No Spoilers: 'Spider-Man: New Day' is a Visual Triumph with a Hollow Script
The new Spider-Man film is visually flawless and features great acting, but a script overloaded with cameos and lacking depth leaves a bitter taste of disappointment.
Unfortunately, the term "Marvel movie" has become a pejorative in the last decade. What was once perceived as a worthy title for a sophisticated film that knows how to combine a human story with a fictional hero, while building mystery and a real connection to the characters, today represents almost the exact opposite. Even a year-long break, it turns out, was not enough for Marvel to produce a film that tells a well-written story. But if there was one film that was supposed to break this curse, it was this one.
Spider-Man has always been the superhero who suffered the most abuse from the studios. It took Sony two reboots to share the rights with Marvel again and bring Spidey home. When that finally happened, the interpretations of the previous rounds pushed Marvel to take Spider-Man from a different angle and present a refreshing approach. The result was okay, but then came 'No Way Home'. The third film in the series was, for me, the 'baptism' of the Marvel version of Spider-Man and his official transformation into Peter Parker. After years, we finally got a real, human story that pays tribute to the character. This rift between his heroic persona and his desire to be an ordinary human being is what makes this character, in my opinion, the most successful superhero in history.
A script loaded with details that distances the audience
The potential was sky-high. Director Destin Daniel Cretton ('Shang-Chi') really met expectations, creating a film with a unique tone and a much more grounded, realistic version of Spider-Man compared to the version that traveled to space a decade ago. All the actors return here and deliver fine performances: Zendaya in her most impressive role yet, Tom Holland holding much more emotional scenes, and Jon Bernthal maintaining the uniqueness of the Punisher. But one thing Marvel, as usual, forgot to do — is to recruit worthy writers.
The script of 'Spider-Man: New Day' takes all the potential from the previous film and throws it into the trash in favor of another superhero action movie with guest appearances that consciously chooses to distance itself from the main character. The film gives up almost completely on Peter Parker the human. Although the script tries to present mature themes like loneliness and loss, it does so unconvincingly. For example, characters refer to Spider-Man as 'the sad man,' yet the audience watches a jocular, optimistic hero throughout the film. Thus, we hear that it is a more mature film, but in practice, we see another action movie that combines comedy and Marvel cameos. The narrative fails to scratch the surface, and it is evident that the script deliberately chooses not to take brave decisions.
The script refers to previous Spider-Man films in a way that feels repetitive. Instead of continuing the human line of this beloved character, Marvel chose to go for the whole pot—simply making another Marvel movie. Instead of spending time with the characters we wanted to know more about, we received an excessive load of unnecessary guest appearances that do not serve the plot and blur the author's intention. Rhett Reese and Erik Sommers, the screenwriters, should know better than anyone that with great power comes great responsibility.
So what does work here?
And yet, there are many things that work excellently in the new Spider-Man, and they are all related to Spider-Man himself. On a visual and cinematic level, this is the best Spider-Man film the fan base could have dreamed of. The action scenes are amazing: they feel like tight martial arts choreography, not unconvincing CGI mess. Destin Daniel Cretton's camera gives Spider-Man's movement a weight and physicality we haven't seen in years. The swinging segments on the streets of New York convey a sense of momentum and spectacular dizziness, with the city itself returning to be a central character. The convincing texture of the suit and Tom Holland's physical acting remind us of the level of connection the previous actors had. By a significant margin, this is the closest cinematic product to the original vision of Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.
The dissonance that leaves a sour taste
But that is exactly what is frustrating about 'Spider-Man: New Day'. This is not the film we really hoped for. The dissonance between the character design and the script lands on you clearly as the film progresses. Precisely the film that looks the best fans could imagine, where Tom Holland is most convincing, is a film that will make most of you feel confused in its final scene. The superficial climax and the last part of the film, which is almost completely hijacked by a new character, make the experience feel frustrating. Alongside the most beautiful action scenes and the most successful suit, the story itself does not justify the five years that have passed since the last film.
And Tom Holland is not to blame here. I truly believe that he and Destin Daniel Cretton tried to create a small, human, and good story, but the corporation had the final say. And this corporation has lost the ability to tell a story. If you are already feeling tired of superhero movies, this is definitely not the film that will renew you. If you liked the Marvel movies that came out after 'Avengers: Endgame', you are expected to have another such movie and I am happy for you. If you expected like me a Spider-Man film that would take Peter Parker to new human abysses—then… what the hell were you thinking when you went to a Marvel movie?
