Tom Holland's fourth solo outing as Spider-Man finds him grappling with being forgotten, dangerous changes to his body, and a formidable new enemy. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, known for Shang-Chi, this sequel offers the best Spider-Man action to date, with multiple showdowns against various antagonists as Holland's hero swings across New York.
Inspiration from Predecessors
Cretton and co-writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers draw inspiration from the fellow big-screen Spider-Men Holland met in the previous entry, No Way Home. Holland conveys the isolation and puberty-esque body transformation suffered by Tobey Maguire's iteration, while also incorporating the quips and first-person point-of-view swinging shots that defined Andrew Garfield's portrayal.
The London-born actor has never been better as the webbed wonder, both with and without his mask. Scenes where he encounters former love MJ (Zendaya) are excruciatingly sad, and he shares very different relationships with a cavalcade of characters.
Standout Performances
The highlight is the banter-filled bromance between Holland and Jon Bernthal's Punisher, who makes his MCU big-screen debut. Sadie Sink pours fury and heartbreak into her performance as a character whose identity remains unspoiled, and touching flashbacks with Marisa Tomei's Aunt May prove key to the movie's resolution.
Despite pre-release concerns that Brand New Day would be over-stuffed, it just about avoids the fate suffered by Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Most characters serve a purpose, and some feature only in a brisk opening montage reminiscent of an animated show. The enormous ensemble adds surprises, a few of which even the barrage of trailers failed to spoil.
A Hero's Journey
Despite sharing the screen with many others, Brand New Day never loses sight of its titular hero, and every decision he makes has consequences. While the MCU has made missteps in recent years, it continues to do right by its very friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is showing in cinemas now.
