Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Sony Pictures

Directed by Destin Danil Cretton

Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh, Tramell Tillman, Marisa Tomei, Mark Ruffalo

Spider-Man is one of those much beloved superheroes that have stood the test of time, spawning endless movies and TV shows. I was first introduced to Spidey’s films when I was a child, excitedly watching Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst bring the franchise to life. Later, when Andrew Garfield and then Tom Holland/Zendaya were cast in the roles, I’ll admit my interest waned for a while. However, with Spider mania seemingly gripping the globe, I found my zeal renewed and decided to give the Tom Holland and Zendaya chapter a chance with the newest film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Did this recent foray live up to my expectations? You’ll have to read on to find out! 

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, I did enjoy the performances by Tom and Zendaya. Zendaya plays the love interest MJ, (Michelle Jones-Watson), and I liked how intelligent and self assured she was. Tom is also great as Spider-Man, bringing complexity to the role, since he is both a superhero but also an unassuming young man, (Peter Parker). However, there’s plenty of other performances that are excellent. Mark Ruffalo is a very good Hulk, Sadie Sink shines as Jean Grey and Jon Bernthal was probably one of my favourite actors of the movie, playing ‘the Punisher’ Frank Castle. The chemistry is also there between Tom and Zendaya, which is great, though there were a few moments where I wondered if it fell a little flat, (ironic, since they are married in real life!). On the whole, though, I enjoyed the acting, and appreciated all the additional Marvel characters being woven into the storyline. 

And that brings us neatly to the storyline. While I did enjoy it, there were times when it felt a little formulaic. But over all, it was an enjoyable ride. I know that Marvel has historically struggled because, while their story telling used to be top notch, the bigger they grew, the more making money became a competing factor. However, I noticed that many fans felt this was one of the best Spider-Man films, and I do agree with that. 

Acting and storyline aside, I liked the comedic moments in Spider-Man, and how they’ve successfully updated it for the new generation. Breathing fresh life into a character is always difficult, but they’ve definitely ensured Spider-Man remains relevant for the younger crowd. That being said, Spider-Man is still accessible across the ages, and seems to attract fans from all demographics. Brand New Day also faces the difficult task of presenting a more mature Spider-Man, one who has progressed from his teens and into early adulthood. It does this with aplomb, and tackles the new challenges Spider-Man is being faced with in his early twenties. 

For those who have been enthusiastically following every Spider-Man movie, Brand New Day has much to recommend it. The transition from childhood to adulthood is an exciting one, with endless opportunities for Spider-Man to evolve. It’s also very cool to see the threads Marvel is tying to unite the universes. While Marvel has had some movies in the past that have flopped, it feels like they’re on a good trajectory with Spider-Man. In fact, Brand New Day scored the second-biggest box office opening weekend ever, ($927 million globally). Not only did I enjoy this chapter, but my Spidey spark has been reignited for the first time in years. Bring on the next one! 

Thank you to @kathsharppr, @sonypicturesaus and @hoytsaustralia for inviting us to the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere.