Brand new day, Spider-Man all the way

Marvel Cinematic Universe’s brand new sequel is a tough one for Spider-Man and therein lies its entertainment value. This film is a fun-filled, adrenaline-fuelled, stuffed to the brim, roller-coaster ride.

Spider-Man has consistently delivered high-quality thrills and this one is no different. It may not have a brand new story but it is designed to keep you engaged and enthused throughout. It’s also a set-up for what is to come in the future.

This film is set four years after the events of ‘No Way Home’. Peter Parker’s world is grey and depressing because he is different and has to be both heroic and individualistic. It’s acutely lonely and tough to be a hero in tights. He undergoes grief and heartbreak and yet has to rise above it all to save the world he inhabits. The narrative expounds on the emotional toll that being alone has on Parker and how it affects his spider DNA.

‘Brand New Day’ has Peter turning into New York’s most popular crime-fighter by day and reel-watcher by night. Both MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) remember that Spider-Man saved them a few times but don’t know that Peter Parker is the boy/man who did it. Dr Strange’s spell caused everyone to forget the existence of Peter Parker. So, when four years later, we see MJ and Ned Leeds, friends and roomies, ready to graduate from MIT, it’s Parker who ends up being the outsider.

Parker watches MJ and Ned from afar, yearning to be a part of their lives once more. His anguish is what lends this film an emotional wallop.

Spider-Man has literally gone into a cocoon and his only contact with the real world is detective DeWolff (Liza Colon-Zayas). His intense grief over losing MJ is eating him and the transformation he undergoes does not leave him in control. Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), is the one who helps him through those rough times. Banner is a professor at the Empire State University, teaching quantum mechanics. His use of an inhibitor device to control his rage-activated gamma radiation green powers gives Parker the idea that he too could be helped similarly for his anger issues.

Parker comes into his own when a powerful new enemy challenges his supremacy. Frank Castle, aka The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), can jump from body to body and snarls when he blows things up.

The Department of Damage Control has been infiltrated and the growing mutation in Parker’s DNA causes him a great deal of turmoil.

Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers’ script makes Spider-Man’s self-actualising journey intense. Destin Daniel Cretton’s directorial sensibilities lend this film a vibrant dramatic vein. His taking over from Jon Watts, who helmed the first three Holland solo outings, is quite a blessing.

The dual persona hero’s reckoning is what gives this movie its most vital moments. The background is heavy and overcast and Michael Giacchino’s score reverberates with that overbearing sentiment.

This film is less youthful, taking on a more mature tone as it allows spider-boy to mature into a more evolved hero. The underlying resonant theme is that no one, not even a superhero, can go it alone.

The darker vein is a fresh approach for the Spider-Man film series. It lends a far more dramatic arc to the proceedings and makes the experience of the film far more fulfilling.

The transition from spider-boy to Spider-Man may not be all that dramatic, but Holland, who has three Spider-Man movies behind him, appears to have matured along the way and pulls it off with nuance and intensity. He revels in the scenes depicting the inner conflict of Peter Parker and his romantic chemistry with Zendaya gives the film an added boost.

Zendaya and Batalon also show themselves to be in fine fettle. Sadie Sink’s character is the big reveal here and she makes the reflection count. Florence Pugh is also there to keep things churning. The few other varied cameos basically drive the narrative forward.

The humour is largely free-flowing but there are moments when the depth of a scene gets snickered by unwarranted gags.

The film’s most notable action sequence comes towards the fag end and it has quite a big impact. The fight with Scorpion (Michael Mando), however, feels half-hearted and Spider-Man’s tryst with The Hulk looks a tad forced.

Overall, the hand-to-hand combat sequences, the stunt choreography, the smart camerawork and inspired slow motion sequences add thrill to the experience. Some of the sequences here have a visual flair while quite a few also leave you unaffected. The CGI and visual effects are not always primal in effect.

Tom Holland’s performance really emboldens the enjoyment. This is a career-defining performance from the boyish-looking star, who is sitting pretty atop the Hollywood firmament following the super success of ‘The Odyssey’.