Massive Marvel-ous changes abound for the Web-head in this fourth entry!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the fourth entry into the MCU’s web-head series, and for the most part, it delivers on what the trailers promised.

Peter Parker / Spider-Man (Tom Holland) has spent a lot of time alone after the events of No Way Home, so much so he has become a veritable recluse, only venturing outside as his alter-ego.
It’s here that we pick up with Parker as he attempts to reconcile his past with his present, but the future isn’t in his mind at all.
Mix this with the returning presence of MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) and the perfect storm for stress is created. And with that stress, comes changes…big changes!
The Punisher plays quite a pivotal role in this offering, and the it’s only the trailers that make his presence feel like a sparse cameo. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) makes a cameo appearance over two set pieces. It’s here that the film felt like it tried to cram in one more cameo than it really needed. The Hulk however, was underutilised if your adding him to plotline.
Sadie Sink plays the ‘Big Bad’ in this movie, and for the sake of not spoiling it for you, I won’t mention who she is playing. What I can say, is that she helps set up the future additions to the MCU and the further opening of the Multiverse.
Jon Bernthal plays Frank Castle aka The Punisher, and does so with as much gusto and typical Punisher charm a 12a certificate will allow!

The score is good, reminiscent of the previous films yet still very different, offering a darker kind of tone. It’s this darker tone that matches the aesthetic of the surroundings the characters find themselves in, complementing one another quite well.
The scripting is tight, and felt a bit rigid at times, but still managed to convey what it needed too, especially with the scenes between MJ and Peter. And this was easily the strongest part of the whole experience. Because Tom Holland and Zendaya are married in real-life, their chemistry shows through even more than before, especially where Peter Parker is concerned.

The subject matter of the film deals with love and loss, and builds up, and then knocks down any hope Peter may have of rekindling his past relationships. It’s only at the very end do we finally see a glimmer of hope, one that may just light the way forward for Peter Parker.

The CGI is mostly good, but there are pitfalls. Some scenes, especially where The Hulk are concerned are OK, but rather flat in presentation. It almost felt like he was a cartoon in a live setting. Some other effects are again, OK, but just OK and in no way ground-breaking or exceptional. For me, this was the lowest point of the film.

Directed by Dustin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and Wonder-Man), he does an admirable job, but the overall feeling doesn’t feel like the last three entries. I think this is purposeful, in that this is the start of a new trilogy with a much older and emotionally scared Peter Parker. Don’t go into this film expecting a repeat of the bubbly, bouncy Spider-Man of old, expect something much more grounded.

All in all, I really quite enjoyed this film, even if I didn’t think it could match it’s predecessor. It has great emotional weight, some pretty cool action and a surprise that will give the fans of the comic books a real thrill.

I give Spider-Man: Brand New Day…