NEW SPIDER-MAN FLICK A 9 OUT OF 10
'SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY'
By Nicholas Tran | News Editor, Web Editor
This summer was riddled with the release of many great blockbusters, from Kane Parsons “Backrooms” to Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.” Like previous years, a new movie in the Superhero genre also debuted on the red carpet. The latest segment in Marvel Studio’s Cinematic Universe is “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the next segment in Tom Holland’s series of Spider-Man movies.
The movie begins with a montage of what Spider-Man has been doing since he last appeared in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” In the previous installment, the world discovers that Spider-Man’s identity is Peter Parker and he has Dr. Strange cast a spell that makes the world forget who Peter Parker is, including his friends. This film takes place four years later. Peter has distanced himself from the friends he used to know and has focused full time on being Spider-Man, a decision that greatly affects him in the rest of the movie.
In this film Peter Parker has to deal with prolonged self-isolation, a new threat never seen before and changes to his powers due to his mental health. In the film, Spider-Man has to deal with a new villain, a mysterious telepath who can control minds and possess people, as well as the Department of Damage Control, a shady government organization that deals with super-powered incidents.
My honest opinions are overwhelmingly positive, with some gripes here and there. I thought this movie was absolutely fantastic. First of all, the choreography was spectacular, the web slinging was amazing to see and watching Spider-Man using his web-shooting powers in creative ways was incredibly satisfying to watch. I thought the action scenes in this film were top-notch and a step up from previous Spider-Man films.
The dialogue and character interactions in the movie were very good. Seeing how Spider-Man interacted with the Punisher was so hilarious and I enjoyed how both characters are polar opposites of each other. Peter’s bond with MJ and Ned made their friendship and care for each other so much stronger and more believable compared to previous films. I also thought the scene where Peter’s Aunt May speaks was such a strong moment in the film.
One final thing I have praise for is the story and the tone that the movie set. Previous Spider-Man films were less grounded and more cosmic and fantastical, with the use of high-tech gadgets and over-the-top magic powers. “Brand New Day’s” tone goes in a different direction, focusing on a more grounded story, where Peter has to rely on his intelligence and homemade devices to get him out of situations, instead of having to use high-tech suits and equipment. The movie’s story was also really good, as the atmosphere and setting felt more like New York City than ever before.
I have two small issues with the film, the pacing and the ending. I thought that the pacing of the film was that some scenes felt too fast, especially the scenes that are more intimate and have lots of dialogue. I think more time to those scenes would have made the film even better and more enjoyable as well as adding more character development to Peter and his friends. The only issue I had with the ending is how cliche it was especially in marvel movies. Though that does not mean that it was executed poorly, the ending scene was great, but I think a different ending would have made the film better.
I have lots of high praises for this film and I would highly recommend everyone who is reading this to watch the film, even if they haven’t watched all the previous Spider-Man movies. From the web-slinging to the heartfelt moments, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was an absolute blast. I give it my stamp of approval, with a rating of 9 out of 10.