Spider-Man grows up in 'Brand New Day'

Note: This review is spoiler free. I promise.

I am not a Marvel hater. After “Avengers: Endgame” in 2018, I’ve pretty much taken each new Marvel movie as it came, liking some (“Deadpool vs. Wolverine,” “Thunderbolts”) and not others (“Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Captain America: Brave New World”).

But I can’t remember being less interested in an upcoming blockbuster than “Avengers: Doomsday,” which so far looks like it was created entirely by AI. So when I walked into “Spider Man: Brand New Day,” it was with the worry that the Marvel machine might finally be running out of gas.

But it’s good. Certainly the best of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies since “Homecoming,” “Brand New Day” feels grounded and emotional in a way it seems most superhero movies have forgotten how to be. Director Destin Daniel Cretton made the underrated “Shang-Chi,” but he’s also made real movies like “Short Term 12,” and knows how to put together a fun and exciting movie that doesn’t skimp on character.

“Brand New Day” also just looks way better than the last two “Spider-Man” movies, which seem to rely heavily on CGI locations for even mundane street corner scenes. While there are moments that were clearly filmed in “the Volume,” many of the scenes take advantage of New York itself.

Tom Holland has grown up a lot since “Homecoming,” and he gives a mature and vulnerable performance here as Peter Parker. As a result of Doctor Strange’s spell at the end of “No Way Home” has been completely forgotten by the world, including his old girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Peter has chosen to live alone and throw himself into his work, suiting up as Spider-Man to save the city again and again.

What I liked best about “Brand New Day” is that it largely stands alone on its two bright red feet, even apart from the other “Spider-Man” movies.

In a sense, now “Peter Parker” has become his secret identity, not Spider-Man. But the isolation is wearing on him, especially when he watches on social media as MJ and Ned graduate from MIT and go on happily with their lives without him. When your only real friend is the Punisher (Jon Bernthal doing a slightly more comedic riff on his vigilante antihero), you know you’re in a dark place.

Then a new threat arrives in NYC, an unknown supervillain who can control minds, jumping from person to person like a stone skipping across the water. Cretton shows this possession not primarily through visual effects but through physical movement performance in a way that’s really cool, reminding me of the great ‘80s sci-fi movie “The Hidden.”

This is such a refreshing idea for a villain, because it’s not just another powerful guy in a suit that the hero has to fight head-on. If you’ve spent any time on Marvel Reddit, you probably already know who the villain is, but I found the mystery in the movie pretty engrossing, as Spider-Man tries to figure out who he’s facing and why.

I won’t spoil any more, except to say that this leads to some truly imaginative fight sequences (a battle against scarlet-clad super ninjas is so visually stunning that even Peter says “God, that’s cool”), and a good balance of pathos and humor, especially in the Spidey-Punisher banter. And even though the relationship between MJ and Peter has been completely reset, Holland and Zendaya still have a sparkling, lived-in chemistry together onscreen.

There are some MCU cameos sprinkled here and there, as well as a big signpost pointing to where things in the franchise are going to go. But what I liked best about “Brand New Day” is that it largely stands alone on its two bright red feet, even apart from the other “Spider-Man” movies. If you’ve been feeling a little superhero fatigue lately, it might just be the jolt you’ve been waiting for.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” opens today in theaters. In Madison, it’s playing at Marcus Point, Marcus Palace, AMC Fitchburg 18 and Flix Brewhouse Madison.