When Iron Man left the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the once unshakable fandom for Marvel quickly cooled, but Spider-Man alone proved its unchanged popularity by drawing at least 7 million viewers each time it was released. Starting with Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), new installments came out every two years to much discussion, and this Brand New Day marked a comeback five years after No Way Home, making fans even more anxious. The result was enough to reward the wait.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (director Destin Cretton, distributed by Sony Pictures) is an action blockbuster in which Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland), who was forgotten by everyone after the Spider-Man: No Way Home incident, falls into deeper confusion after the appearance of a mysterious enemy who remembers his identity and gaining uncontrollable powers through DNA mutation, and confronts a new threat to protect his loved ones. The teaser trailer reached 718.6 million views within 24 hours of release and recorded 1 billion cumulative views, the first trailer to do so. In Korea, it set record-breaking numbers with a real-time reservation rate of 73.4% one day before release and advance ticket sales surpassing 870,000. It exceeded the simultaneous advance ticket sales of the three TomSpider films and proved enormous expectations.
Previously, after Mysterio (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) revealed his identity and ruined his life, Spider-Man wanted to make everything as if it never happened, and because of the multiverse summoned by Doctor Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), the whole world forgot him. In the process, Spider-Man's only family member, Aunt May, died, and his most beloved girlfriend MJ (played by Zendaya Coleman) and best friend Ned (played by Jacob Batalon) completely erased him.
Having lost everything and lived in seclusion for four years, Peter lives solely as Spider-Man. He cooperates with the police, focuses only on rooting out criminals, and New York achieves its lowest crime rate. Citizens are enthusiastic about the hero Spider-Man, but Peter without his mask feels increasing emptiness in an empty house. He endures the life of a "special but lonely hero."
While agonizing between human Peter Parker and the hero Spider-Man, he unexpectedly meets MJ, suffers psychological shock, and later experiences sensory overload due to DNA mutation. He cannot even control his webbing, and a powerful psychic who uses possession, Jean Grey (played by Sadie Sink), appears. To solve the DNA problem, he seeks help from Dr. Bruce Banner (played by Mark Ruffalo). It turns out Jean Grey knew Peter's past identity and even threatened MJ, putting him in grave danger once again.
This Brand New Day mainly depicts Spider-Man reborn from the worst situations and despair. Audiences still vividly remember high school Peter who was chosen by Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) to join the Avengers and rejoiced at receiving a new suit, but Peter has grown into an adult rather than a boy. As the line in the film goes, "I'm not a high schooler anymore..," the teenage Spider-Man's bubbly antics have decreased, but by focusing on Peter's human growth and emotions, the drama's depth has evolved. It demonstrates the theme that "with great power comes great responsibility" better than any other installment.
The action is also top-notch with no flaws. The signature scenes of swinging through New York's skyscrapers on webbing are dizzying and thrilling, and the showdown with the unmasked villain Jean Grey delivers a twist at the end. The choreographed action with the intense ninja group Hand offers extraordinary spectacle, and the brawl with Bruce Banner transformed into the Hulk is not to be missed. In addition, the verbal sparring and mouth-to-mouth action with Spider-Man's ally Frank Castle·The Punisher (played by Jon Bernthal) feel like watching a comedy duo.
The director does not rush to tie up the relationships between Peter and the MJ and Ned who forgot him. By approaching them carefully, he adds rather than detracts from their credibility. The emotional acting of Tom Holland and Zendaya, who are real-life partners and have recently acknowledged their marriage, adds even more immersion.
The post-credit scene briefly teases the next installment along with a cute Spider-Man location tracker.
Opens today (29th), rated for ages 12 and up, 145 minutes.
[Photo] Provided by Sony Pictures
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