Swing on over to ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
“He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still;” – Laozi
After Thanos, Mysterio, and everyone (well, most of them – where was Harry?) his past versions ever fought, what major menace is our friendly neighborhood hero up against this time?
Shocker.
No, not the guy in the red-and-yellow suit with electrical powers (though his tech does make an appearance). Not that Shocker. This Shocker. As in Horace Pinker of the 1989 film, a homicidal entity that can travel between bodies. Anyone and everyone can be out for radioactive-spider-infused blood. See the shadow of a stranger; turn around and your life’s in danger.
This crazy world’s in a grave situation. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has nobody. Living alone and not making any new friends, he TikTok-stalks his old pals (Jacob Batalon and Zendaya) who have completely forgotten him. As Spider-Man, however, he has some new comrades like an NYPD detective (Liza Colón-Zayas) and the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Also reconnecting with Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), he’s going to need their help to face this new threat. Or is said threat going to use them against him?
This film does not best Shocker (the soundtrack alone puts that one ahead), but it’s certainly better than Fallen. There’s just something about a protagonist pitted against a horror movie villain that gives a superhero story an extra sense of urgency that grips an audience’s attention.
The pinnacle of the so-called “Marvel Cinematic Universe” for a decade and counting has been Jessica Jones Season 1 (yes, I myself am in it, but that’s, like, the twelth best thing about the show). Chief among the reasons why is a genuinely frightening antagonist creating a nightmare scenario wherein anybody can be a victim (Jessica herself having been one before developing a psychic block, unlike Peter, who has immunity pretty much from the start). When the other big bads kill civilians, it’s simply collateral damage. When the Purple Man kills them, it’s because he specifically targeted those people.
As Brand New Day follows this template, it is the most riveting this series has ever been. The wall crawler feels impossibly outmatched and in genuine peril, completely at the limited mercy of a wicked force. The kind of enemy that he needs not just superpowers but also brainpower to vanquish.
Which makes it all the more a crushing disappointment once the mystery is finally revealed. Having this particular person be the unsub is pure character assassination. Honestly, at this point, I think the audience can be okay with completely original villains created just for the work. That’s how we got Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze (kind of), let’s all remember.
Something fresh here is Spidey coming into a new evolution of his powers that includes organic webs (i.e., what Sam Raimi did), heightened senses, and increased strength. The catch, though, is that he loses control of himself and devolves to the animalistic nature of, well, a spider. Getting a handle on these abilities or trying to suppress them altogether (see now why he needs Hulk’s help?) becomes another struggle that compounds his existing fight.
All to the good, but what’s very wrong is the “traumatic event” that triggers the arachnopuberty, an incident so very, very weak compared to what he’s had to go through before. This is someone whose entire family is dead (a few of whom he feels personally responsible for), has seen his mentor and allies perish, and even was himself killed. None of these qualify as traumatic events? Seriously?
The “MJ” thing is still an insufferable annoyance, plus now Ned is confirmed as being Ned Leeds, a character who this guy is nothing like. He’s clearly supposed to be Ganke Lee, but for some absolutely nonsensical reason, the names were switched. Is this really going to be who eventually becomes Hobgoblin? That said, both characters are absolutely hilarious. These actors truly should have a greater presence in comedy.
For his part, Holland continues perfectly encapsulate both Peter and Spider-Man. I do wish, however, that we got to see what he does for a living in civilian life. Why is he not working at the Daily Bugle now that their past campaign of doxxing and slandering him has been erased? Is J.K. Simmons really that busy with insurance commercials? On that note, Scorpion (Michael Mando) is here in the tail suit for a couple of fights with the web slinger, minus his whole backstory and history with Jameson. He could have had a whole movie as the main event villain. Ditto the likes of Tombstone (Marvin Jones III) and Tarantula, who only appear briefly in an opening montage.
Sadie Sink is here, too, playing exactly who you think she is. This, unlike much of what the MCU and this series in particular have given us, is a fantastic, uncanny (hint, hint) casting choice. But the depiction is completely off. They have the trajectory for this character backwards and her actions are the exact opposite of what this certain young lady would do. She was most definietly done dirty. Then again, some future film could reverse course with an excuse like that this was a variant from another dimension or that a wizard did it. The more a film world based on a comic book world goes on, the more the latter’s worst aspects of continuity will creep in. But who’s to say those can’t be used for good? If it gets her back to being the person we all know and love, fine by me.
Thinking positively (for a change) and assuming that a retcon for Sink can be made, or if you aren’t a fan of that property and can set those issues aside, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a more than fine entry (side note: there seems to now be a Star Trek-esque even-odd rule where the evens are the better films) in both its series and the evil-spirit-jumping-into-random-people set. Get on all eights and head to the theater.
