Tom Holland's Spider-Man Returns for Just Another Day

The superhero movie industrial complex isn't the surefire bet it was over a decade ago, but the one aspect that seemingly hasn't changed throughout the genre's fluctuations is that the people want (motion) pictures of "Spider-Man." Ever since his comic book debut in 1962, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee's beloved webhead has largely remained one of the most relatable figures in pop culture. His ability to perform extraordinary feats, yet still struggle with monetary and social responsibilities gives the Marvel hero a down-to-Earth approach that people can't get enough of. On the live-action side of things, Tom Holland has played Peter Parker since Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" and while he puts on a charming front, relatability is a tenant that's been strangely missing from his incarnation. Holland's first two "Spider-Man" movies ("Homecoming" and "Far From Home") have him following in the footsteps of his billionaire mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), which partially removes his everyman quality. Even at his lowest moment, he's given the tools to build a high tech suit in order to get him out of a scrape. "No Way Home," for all of its flaws, finally takes the steps to show that being Spider-Man comes with its share of consequences. By the film's end, Peter is indirectly responsible for the death of his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), the world has forgotten who he is, and is living all alone in a cramped apartment space just trying to do his best. His latest adventure "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" attempts to pave a new path forward with the struggling superhero, only to fall back into old habits. Before swinging off a building to go take care of a tank rampaging through the streets of New York, Peter watches Instagram videos of his former best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) and ex-girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) enjoying their college experience without him. It's a routine he's been trapped in for the better part of the last four years, as he mostly lives in isolation lamenting how empty his life is without them. His attempts to see them in person only leads the wallcrawler to experience even greater emotional strains. Around this same time, Peter starts to notice changes in his body such as physical web shooters emerging out of his wrists akin to Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man. He's essentially transforming into a darker evolution of himself. It doesn't help matters that there's a mysterious telepath (Sadie Sink) who's not only causing trouble all over the city, but through the people Peter latches onto. In switching directors, Jon Watts for Destin Daniel Cretton, "Brand New Day" has the benefit of, unlike the last three installments, actually looking like a movie with colors, shadows and textures. They actually shot this outside in real locations, which lends a greater deal of legitimacy to making New York come alive. Even Peter's red and blue suit looks refreshingly homemade and real. This is probably the closest these live-action films have come to emulating the spirit of the iconic Sam Raimi movies, if only because it positions Peter as a 20-something who can save the world, but not his social life. All his time and energy goes to Spider-Man duties. His attempts to check in on Ned and MJ only push him further down the superhero rabbit hole, much to the detriment of his mental and physical health. The film soars anytime it's a variation of the three of them together, mostly because that's where all of the compelling drama lies. But as previous "Spider-Man" movies have shown, Peter's pain correlates with the plight of his antagonist, and there's a whole bunch of baddies from his rogues gallery that have yet to make it to the big screen. "Brand New Day" shakes things up by playing coy with the telepathic threat until their reveal, which Disney has been adamant about not spoiling in spite of it being one of the worst kept secrets. When they eventually disclose their identity, it reveals a greater insecurity about Holland's Spider-Man having his own movie. In spite of selective uses of Mark Ruffalo's Hulk and Jon Bernthal's surprisingly funny take on the Punisher in a PG-13 world, "Brand New Day" can't help but come across as yet another web-ensnared cog in the MCU machine. Sink's presence serves as the start of what will inevitably become Marvel's next franchise. The thematic tie that binds them ultimately loses track of Peter's place in all of this in order to lay the foundation for future movies. I find that so frustrating because it shows that the cinematic universe angle will always take precedence over a single story. Considering the next movie in Marvel's lineup is "Avengers: Doomsday," god only knows when we'll come back around to this thread, if in a "Spider-Man" movie at all. To make things even more frustrating, the film wants to position Peter as a down-to-Earth superhero who has to make all of his own stuff. Where this loses me is in his further embrace of an artificial intelligence assistant named EV (Naomi Watts), in addition to relying on data-tracking technology. Peter may have emotionally moved on from Stark, but in the process has picked up his surveillance state habits that are framed as necessary tools to fight crime. Are you really a friendly neighborhood superhero if you can easily track random people on the street with the same invasive tech used by the world's most evil cretins? Seems like a bad example to set for the current generation, Spidey. As a chance to start anew, "Brand New Day" is always trapped in a game of tug of war between a new chapter for Spider-Man, and a backdoor pilot for a later project within the MCU. They can work together at times. But you always feel the strings in Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers' screenplay trying to serve two frames of mind. In short, it's another Marvel movie. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is now playing in theaters nationwide.