★★★★ out of 5 -- Rated: PG-13 -- Run time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Back in 2021, actor Tom Holland starred in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which was his third time headlining a film in that popular superhero franchise.
The movie shocked and delighted audiences by cleverly including previous Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield into a multiverse storyline.
The movie was highly entertaining, proving to be both a critical and box office success.
Exiting a franchise on a high note makes good sense, and reports quickly circulated that Holland felt it was the perfect time to hand off his Spidey-suit to a new actor.
Well…not so fast. In the years since, Sony and Marvel Studios have pushed for another film to examine what happens after Peter Parker’s friends have all their memories of him erased.
There was a lot of back and forth that included discussions with Holland and various directors, new scripts, delays due to the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild strikes, and problems with scheduling conflicts.
But now, five years after the last film, we finally have “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
The film begins with Spider-Man/Peter Parker still fighting crime in New York City, but also quietly keeping tabs on social media on what his friends are up to.
Former girlfriend MJ (played by Holland’s real-life wife, Zendaya) and pal Ned (the also-returning Jacob Batalon) are off at MIT, enjoying the adventures that all three had planned to experience together.
Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommer (who also wrote the first three films) pepper the script with many bittersweet moments that capture the sacrifice and pain that Peter is going through.
Things start getting complicated when Spider-Man encounters a force that seems to take over the bodies of whoever it chooses and also can jump from one person to another, almost instantly. The force also begins communicating with him.
Spider-Man seeks advice by contacting other Marvel characters, including assassin Yelena Belova, delightfully portrayed with a thick Russian accent by the wonderful Florence Pugh, who previously played the character in “Thunderbolts” and “Black Widow.”
He also meets with Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), who is teaching at a university and trying oh-so-hard not to transition into his more violent alter-ego. Anyone want to take bets whether he’s successful or not?
Other notable characters include Jon Bernthal (“The Walking Dead” and “The Bear”) as “The Punisher,” a violent vigilante who has a complicated relationship with Spider-Man. Bernthal has played the role before, but initially goes almost annoyingly overboard with the New Yorker-isms before settling into an interesting and effective performance.
I will avoid giving too much away, but another important character is played by “Stranger Things” actress Sadie Sink. She portrays a woman who has been through an emotional ringer, and her story is very front and center later in the film.
Calling the shots in this movie is Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously directed Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
He has avoided the trap of many superhero directors who deliver overly-long, repetitious fight scenes that can really drag down a film. The action scenes in this movie are original, extremely well staged and exciting. (They were designed by Jackie Chan’s stunt team)
A scene involving a group of martial artists taking on Spider-Man is especially noteworthy, with people flying through the air. And even though we’ve seen our superhero swing through the city many times before in every one of the previous films, the director has managed here to put a fresh take on many of those shots. (Note: If you can, try and see the film in 3D -- it’s impressive.)
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” features far less humor than other films in the series and focuses more on the emotions. There are some really touching scenes between Tom Holland and Zendaya and also with their pal Jacob Batalon. As a result, there’s plenty of room to maneuver for future storylines.
Did we need this Spider-Man film? That might be debatable after the nice wrap-up with the last movie, but Holland and the filmmakers sure delivered a lot with this effort.
Will there be yet another Spider-Man film? If you want an answer, stay to the very end of the movie, after the credits.