In my estimation, Spider-Man: No Way Home is one mighty hard act to follow, working as one of the best, cinematic, alternate-reality tales ever spun. The crossover of three Peter Parkers--Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire--is still beyond historic, and let's not forget the trio's majestic, against-the-odds mishmash of villains. Plus, the story wove a spellbinding premise, with Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange layering on some big-time, mind-numbing psychedelia.
In this regard, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings/Wonder Man) Cretton and scripted by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, could only hope to achieve second best in Holland's strand. That's okay. Brand New Day is still epic, featuring quality personas with whom Parker interacts and combats, depending on his daily circumstance.
The Marvel-ous, supporting roster includes Michael Mando as Mac Gargan, the Scorpion; Marvin Jones III as Lonnie Lincoln, Tombstone; Zendaya as Michelle "MJ" Jones Watson; Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds; Liza Colon-Zayas as detective Jean DeWolff; Marisa Tomei as the flashbacked Aunt May; Mark Rufalo as Bruce Banner, the Hulk; Jon Berthal as Frank Castle, the Punisher; Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, the Black Widow; Eman Esfandi as Paul Rabin, MJ's new squeeze (boo!); Sadie Sink as Jean Grey (yes, it turns out to be true); Sara Booth-Ford as Sarah Grey; and Tramell Tillman as the mutant-hunting William Metzger. The criminal band, the Hand, also enters the fray, performed by nondescript yet agile actors, with Boomerang and the Tarantula bestowing cameos, rendered through effective CGI.
The mutant motif is most prevalent in Brand New Day, enough to make this Spidey entry a fledgling, X-Men relaunch, but that could have happened anywhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hell, what is Peter Parker anyway, not to mention Steve Rogers, Matt Murdock and Bruce Banner? Mutants! However, in Parker's case, his mutation is expanding, pushing him through a kind of puberty, which entails edgy self-reflection, guided by the Hulk and the Punisher's handlings of rage. (The Spidey/Punisher link mirrors the Daredevil/Punisher one in their Netflix/Disney scheme, though more humorous. It also channels a Son of Batman vibe.)
So, who's the overriding antagonist in this case? As more than implied, there are several to choose from, but only one holds the defining mark, and it's a hidden-in-plain-sight body snatcher (on the lam from Metzger) who's been teased by Sony's marketing ad nauseum. (Gosh, have I revealed too much?😉)
Despite the wait-and-see novelty, the negativity swings back to Parker. Now, don't get the wrong impression. Parker is still the good guy, but again, he's wrestling with those damn demons. (This caused some to anticipate another Venom manifestation, ala Sam Raimi's third chapter, but that, I assure you, doesn't happen in Brand New Day.)
What develops is comparable to a component in Superman III, which as some may recall, held the working title, Superman vs Superman. Get the picture? Parker's transformation is nowhere near as radical as Christopher Reeve's in that particular example, but all the same, Brand New Day's ambivalence remains palpable, giving the story a clear, character-study slant.
Is this approach good or bad? You tell me. It all comes down to personal taste. I favored it since I found the novelty more interesting than just rehashing the standard, good-vs-evil tropes. Additionally, the movie (as I hoped and prayed) didn't insert any political grandstanding. It remained confined and intimate in it progression, so that anyone who's faced a lonesome trail (for whatever cause, prompt or quirk) should be able to identify with it.
Compared to the new Supergirl (and I'm sorry to leap on that denouncing bandwagon again), Brand New Day is smooth sailing, even if in the end, it may not rank as one's all-time favorite in Holland's winsome web.
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