By Adam Blanchard/Cardinal Points
Synopsis
From the first trailer for “Spiderman: Brand New Day,” fans of the comics were excited, scared and empathetic for Peter Parker’s character arc. With Parker having lost his friends after the events of “Spiderman: No Way Home,” he now faces changes in his DNA and an intangible foe who hops from body to body. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, no movie will make sense unless you watch another.
To understand what happens in “Spiderman: Brand New Day,” I would recommend watching “Spiderman: Homecoming,” “Spiderman: Far From Home” and “Spiderman: No Way Home.” After that you’ll still have questions, but you’ll have enough of Parker’s story to feel invested.
Returning after directing Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Destin Daniel Cretton now takes the mantle from Jon Watts, who directed the previous three Spiderman movies. Tom Holland returns to renew his role as Spiderman, Jon Bernthal returns as the Punisher, Zendaya returns as Spiderman’s love interest, Michelle Jones-Watson and Jacob Batalon returns as Parker’s friend, Ned Leeds.
The opening scene of the movie introduces Spiderman’s life since No Way Home, defending New York City from a menagerie of villains such as Tombstone and Scorpion. After a tank gets hijacked, Spiderman chases after the getaway tank and stops it, only to find an old lady driving. Through his Spidey-Sense, he feels a presence jump from person to person, introducing the faceless antagonist of the movie.
The subplot follows Parker as he tries to rebuild the bond he once had with Watson and Leeds, but finds himself struggling to talk with them. After finding out that Watson has found a new boyfriend, Parker’s spider DNA goes haywire, causing him to pass out in his apartment and wake up in a cocoon made of organic webs.
Parker’s mutating DNA is something he battles with the whole movie, symbolizing the fear of losing one’s self. Parker lost those closest to him, his aunt, girlfriend and best friend. He’s tired himself out fighting crime as Spiderman, almost losing his true self. Parker must race against time to save his old friends and stop his arachnid DNA from taking over.
Review
As with most Marvel movies, “Spiderman: Brand New Day” sets up for multiple other Marvel movies. Not to mention that you have to watch three other movies minimum to have a grasp of what’s led to Parker’s situation. It’s all one big web of movies meant to waste your time.
I’ll give Cretton credit where it’s due. Instead of throwing meaningless cameos into the movie, they add value to the movie, giving Parker a gritty companion in the form of the Punisher and a helping hand through Bruce Banner.
Instead of fixing all the problems from the previous movies, Parker learns to adapt to loss. The movie handles itself in a realistic way, leaving lasting consequences that don’t go away at the end of the movie.
It was pleasing to see Spiderman back on the big screen, and I enjoyed the direction Marvel took the web-slinger. I just wish that it didn’t have the tell-tale signs of a Marvel movie.
