No headaches for this sequel, even if the hero is suffering from them.
If you recall the last entry “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Peter Parker tampered with Doctor Strange’s spell to the point of the multiverse being on a collision course with his world. And in order to prevent that from happening, he asks him to erase everyone’s memories of him. People still know who Spider-Man is, but now, nobody knows who Peter Parker is. Not even his friends.
And now we have “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which picks up with Peter (Tom Holland) facing some medical issues with his Spidey powers, while contemplating about whether or not to tell his friends MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) about who he is, and trying to capture the villain hopping into people’s minds. That’s the set-up of this sequel, which continues to broaden this Peter Parker, and show the next stage of his young life. And it’s entertaining, emotionally complex, sometimes funny, and gripping throughout.
The medical issues regards Peter having painful headaches, as his arachnid powers threatens to consume him and control his senses. When somebody pushes his buttons, his eyes turn black like a real spider, and he acts like Spider-Man on steroids. And instead of the cliche of the police branding the superhero as a vigilante, it has a mom detective (Liza Colón-Zayas from “The Bear”) worry about his health and mental stability.
When MJ asks Peter Parker if he found a Mrs. Spider-Man, he responds: “I’m withholding.” But then again, I found out a few years ago that there are more Spider-People in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” So, anything is possible.
And the telepathic villain is Jean Grey (Sadie Sink from “The Whale” and “Stranger Things”). Why is she targeting Spider-Man? I can’t say. But we all know she has an X-Men name.
Among the MCU regulars to tag along in this franchise, Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner, who now wears an inhibitor to prevent him from turning into the Hulk. Although his students keep asking him about his superhero life, about as much as people keep asking the actor if there will be a new Hulk movie. They need to stop acting like he’s never been in “13 Going on 13” or “Spotlight.” Because Peter didn’t ask Dr. Strange to erase anyone’s memories about those films.
And Jon Bernthal is also back as the Punisher. Seeing him and Spider-Man banter makes me think of how he would connect with Deadpool. It’s the attitude within that makes you think. In fact, at one point, when Spider-Man is ordered to go in a spa pool, he’s down to his boxers, but his mask must remain on his head. And therefore, I’m easily reminded of how Deadpool spoofed Ferris Bueller’s post credit scene.
Some of the slow motion shots look like one of those A.I. videos on Instagram, but most of the special effects are versatile enough for Spider-Man to sling his webs. And plus, I criticized the live-action remake of “Moana” as an A.I. looking pool of fish pee, so I’ll take whatever the movie throws at Peter Parker any day of the week. And there’s a lot, most of which I did my best not to give away.
It would take a miracle to top “Spider-Man 2” or the “Spider-Verse” movies as the very best of the bunch. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” now directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, is still not that one, but it is another worthy addition to the Marvel library. You have to give credit to Holland, Zendaya, and Sink for developing some emotional weight within their characters, and to Bernthal and Batalon for adding some much needed humor. There are many fans out there, and they know when a “Spider-Man” movie is entertaining. And I trust in this franchise’s judgement certainly much more than I doubted “Madame Web,” because it understands the appeal of this universe and what it unfolds for the hero.
Minor note: we all know that this is the second film this summer to feature Holland, Zendaya, and Bernthal after Christopher Nolan’s masterful version of “The Odyssey.” That’s the best movie of the summer, while this one knows a good time when it sees it. And plenty of webs, too.
