’re going to forget who I am” to his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Now, Spidey-fans return for Holland’s fourth solo-movie installment, “Brand New Day,” as Peter Parker embarks on his usual superhero escapades, only this time, alone.
The world forgetting who Spider-Man is under the mask allows him to be Spider-Man 24/7 – without facing the complications that revealing his identity proved to bear. The loss of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) had convinced him that anyone he loves is in danger if they knew his true identity.
His solution: be alone, and be Spider-man, never Peter Parker to anyone.
Though he’s convinced himself it’s not only more efficient, but also safer for everyone that way, “Brand New Day” exposes the full, lonely truth of Parker’s predicament. He finds himself failing to be only Spider-Man, as he realizes “man” is only half the name, but he’s losing his humanity.
Without human connection, he’s reduced to the lonely lifestyle of an arachnid, and that’s not who he is, even as a hero.
Given Spider-Man’s solo state, the scale of his battles is reduced from saving humanity to returning to being just “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
But sometimes less is more. Not every superhero movie has to be about intertwining universes or saving the entire planet, something Marvel has arguably forgotten in the past few years.
With Spider-Man, however, they always get it right. Tom Holland’s charming confidence as Spider-Man and his emotional relatability as Peter Parker entrance die-hard, casual, nostalgic and new fans alike.
“No Way Home” appealed to fans with the incredible crossover of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland’s versions of the same character. It was satisfying for the time, but that hype could only be sparked once. Marvel made the right decision to recenter the story of Holland’s Peter Parker on himself.
This choice offered viewers the chance to empathize with him more deeply.
Although Parker was the sole protagonist, “Brand New Day” lends some of its screen time to other characters, including Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner (The Hulk), Florence Pugh’s Yelena (Black Widow) and Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle (The Punisher). A new face, played by Stranger Things alum Sadie Sink, also rounds out the movie.
These dynamics bring something new to the table – mentorship from Banner and Yelena, brotherly banter from Castle and a different perspective from Sink’s character.
It’s the returning characters that make this movie feel like home, however, even if it’s different now that all their memories together are one-sided. With a handshake and a black-dahlia necklace, “Brand New Day” poses the question, “Is memory intuitive?”
This film also delivered a full-fledged backstory for its antagonists, something that makes sense in the context of Spider-Man, as he has a reputation for being an empathetic, non-lethal hero.
To see all sides of the story as an audience is to see it the way Peter Parker sees it.
The costume design and cinematography of “Brand New Day” are the smaller details that carry the storytelling’s visual weight. His rudimentary suit immerses the viewer in Spider-Man’s lack of access to advanced technology, given his undisclosed identity.
The Spider-Man suit stood out in every scene he wore it. The fact that he was hiding his identity was unforgettable, as his suit’s crimson red and royal blue clashed against every unsaturated brick wall, gray street and neutral room he passed.
These details remind the audience that this is where his story stands and these are the complications that come with it, proving it was never something he could maintain forever.
In many action scenes, the direction sparked similarities to the cartoon versions of Spider-Man, the one seen in comics, video games and the “Into the Spider-Verse” movies. It felt like every form of this character was subtly honored, and maybe even hinted at another future joining of them.
Although it felt like there could have been more to the movie when the credits rolled, any more resolution than what was given would’ve been premature and wouldn’t have delivered enough emotional payoff.
Especially knowing that “Spider-Man will return,” hopefully to complete a second trilogy, there’s no rush. It’s better to let the continuous story unfold as it does.
Rating: 4.5/5