Details from IMDB:
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
A forgotten Peter Parker lives alone as a full-time Spider-Man until mounting pressure triggers a dangerous change and a powerful new enemy emerges.
Initial Thoughts:
Spider-Man is my third favourite comic book character; I’ve seen every movie in the theatre and have loved him since I was a little kid. There was never any doubt I would see this movie, but as I’m not a fan of crowds, I did decide to wait one week, which worked out for the best as I got to see it in IMAX (which I wouldn’t have been able to do last week). I also think that Tom Holland is the best Peter Parker and Spider-Man, and Zendaya is the best MJ, plus it got great reviews, so I knew I was in for a good time.
Main Points:
I like the Punisher, and I think Jon Bernthal is the best one we’ve had onscreen. It was fun to see him with Spider-Man/Peter, but really he could have been left out of the movie (or at least saved for just an extended cameo towards the end), and it would have been just as good. There is the usual, see this character? Make sure you don’t forget him/her, as you’ll see them again! Which is common in a connected universe, I know, but seems a little unnecessary to me. I also thought that the post-credits scene was a disappointment (as it reveals very little), and the movie could have been 15-20 minutes shorter, but still enough negatives.
I thought all the cast did a great job, including Sadie Sink, who steals most scenes she’s in. I thought the action scenes looked great, there was a nice sprinkling of humour, and some really cool IMAX scenes. I also really loved the message of the movie: you can’t just focus on one aspect of your life/personality and try to go through life alone; that just leads to sadness and depression. We all need someone to talk to, someone to be close with, someone to depend on and someone to love. I also loved how we saw a darker side of Peter and what happens when he loses control of his powers. NYC once again gets to be a character here, and it was lovely to see that, and the idea of a superhero working with police was good to see.
Final Thoughts:
Despite some flaws, I thought this was an excellent movie, but it is not as good as Spider-Man: No Way Home. I give it a solid 8 out of 10 and would highly recommend it to any Spider-man/comic book fans. A little bit of coarse language and some blood, plus one slightly suggestive scene, make it ages 13+. If you can see this in IMAX, it’s worth it, but don’t bother to stick around for the end-credit scene. I was happy to get a free poster from Japan with my screening; most people didn’t want them, so I took 2. Looking forward to seeing Tom Holland and Zendaya in more websling fun onscreen!