I’ve always had a strong emotional connection with Spider-Man, but is Spider-Man: Brand New Day the movie that changes that?
I can, without a doubt, say that this is now officially my favourite Spider-Man movie of all time, because this is his story. It’s more about the man with the mask than the man under the mask, but I do feel like we get to see the best version of Peter Parker yet. I absolutely adore this film, and while there’s a lot to praise, there is one thing that bothered me, but I’ll get to that.
I connect to Spider-Man in a way that I’ve never connected to any other character. It’s not just Peter Parker, but Miles Morales as well. This movie took Spider-Man back to basics: a hero who has to deal with things on his own. He constantly has to carry the weight of doing the right thing, no matter how much it affects him. With great power comes great responsibility, after all.
I loved how this film tackled real-world problems in a very nuanced way. Peter didn’t just lose his Aunt May and friends, he lost everything. So, he’s not just grieving the lives that were lost, but the life he had was also lost. The film deals with this in a beautiful way that just makes it feel like anyone can be in his shoes.
This is the most personal Peter Parker story since Spider-Man 2, and I think that movie influenced this one a lot. That said, this is the first movie in the franchise where Peter wears his mask for most of his screentime. You could feel the emotional weight of all the characters throughout the film, but it isn’t until the third act that everything feels like it comes crashing down. I genuinely shed tears at least three times because of my connection to the story and the characters.
Tom Holland has always been great as Peter Parker, but I think he finally fully embraced Spider-Man. His performance feels like a culmination of all the Spider-Men that came before, and his physical acting while in the suit is nothing less than spectacular. His grounded take on Peter Parker as this loner, and Spider-Man as the ultimate hero, is amazing.
Sadie Sink is another standout. Her vulnerability and honest take on her character is wonderful to watch. Apart from Spider-Man, the Punisher is my favourite street-level hero, and Jon Bernthal is killing it, literally. I was worried about the PG-13 rating, but he made it work. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are great as well. In fact, there’s not a single bad performance in this film.
We all saw the videos of the practical web-swinging and, honestly, that made this film feel more realistic in a sense. I think the practical effects look stunning, and this film also has some of the best CGI effects of the year. Marvel and Sony really brought back the quality we were used to, and it adds a lot of value to this film.
Destin Daniel Cretton proves once again that he understands superhero movies, and not just that he understands the characters. His use of first-person shots and other filming tricks makes this feel like a comic book come to life. As Stan Lee said, it can be anyone under the mask, and in the theatre, it felt like it was me under the mask.
Cretton’s amazing shots, combined with Michael Giacchino’s score, make this an experience I’ll never forget. I sometimes forget how a great film score can just transport you to the world on the screen. Like I said, there is one thing that bothered me, and that’s that I didn’t expect this film to hit all the right notes.
This is the Spider-Man story I needed to see. I’ve loved this character for as long as I can remember. I always saw myself in Spider-Man, and not just because I wanted his super cool powers. This film actually made me feel more connected to Spider-Man than I’ve ever felt before. I will forever cherish Brand New Day. I’m not yet sure if it’ll be my favourite movie of the year, but for now, it’s the movie that’s had the biggest emotional impact on me.
I highly recommend this. It’s once again an easy 5 out of 5 stars, even though I think I’m a little biased.
