I Finally Watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day

I’ve always been something of an MCU Spider-Man apologist. Tom Holland’s first three films as everyone’s favorite web-head were divisive to say the least. While acknowledge they had their issues, I still enjoyed them for what they were. I’m a simple man; if I’m having fun, then it’s a good Spider-Man movie.

Despite that, I wasn’t in any rush to watch this latest film. The trailers looked fantastic, the reviews were glowing brighter than the sun, and one of my closest buddies swore on its quality. But movies are expensive these days! Besides, my nearest theater is in the ass crack of nowhere, and none of my family were especially excited to go see a Marvel movie.

But opportunity came knocking during my recent trip to Orlando. See, there was a movie theater right across the street from my hotel. There was literally a giant screen advertising movies right through my window! (Which made sleeping very difficult that night, as my curtains were practically transparent.) I arrived the day before the event, so I had nothing but free time. What else was I gonna do, sit quietly in the room all by myself?

Going into the theater, I had pretty high expectations. Most everyone online seemed to agree that this was the best non-animated Spidey flick since ‘Spider-Man 2’. That is a very high bar. And I was delighted to see this movie swing over it with style!

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is the best MCU Spidey film by far. Everything is firing on all cylinders. The story is amazing. The effects, spectacular. It’s shot very well, and the soundtrack is fantastic. It’s a wonderful follow-up to the movies that came before, and sets an exciting stage for those to come. I absolutely loved it!

Hope you have your reading glasses on. You’re about to behold the full childish delight of a lifelong Spider-Man fan unleashed. Oh, and for the five people who still haven’t seen the movie:

Minor Spoiler Warning!

In many ways, this movie feels like an inversion of ‘Spider-Man 2’. In that movie, Peter gives up being Spider-Man to focus on his personal life. In this one, Peter all but abandons his personal life to go all-in on being Spider-Man. In the 2004 film, he loses his powers due to an existential crisis. In ‘Brand New Day’, a similar crisis causes his powers to mutate beyond his control. It’s a fantastic premise for a Spider-Man story. I’m honestly surprised none of the other movies have tried this before.

This premise opens the way for some very interesting themes. Of course, we’ve got the classic great power, great responsibility. On top of that, the film explores questions of grief, corruption, isolation, and evolution. There’s a lot going on in this movie, and it all ties together incredibly well.

Where most Spider-Man movies focus on action and drama, this one is more of a mystery. After a fun montage of Spidey putting away bad guys – including the long awaited Michael Mando as Scorpion and the surprising Marvin Jones III as Tombstone – our hero is faced with a new kind of threat: an unseen force capable of possessing anyone in New York. It’s a compelling mystery leading to a surprising character reveal. At least, it is if you haven’t been online at all in the last two months.

But it wouldn’t be Spider-Man without drama and suffering. Luckily for us, but not so luckily for poor Peter, this movie has plenty of both.

After ‘No Way Home’, Peter is in a bad place. Spider-Man is at the top of the world, a hero beloved by everyone in New York. But Peter Parker is utterly alone. He’s not eating properly, he’s dropped out of school, and he isolates himself from others. When he the girl next door tries to strike up a conversation, he makes a hasty retreat and moves into the building’s crummy attic. He’s so guarded that even the main villain, a telepath, cannot enter his head. Dude is the final boss of the male-loneliness epidemic!

I love how the mask adds to this conflict. When interacting with others as Spider-Man, he refuses to take it off. Even when he’s threatened, mocked, or pitied, he doesn’t budge. When he notes to Punisher that he basically does the same thing, living alone in a dingy boat surrounded by death traps, Frank responds with one of my favorite lines in the movie:

“Look around, kid! You think this is a lifestyle? This is a sentence!”

If that wasn’t bad enough, his powers are flying off the handle. His spider DNA is rapidly mutating, threatening to transform him into a monster. This makes for some fun – and some very gross – scenes of Peter experimenting. Before he quickly decides it’s wrong and tries to suppress it. Just like all of his other problems.

All of this builds into an excellent character arc for Peter. He tries to hold his life together, but he can’t control his own powers, let alone fight a powerful psychic. My boy needs help in so many ways. More importantly: he needs to figure out what he actually wants, and who he is. Is he Peter Parker? Or is he the spectacular Spider-Man?

Of course, we can’t ignore Peter’s pals. Zendaya proves yet again why she’s the new queen of Hollywood with her portrayal as MJ. I love how her character bucks the trends of superhero romances; it makes for one of the movie’s best gut-punch moments. Jacob Batalon is still endlessly entertaining as Ned. He doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but every second is incredibly memorable, and usually hilarious.

We also get a few other Marvel heroes. Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner, along with Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle and Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova. Their appearances work well for the plot, and they make the Marvel universe feel lived in again. All of these guys are just doing their own thing completely independently of the plot before getting dragged into it by Spider-Man and the antagonist.

Don’t worry. We’ll get to her soon enough.

In terms of action, this is a far cry above your standard Marvel movie. No shaky-cam or quick cuts here. Everything is shot clearly, allowing the spectacular choreography to shine. There’s also a stronger focus on practical effects, with actual costumes and wire work, which makes it all feel so much more real and visceral. Spider-Man isn’t wholly CGI anymore; that’s a real costume with a dude inside.

The whole movie looks great from top to bottom. There are so many shots that I want to frame and put on my wall. New York looks gorgeous in this movie! Combined with the soundtrack, which is also amazing, and this whole film becomes a treat for the senses! ‘Loser’ by Tame Impala has practically kidnapped my Spotify, I love that song!

Now, before we continue, a quick head’s up:

Major Spoiler Warning!

We’re getting deep into the rabbit hole now. If you still haven’t seen the movie, I’d highly advise clicking away. But be sure to come back once you’ve seen it! Please?

The biggest surprise reveal of the film is its primary antagonist: Jean Grey, played by Sadie Sink. This is our third on-screen depiction of the iconic mutant, and in my opinion, this is the best one by far! Introducing her not as a heroic member of the X-Men, but as an antagonist for the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, is a very interesting twist.

Like Peter, Jean is utterly alone in the world. Unlike him, however, she doesn’t have a beloved super hero alter ego. Quite the opposite; being a mutant, the powers that be are hounding her every step. Where Peter wants to connect with others, but doesn’t for fear of hurting them, Jean sees most people only as pawns, and is more than willing to hurt them to get what she wants. She has great power, but no responsibility.

This makes her equal parts terrifying and invincible. She can be anywhere. Be anyone. Until Peter starts to figure out her limits, she feels like a ghost on the wind. It’s not a problem Spider-Man can just web up or punch, which makes it a very nice change of pace from the usual superhero film.

I absolutely love how the conflict resolves. Peter doesn’t defeat Jean; he saves her. He finally lowers his guard and lets someone into his life. Or in this case: into his head.

What follows might be the best scene in the movie. Entering his head, Peter shows Jean one of his most important memories with Aunt May. Through him, Jean experiences the pure familial love she’s never had through the ghost of this woman Peter loved so much. Sitting beside each other, the two stop seeing each other as hero and villain, but as two lonely people who need each other.

A lot of people interpret this as the start of a romance. While that angle could work, I see it more as a sibling relationship. Peter, the wise and caring older brother, Jean the lost younger sister. However it develops, I really hope we get more of this in Marvel movies to come.

God, please let the next X-Men movie be good. FOX gave us enough bad ones to last a lifetime.

On the subject of relationships: I love the dynamic between Spider-Man and Punisher. Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal have ridiculous screen chemistry. It’s the most dysfunctional pair of adopted brothers I’ve ever seen and I can’t get enough of it. Their entire fight with the Hulk is the most fun scene in the whole movie. Watching a possessed Punisher act like a teenage girl is genuinely hilarious.

Speaking of the Hulk: this is the best depiction of the big green giant we’ve gotten since the first Avengers movie. He’s a god damn horror movie monster! Watching Bruce slowly lose control is equal parts tragic and intense. All Peter can really do to stop him is beg. When it’s all over and Banner is back, all he can ask is if anyone was hurt. I wanted to give the poor guy a hug so bad.

But the biggest gut-punch of all comes at the end. Peter saves Jean from herself, becoming the family she desperately needed. But Punisher already lined up his shot. With his sharpened spider-senses, Peter moves just in time, taking the bullet for Jean.

This is one of the most dark and gruesome moments in all the MCU. Marvel’s most iconic and beloved hero, shot down. I was genuinely shocked by the amount of blood that pooled beneath him. That sort of gore was usually reserved for the TV shows, not theatrical movies aimed at children.

The following scene nearly had me in tears. Punisher bursts into a hospital, Spider-Man cradled in his arms. You can feel Frank’s grief, regret, and desperation, all without a single word of dialogue. As the news spreads, everyone in New York gathers in solidarity to support their hero. All the while, Jean uses her powers just to keep Peter breathing.

Of course, he recovers. This movie isn’t that bleak. In fact, it does something very few Spider-Man stories are willing to do these days: it rewards Peter for his troubles. Him walking unmasked through a crowd cheering for him (whilst Punisher hilariously hypes them up in Spidey’s mask from the hospital window) put the biggest, happiest smile on my face.

I adore this movie so much. It perfectly balances a darker, more serious tone with humor and optimism. Genuine humor, too, not the standard sarcastic quipping Marvel is infamous for. It has something this series has needed for a long time: sincerity.

‘Brand New Day’ is an excellent Spider-Man film. The story is amazing, exploring fascinating themes and new angles of beloved characters. It looks good, sounds good, and it’s paced perfectly. This is the best take on the character we’ve gotten in a very long time.

Hopefully the MCU can keep this good will going. With the next Avengers film just around the corner, a new era is dawning for this series. If this is a sign of things to come, it could be something truly spectacular.

I suppose we’ll find out come Doomsday.

Thank you very much for reading. If you’ve seen the movie, I hope you found my analysis (well, ramblings) insightful, or at least entertaining. If you haven’t seen it and you’ve gotten this far… sorry for spoiling everything. But I did warn you!

Until next time: stay safe, and have an amazing day!