A forgotten Peter Parker lives alone as a full-time Spider-Man until mounting pressure triggers a dangerous change and a powerful new enemy emerges.
Chuck says:
One of the unavoidable consequences springing from the success of the MCU has been its narrative growth. What with its stable of thousands of characters, producer Kevin Fiege has been more than willing to bend the knee towards fans to provide as many big-screen representations of their favorites as possible. And while initially seeing them interact was satisfying, it quickly became an unwieldy approach, especially with the introduction of the multi-verse concept. Trying to keep shifting timelines, alternate dimensions and various doppelgangers straight has become a bit of a chore.
However, with “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” these conceits all came together beautifully. In providing viewers with an adventure featuring the three variations of the web-slinger that had graced the screen since 2002, facing off against six of their villains in a visually spectacular and poignant adventure, it proved that sometimes more can be more.
As satisfying as “No Way” was, director Destin Daniel Critton and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers wisely take a more relatively modest narrative tack with their follow-up “Brand New Day.” To be sure, there’s plenty of action and enough crossover character meetings to scratch those particular itches fans need itched. However, what gives the film heft are the personal crises Peter Parker is dealing with. In the comics and the movies his everyman dilemmas have always made him the most vulnerable and relatable of the Marvel heroes, this mined to poignant effect here.
Not only is our hero, played once more by a never better Tom Holland, still mourning the death of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), but he’s relegated to witnessing from his afar, the love of his life, MJ (Zendaya) and his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon) live their lives with no memory of him. This was the sacrifice that had to be made at the end of “Way” in order to save the multiverse, and Parker is only beginning to realize its cost. His emotional turmoil is affecting him physically as well, as he suffers from debilitating migraines, can no longer rely on his web-shooting abilities and discovers his arachnid DNA is trying to wipe out his human side.
Still, he gets some satisfaction roving the Manhattan streets, fighting crime. However, new threat wielding psychic powers that allows them to jump from person to person and take possession of them is on the loose. Seems this character – who I must be coy about identifying – is after something housed in the department of Damage Control, where director Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) is housing other villains. His intent is to study their weapons and abilities in order to use them in law enforcement.
While trying to get to the bottom of who’s behind this, Parker crosses paths with Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), now teaching college physics, has a run in with The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who inexplicably comes to his aid, and encounters a member of The Avengers. He also must contend with the Scorpion (Micheal Mando), who’s not quite himself these days. As far as the under wraps character Sadie Sink is portraying, it will satisfy long-time fans of the comic and her inclusion in the film proves to potentially be more than a simple fan-service gesture.
As we’ve come to expect, the set pieces are well-done and at times spectacular. Of note is a sequence featuring a careening tank tearing up the New York streets. And while other similar moments are sharply executed, there are times when the film lags, Cretton’s pacing at times a bit too slack.
One of the things that has made this “Spider-man” iteration work is the friendship between Parker, MJ and Ned Leeds. Their relationships have developed with a sincerity that proves touching, particularly here as our hero pines from afar, desperate to reconnect with the two people who knew him best. Holland is particularly good in these moments, his haggard look and sad expressions hitting home, especially when MJ unknowingly hurts him. This grown-up Peter Parker and his concerns take the series in a new, more emotionally mature direction. The character’s grief, sacrifice and sadness take a toll on him and the actor is very good in not overplaying any of this, his subtle approach essential in conveying Parker’s melancholy.
The best of these genre films are the ones in which the hero is grounded, made human and despite having incredible powers and abilities, suffers with matters of the heart or crises of conscience as we do. While “Day” is a bit bloated and could have used a bit more pep in its step, it’s one of the better superhero movies of late. It manages not only to effectively restart the franchise but remind us that when these films thrill us, they’re entertaining. However, when they move us, they soar.
3 1/2 Stars
