Movie Review - SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY

SPIDER-MAN movies are pretty critic proof, either you are “in” and will go see the latest installment of Spidie’s adventures (in this case SPIDERMAN: BRAND NEW DAY) or you are not. There are very few people on the fence.

So, if you are on the fence, check out this installment in the Spider-man (and MCU) franchises - it’s very entertaining.

Do you need to do homework for this film? Not really. It will behoove you to watch the previous installment, SPIDERMAN: NO WAY HOME, but if you don’t, here is the plot that you need to understand before entering this film: “We are now living in an MCU that has no idea that Peter Parker is Spiderman”.

And that’s it, we pick up from there, with Spider-man (Tom Holland, of course) battling bad guys like The Scorpion and trying to figure out a way to re-engage with his High School friends Ned (Jacob Batalon) and, especially, MJ (Zendaya). This longing for connection and friendship is the heart of this film and it works well as these 3 performers know their characters well and work well with each other.

What also works well is the introduction of THE PUNISHER (Jon Bernthal) who brings his character off of various Disney+ TV Series (and films) to the bigger screen MCU and the transition works well, juxtaposing Holland’s/Spider-Man’s gentleness and concern for his fellow man with Bernthal/Punisher’s take on the world that everyone is a nail and he is the hammer. It’s a fun odd-couple pairing.

There is a 3rd aspect of this film that is tougher to speak about for it is the through-line that holds the film together but is really, at it’s core, a “back-door pilot” for a new series of films that will center around and/or feature Sadie Sink’s character.

To say more would be to spoil things, but if the MCU is going all in with a new set of characters, having Sink (STRANGER THINGS) at it’s core is a very good decision.

As is the decision to continue to focus the MCU on Florence Pugh’s THUNDERBOLTS* character, Yelena, who’s charm and comedic chops get a showcase in an extended cameo as well as Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk who gets a “Hulk movie” without giving him a “Hulk movie” (for legal reasons, apparently).

The Direction of Destin Daniel Cretton (SHANG-CHI) is smart and fast-paced, understanding the type of film the Spider-Man films needs to be in the greater milieu of the MCU while making a film that is unique and entertaining in it’s own way and the special effects are…special (enough) to pull you into the fantastical/comic book world we are in.

It’s a fun entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one cannot help but be excited for when (as the line says at the end of the credits)…SPIDER-MAN WILL RETURN…

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)