With some delay from the global release, but in packed Kazakhstani cinemas, 'Spider-Man: New Day' is showing — the fourth solo film about the superhero within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having noticeably run out of steam in recent years, the studio is desperately seeking a recipe for success — and it seems this time luck is on its side. In less than a week, the film grossed a billion dollars worldwide, setting several box office records, and critics call it the best in the series. However, its release was not predetermined: the Hollywood writers' strike intervened, and Tom Holland said he was not sure he wanted to play the character at thirty (he just turned 30 this year). Whether the film is really good and what Peter Parker is now sad about — in Kursiv's review. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Plot
After Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) opponents and doppelgangers dispersed across their dimensions in the previous installment, he was left completely alone. Doctor Strange's spell erased the memory of everyone who knew Spider-Man. Unlike his former best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and girlfriend MJ (Zendaya), Peter did not go to college, lives in a shabby apartment, and still actively fights crime on the streets of New York, sometimes, for example, teaming up with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). However, soon a mysterious and powerful telepath appears in the city, sowing chaos, and the superhero, against the backdrop of experienced stress and total loneliness, begins to change — both psychologically and physically.
Box Office Success
Somewhere on the other side of the globe, the architect of the Marvel cinematic universe, Kevin Feige, has just exhaled noisily. It is unknown what helped win the battle for viewers' wallets and attention, but the result is more than worthy: in just six days of release, 'Spider-Man: New Day' became the highest-grossing film of the year, making people forget about the so-called 'superhero fatigue' and a series of recent Marvel failures. Whether the project is blessed by Christopher Nolan, for whose filming Tom Holland had to personally ask permission from the bosses of Sony, or the miraculous effect was somehow caused by the change of director, if anyone, of course, believes in authorial style in the service of a corporation — now in the chair is not Jon Watts, who directed the previous three (also very successful) films, but Destin Daniel Cretton; however, the screenwriters remained in their places. Or maybe the film's success is a consequence of the crazy popularity of the recently married Holland and Zendaya.
Characters and Transformation
True, 'New Day' instead plays on the fact of their separation — thank God, we are only talking about screen characters. So, MJ gets a boyfriend who appears for about thirty seconds and gives her just one chaste kiss. But that is enough to torment Peter's soul and increase the release of his spider hormones, after which a light body horror in Marvel style begins.
The hero's eyes periodically turn black, and webs fly from his wrists, just like in the early films with Tobey Maguire, quickly giving the home an abandoned look, as Parker's current state requires. The creators, apparently, had more extreme plans for such transformations, and Spider-Man could have mutated into a terrible Spider-Man with an anomalous number of limbs. But Holland stated that they quickly realized they were making a film for children as well, and such ideas had to be abandoned. (Those who want to see real horror superheroics need to wait for the premiere of DC's 'Clayface' in the fall.)
Psychological Aspect
Actually, this dubious spider puberty, which Peter (quite successfully, and this is important for the plot) tries to block with his technological talents, turning to Bruce Banner and his difficult experience in containing the Hulk, is a consequence of psychological instability. Traditionally, not only Spider-Man is susceptible to it, but also his main opponent — let's clarify, opponent, without going into other details. Although internet spoilers have already spread everywhere, and Sadie Sink's secret role has ceased to be so secret. In this sense, 'New Day' is not far from the cute but, alas, financially failed 'Thunderbolts*', where the heroes were also given psychological processing by literally immersing them in their consciousness (another extremely important plot detail of the film).
Humor and Action
Such expensive blockbuster therapy could be annoying if the creators completely forgot about humor and action, but everything is fine here — there is even a weak semblance of a detective story in which Peter tries to figure out his antagonist. Small, essentially optional jokes like the song by Monetochka playing in the scene on Brighton Beach are pleasing — however, in Russia and Ukraine, even this innocent fleeting soundtrack instantly moved into the political dimension.
Conclusion
Many praise 'New Day' for the self-sufficiency of the story, the absence of universal ambitions and scales, and this is indeed so — except that the film serves as a kind of prologue to the appearance in the future of one famous ensemble, whose cast is now being actively announced. Perhaps, today this is generally the best part about Spider-Man released within the MCU — the only fault can be the inflated runtime, from which you begin to get tired; even the traditionally lame CGI at Marvel looks quite decent. Otherwise, it is a lively and pleasant summer spectacle that makes you feel part of the universal spider-mania — you will definitely not be alone in the cinema, unlike Peter Parker.
Tom Holland, who turned 30 at the beginning of summer, could well retire on a high note, handing over the costume to another character (several years ago he expressed interest in the appearance of Miles Morales on screen) — not only the actor, but also the Spidey himself in the film jokes that he is getting too old for this. However, the super-successful box office receipts cast doubt on these plans, and at least the final chord of Peter Parker's story should sound in the new 'Avengers' — then we will see whether 'New Day' was a rare stroke of luck or a long-awaited comeback.