(Note: this review contains slight spoilers for the film.)
We always have treated the Marvel Cinematic Universe too harshly. Yes, its formulaic approach has dulled several of its films, which would have benefitted from more distinct aesthetic identities and less predictable plots. But for over a decade, the Marvel Studios logo was a reliable seal of quality, and several of its films—the Thanos Avengers duology, Black Panther, Iron Man, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, among others—are genuinely great. The MCU’s Spider-Man series, led by Tom Holland as Peter Parker, has regularly sat in the upper ranks of Marvel’s fare: No Way Home is excellent (even if it gains a lot of mileage from repurposing the other two Spider-Man film series) and Homecoming is a great introduction to the character that makes him come alive in the larger comic book world of the MCU. And while Marvel’s expansionist phase after Endgame was largely unsuccessful, on all fronts, recent entries like Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps have shown cinematic maturity, with clear, individual stylization and worlds. Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Marvel veteran Destin Daniel Cretton, makes these same advancements on the largest canvas, allowing Holland’s Spider-Man to soar higher than even before—and uplifting the titanic franchise along with him.
The entire cast of the movie shines, with everyone playing their position precisely. As has been the case across the MCU, Tom Holland is an excellent Peter Parker, perpetually believable, playing into his character’s big emotions without an ounce of shame. Jon Bernthal as the Punisher is equally effective in comedic and emotional moments, his grizzled personality adding an essential grit and heart to the film. Zendaya’s adult MJ demands total naturalism, and she steps up to the plate, delivering some of the film’s most heartbreaking and real moments. And Marvel neophyte Sadie Sink, whose role Marvel has kept under wraps, is instantly captivating, capturing young pain, rage, and earnestness while connecting with the audience in a way only a star can. Sink’s character has a bright future in Marvel, and because of the emotional investment she builds between the audience and her character, the franchise’s next chapters with her are already exciting. Of all the performances, Bernthal’s is probably the most impressive, due to the burdens on his character’s shoulders and the oscillations he has between straight-man comedy and grounded feeling.
The brightest star here, outshining even Holland and Zendaya, is Cretton, whose direction is levels beyond what Watts summoned for his trilogy. Cinematographer Brett Pawlak captures New York primarily in blues, both catching the eye and conveying Spider-Man’s lingering sorrow, contrasted with golds in interiors. The sets and props feel far more tangible this time around, especially Peter’s webs, which become more versatile and exciting as the plot progresses. The action has weight and flair, with Cretton deploying strategic slow-motion to rev up the adrenaline—and Spider-Man isn’t the only character whose powers get to shine with Cretton’s style. The Punisher glides across the floor while blasting a foe from below, and a crowd of entranced civilians jerk uncomfortably as a villainous power seizes their bodies.
As the filmmaking displays more nuance and tactility from the previous movies, the story anchors itself in the theme of maturity and demonstrates it through its confidence and depth. Peter Parker is becoming an adult Spider-Man, explored both through his believable relationship with MJ and his physical struggles with rising spider hormones that boost his powers but weaken his self-control. The real, adult conversations that MJ and Peter have (and by adult, I mean emotionally mature) resonate with those who grew up on the MCU while still giving a foothold for younger fans to understand the dynamics at play. That pleasantly surprised me, as did the well-placed sex jokes, which were not only funny but thematically relevant, tying into the manhood motif of the film and painting Peter as a person still coming into all aspects of who they are. The importance of being true to oneself and projecting positivity despite others’ bigotry is another core theme of the film, engaging with the spider nature of Peter and setting him against two ideological foils, whom I won’t spoil. While some may paint Spider-Man’s solution as naïve, responding to discrimination, of any sort, from a place of love and hope rather than hatred is the only way to build lasting peace, and the movie’s ending, involving the New York City populace, shows the impact such grace can have on a community. And while the filmmakers surely could not have planned this, the city’s unity in the film seems quite believable right now—it is not hard to imagine the crowds that cheered on the Knicks shouting for Spider-Man.
I have a few reservations about this movie, though it generally achieved what it sets out to accomplish. There are some uninspired “magic energy” visuals in the third act of the film, and many aspects of the finale mimic the beats of Thunderbolts*, which executes them with more buildup and visual imagination. The title is uncompelling and not a strong fit for the film, but with how full of ideas and characters the story is, I acknowledge the difficulty in finding a representative title that does not spoil the surprises. My greatest issue is with the music, which may seem surprising as Michael Giacchino scored the movie (and all the other Tom Holland Spider-Man pictures). While I recognize the theme for Holland’s Spider-Man when it plays, it is not sticky, and for a film franchise of such renown, that is very disappointing. There are no memorable motifs for any of the other characters, either, and given how popular MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned are, and how strong of an impression the Punisher and Sink’s character make, there should be a suite of music that remains with the audience along with the characters. Marvel consistently has struggled in the music department, and while some movies are exceptions to this standard (the Black Panther movies, Thunderbolts*, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and the Avengers theme remains iconic, that a supermajority of the soundtracks is forgettable is a great shame.
If Marvel has been lost at sea since Endgame, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is finally the film to chart its course. Just like Thunderbolts*, by far the better Marvel movie last summer, strong filmmaking chops and a less grandiose, more mature story evolve the franchise, allowing it to reach its original fans as adults while finding new adherents through its action and evergreen hero. The numbers tell that this sort of Marvel film is what the people want, but to me, this always was the obvious direction. Just like Peter Parker, the MCU must grow up, and with the right storytellers, it will age gracefully.