Spider-Man: Brand New Day review: Parker? I Don’t Even Know Her!
They say you can’t go home again, but Spider-Man sure did try. The subtitles of the superhero’s most recent big-screen trilogy—Homecoming, Far from Home, and No Way Home—all concerned his proximity to sanctuary, reflecting a longing to return to safe and familiar territory. But the franchise’s latest adventure, again starring Tom Holland as the Queens-based red-and-blue webslinger, is styled Brand New Day, a restorative title that promises novelty and opportunity. As you may remember (or not!), following a whole lot of magical hullabaloo, No Way Home culminated with the wizard Doctor Strange casting an obliviate-like spell, wiping the world’s collective memory of Spidey’s alter ego, Peter Parker, a sweet-natured boy with a big brain, a broad smile, and a slim bank account. This marked a significant sacrifice for Peter—most notably, he forfeited his cherished relationships with his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya), and his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon)—but in storytelling terms, it created the tantalizing prospect of a cinematic reset button.
At its best, Brand New Day capitalizes on this artistic freedom, probing unexplored territory and tackling interesting themes. It’s a spry and appealing blockbuster with a sincere human center. But for all its liveliness and charm, it rarely feels genuinely new, instead repeatedly evoking prior, better Spider-Man movies. Read More
