Does any other superhero have a motto like Spider-Man?
As Peter Parker’s late, great Uncle Ben cautioned him, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Yep, being a superhero is a lot to carry; some would say it’s even a burden.
Not every film in the Spider-Man film franchise has been a winner, but more often than not, the movies have at least managed to mine that line and theme for all its worth, giving big stakes to both Peter and his alter-ego. It’s forced the on-screen character to watch both villains and family die, led him to keep love interest Mary Jane at arms’ length, and shelter himself into a rather monkish life.
Judging the newest entry, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, by the famed motto, it stands out as one of the stronger entries, particularly because it takes those responsibilities so seriously. And in many ways, this might be the heaviest of all the Spider-Man films yet. I still think Tobey Maguire’s second outing as Spidey featuring Doc Ock has yet to be topped, but Tom Holland has had a great run in the role, and he stretches the character and himself as an actor in this involving feature.
Because he was bitten by a radioactive spider and his genes were mutated, it’s easy to see how easily Peter could be mentioned in the same breath as both Bruce Banner’s Hulk, what with his DNA mutation, as well as all those mutant X-Men itching to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This film not only dramatizes such shared plot points, but more importantly, Peter’s evolution from goofy teen to strapping adult. It’s been five years since SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, and Holland is now 30. Thus, the character of Peter is well into his adulthood too, working full-time as a web-slinging crime fighter. He misses college, as evidenced by his tracking the moves of his former besties MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jason Batalon) in attendance at MIT. (You’ll remember that they now have no memory of Peter as a superhero, nor does the world, as the young man had to employ Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to erase the world’s memory of Spider-Man’s true identity in that last film.
This go-round, Peter’s identity is still a main theme, particularly when his new nemesis figures out who he is, as she has psychic abilities and can enter people’s minds. It’s not a spoiler to tell you that her name is Jean Grey, of X-Men fame, as the press leading up to the film’s premiere has leaked that information all over the (ahem) web. Sadie Sink plays her here as a young woman out for revenge on the government institution that kidnapped her and her sister in attempts to study their powers and weaponize them. That’s been a theme of the X-Men films since they began, and the MCU connects the dots rather easily here in the walk-up to December’s all-hands-on-deck saga DOOMSDAY. But here, Jean is not connected with Professor X yet, merely a lone wolf flexing her brain and muscles upon the New York institute she blames for all her woes. Spidey tries to stop her and gets stuck in her crosshairs too.
As if her knowledge of his true identity isn’t enough, Peter/Spider-Man needs to save the whole of Manhattan from her vengeance, as well as try to figure out why his genetics are mutating even further. His enhanced powers aren’t as easy to control, and it offers Holland multiple scenes to show utter rage. Peter also must contend with special guests Banner (Mark Ruffalo), whose Hulk becomes entangled in the mix, as well as the trigger-happy vigilante Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), out to stop the 50 shades of havoc Grey is perpetrating on his beloved NYC. It leads to many fight scenes and conflicts between characters, and director Destin Daniel Cretton does a sharp job of staging them. Cretton also employs a lot of first-person POV, enabling the audience to see the city from Spider-Man’s swinging perspective, and such shots are not only breathtaking, but they’re also acrophobic. In many respects, this may be the best shot Spider-Man film yet.
Cretton and his screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers thread a lot of expected humor throughout the film’s 145-minute run time, though the seriousness of both Peter’s angst, as well as that of Jean, imbues a sobriety to most every minute. Both hero and “villain” are carrying a cumbersome burden here, and sometimes it feels almost too heavy for such popcorn entertainment. Still, Holland’s likability and Sink’s vulnerability keep us invested, as do the vivid performances of Zendaya, Ruffalo, and Bernthal. I wish that new villain Trammell Tillman, of SEVERANCE fame, had more to chew on as a character, but as the head of the government institution, he fulfills the hissability of an obvious baddie.
Marvel has had a spotty record since their epic two-parter of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and AVENGERS: END GAME, and heaven knows DC’s failure regarding SUPERGIRL this summer hasn’t exactly shored up an audience’s appetites for comic book adaptations. Still, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY is just that for the genre and may bode well for the potential MCU December blockbuster.
At least, my Spidey senses are tingling at the possibilities.
