For more than sixty years, Spider-Man has endured because, beneath the mask and the extraordinary abilities, Peter Parker remains one of the most recognizably human superheroes ever created.
He worries about money. He disappoints the people he loves. He makes mistakes. And no matter how many times he saves New York—or perhaps the entire world—his victories nearly always come at a personal cost.
That humanity is at the center of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, perhaps the dar...
For more than sixty years, Spider-Man has endured because, beneath the mask and the extraordinary abilities, Peter Parker remains one of the most recognizably human superheroes ever created.
He worries about money. He disappoints the people he loves. He makes mistakes. And no matter how many times he saves New York—or perhaps the entire world—his victories nearly always come at a personal cost.
That humanity is at the center of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, perhaps the darkest Spider-Man movie since The Amazing Spider-Man 2. This is a Peter Parker who bleeds, bruises, and carries the physical and psychological consequences of everything he has endured. The vulnerability gives Tom Holland some of the strongest material he has received as the character and perhaps results in his best performance to date.
At the same time, the film makes the unusual decision to tell a superhero story without a traditional central villain. There are threats and adversaries, but no enduring character of opposition to propel Peter through the conventional hero’s journey. The result is a film I found dramatically uneven: thoughtful and well performed, but also slow, heavily melodramatic, and lacking some of the excitement I expect from Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes Peter Parker into darker and more human territory than most previous entries, giving Tom Holland an opportunity to deliver perhaps his finest performance beneath—or outside—the mask.
Whether the movie succeeds may depend on what audiences want from Spider-Man. Those looking for a somber character study may appreciate its focus on injury, trauma, and consequence. Those expecting a more traditional superhero adventure may feel the absence of a central villain and the lack of sustained momentum.
For me, it is a thoughtful and strongly performed film that never completely develops into satisfying Spider-Man entertainment. Still, its willingness to show Peter Parker as vulnerable, frightened, and physically fallible reminds us why the character has endured for generations.
Spider-Man may possess extraordinary powers, but it is his humanity that keeps audiences returning.
Joining me today is someone who has shared many Spider-Man adventures with me—although ours usually involve waiting in queue before riding Spider-Man attraction at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
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