Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Spider-Man : Brand New Day 

This film is a terrific commentary on mental health and finally after a decade finally feels like the Peter I have been wanting the Marvel Cinematic Universe to show as I love Tom’s Peter but I feel he has had training wheels on for such a long time and here we finally get to see that internal struggle and watch him fall flat on his face and get himself back up with no help which is what the character has always been about. I found myself in constant awe of how greatly this was made if it was from technical point of view the way the it has such a  warm look to the picture as so many of these marvel films not all of them but a lot of them have this washed out look to them and their was finally contrast to the shots and the action sequences are amazingly well done as well. But the best part of the film lies in the writing it is amazingly well told and centred by the best outing Tom Holland has ever done of the character cementing himself as the definitive version of the character not just for this generation but any. Brand New Day is the best Spider-Man film since the 2004 Sequel yes it is that good. 

Firstly, This film is what I have wanted from the MCU for well over a decade in their depiction of the character. The issues I have had from each film is the inability to let Peter Parker fall flat on his face and get up on his own as that has always been one of the core reasons the character resonates with so many people. As in the first one Tony Stark mentoring him was nice but it became a lot, then in the second one the antagonist played a massive mentor role for that film and the film following was just fan service to the max so it has been a constant frustration I have had as I know if given the right script and good direction they can craft a truly special entry to the brand that has not been done in a long time. Now when I heard Destin the director of Shang - Chi was helming the film and not the previous director of the last three I was somewhat relieved because thing is I LOVE Shang - Chi I think that film has such a gripping story with some of the best choreography they have presented in terms of action that really impressed me and so by applying that to the landscape of Spider-Man was very exciting for me. Now what made this film really the heartbeat and overarching feel of the film is the sense of self isolation and depression and last year with Thunderbolts which impressed the hell out of me that Marvel was able to go into darker more emotionally driven places we have not seen them go in quite some time Brand New Day does just that again. What I appreciate to no end is Tom Holland’a ability to always have his ear to the ground of what people want to see in terms of Spider-Man and he spent hours upon hours reading online discussions and digging through multiple conversations to see what he could apply to this film that the others may of been lacking in terms of themes. As the film really digs into a deep place that a lot of young people can relate to in terms of anxiety and not seeking help when you need it the most and then wrapping that up in the landscape of a marvel film and the sheer impact of it and lasting power of this film will be huge. As so many people on a day to day basis struggle to admit when they need to seek help for their own mental health and are actively not doing it because they think by dealing with it on their own or self numbing will fix everything when it actually is a temporary bandaid that will not last and I love how the film makes that the interregnal aspect of this film as not only does it bring awareness to a very real struggle many people face on a day to day basis but to see their beloved guy from queens going through those motions made so many people feel seen and less alone which made for a much more emotional experience. The film is able to make Peter the centre point of the film and his struggles as so many of the other films were so busy setting up future films it lost its way in the sense of who the film was for and sure their are some future set ups for future projects down the line with the Sadie Sink character and a few other things but it limits itself greatly to only a few so the primary focus stays on Peter even with the new characters introduced it surrounds Parker yes but never forgets who the narrative focus is and I loved that. The film also has some terrific action set pieces that constantly one up each other as the hand to hand combat scenes and the sheer way the fights are staged and executed had me locked in the whole way through. This film though’s biggest strength though lies in the writing and the sheer tone of how the film wants to be told with the emotional beats I have addressed them already yes but I cannot get over just how well they were able to tackle them and show such growth with the character which only made me more excited to see the places they can bring him in projects going forward. Brand New Day is a terrific example of what happens when you have the star and its director work hand in hand to craft something that is not just another marvel film but one that the fans have been asking for all the while going places emotionally we have not seen the character go to in decades. 

Secondly, The cast in this film is great but there are two big stand outs for me! Now their is no surprise I love John Bernthal I think he Is such a good performer and we have never really had the chance to see him really have his shot at showing what he could do with the Punisher on the big screen since the 2004 film. What makes his appearance in this film so fitting is he never overtakes the film he comes and goes when it services the story and he leaves you wanting more which is what I hoped would happen you never want a character to overstay their welcome as then it becomes boring or stale and he has the right amount of screen time that just fits greatly and the way he goes about those scenes is funny at moments and extremely emotionally moving in other aspects and he is able to present both ends of those in a very authentic way that leaves you with a big smile on your face. You can tell he is having the time of his life bringing this character to the screen as he has played the character for so long at this point he can slip into the skin of Frank within the snap of a finger as the performance feels so lived in and I loved that quality to it and John brings such a charm and big brother mentality to Peter in a way that never overshadows him but compliments the film John is terrific in this film. Then we have the star of our film Tom Holland who gives a Sensational turn as the web slinger and personally I think cemented himself as the definitive version of the character not just of this generation but of any actor to dawn the outfit. He has a full understanding both psychically and emotionally of how to service this character to the most honest way possible and by doing this beloved character justice and the places he goes emotionally in this film stunned me and split my heart in two he is a force of nature in this film I was floored. Everyone else is so good especially Zendaya who is not in the film a ton but their are a few scenes in specific she has where her and Tom go places that just had me in tears not one weak link in this cast but for sure the stand outs of the film were John and Tom for sure. 

Lastly, Spider-Man : Brand New Day is the best Spider-Man film since 2004’s sequel and trust me I gave myself a lot of thought if this film could dethrone that one and its closer then I thought as the more time goes by the more I think of Brand New Day the more new things I come to love about it and the small details they brought to the film that gives me a deeper appreciation for how this was crafted and told. The film is a reminder you are not alone and that asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength and I love how that was so important for them to get across, the action is spectacular and the sheer look of this film from the colour and the framing its a beautiful film to look at and as someone who has been a fan of the character since I was a kid I was smiling ear to ear. Brand New Day is not only the best comic book of the year so far I think it is in the top 3 best comic book films of all time yes it is that good one of the best films of the year and a film that I think will be talked about for decades when discussing great films of this genre. If you can see this film on the biggest screen possible with the best sound system with a packed audience the shared experience of this film will only enhance your enjoyment of it that much more.

This film centres around Peter Parker having a tough time controlling his powers all the while trying to deal with his anxiety and depression being a internal struggle he is having a tough time keeping a hold of

Rated PG 13 : Some Language|Sequences of Action/Violence

Tom Holland : Holland gives the greatest outing of the character in film history! Now I do not say that lightly it took a lot of thinking after I watched the film and I went back a few days later to see it a second time to see if I still felt the same way I did the first time I viewed it and I do if not I feel even stronger about his take on the character. What makes his performance in Brand New Day so memorable is his amazing dedication and respect to the character and it shows He plays a Peter that has been beat down so many times and all the experiences he has had happen to him I won’t say has weighed him down but you for sure can see the scaring on his heart from all the wounds emotionally he has suffered at the hands of others. He knows that he is alone and their is a terrifying realization we see that he has made piece with that and being okay at having a life where no one knows who he is and that he just goes about his day in total isolation the unsettling part of it is that you can see him aching for more human connection and that he is longing for that spark of his to come back but he is robbing himself of that experience by ignoring others advice to help himself he has no issue helping others but doing that internal work on himself he sees no value in anymore as he has been hurt so many times. He keeps tabs on the people in his life that have forgotten him and he knows he made a promise to come back to certain people but he has made what he thinks is the selfless act to remove himself from their lives for good in order for them to stay safe. You can see him painting that smile on his face and putting others feelings before himself But the cracks in his heart start showing and the pains that he has ignored for so long start to show through and the way that Tom was able to access those feelings of deep rooted reserved pain was so real and so raw and brought to the screen in a way that had my heart break for him. It could be a scene where their is very little dialogue on his part and it is just looks from the character but the window into his soul of the eyes he shows tells everything as their is a threat that takes on the city yes but what I think is the most interesting part of his arc is that he is trying to repress his powers which I took as metaphor for repressing who he really is and that internal struggle he faces which is amazingly intergraded into his conflict  as a character.  When he is faced with the person going at him they attack his heart and all of his anxieties and paranoia that circle his brain is ripped out and he is made to confront those things he has fought for so long to ignore and he has to finally deal with them in a way that finally makes him feel not only at peace but better. By the end of the film he isn’t 100% better by any means but he is starting on the path of knowing that he has people that care for him and as simple of knowing that saves him and gives him enough mental strength to keep going and not just shut it out this time and the way we arrive there is tremendous. Holland as I mentioned can be that hero we know he has shown us but brining those vulnerabilities he has never gone to the dark places with this character before and he was more then willing to raise the bar on what he can do in terms of emotional tenderness with Peter that we have not seen from him and its staggering truly solid work. The way he just has a full understanding of where to bring this character is truly inspiring it will make so many kids and just people in general feel so connected to the character in a way they haven’t felt seen in years in a character from a comic book film. Tom Holland is a revelation in this film giving what I can argue is his finest work as An actor up to this point he is completely amazing defining a character to this length is no easy feat and he has cracked it Tom Holland gives a performance full of a Peter Parker that is clouded with anxiety and depression while still putting others first and wow is he magnificent! 

Destin Daniel Cretton : Destin has outdone himself! Now as I spoke earlier his work on Shang - Chi blew me away which he tackled 5 years ago and now he is taking on arguably the greatest comic character of all time and it is no easy feat as the expectations for this film couldn’t of been higher due to the high regard so many people hold this character in. Not only did he give a great entry to the character but he built a character study on depression and anxiety through the lens of Peter Parker which shocked me as I knew the film was going to go back to basics in terms of storytelling I had no idea the sheer lengths he would go to emotionally with the character and I was highly impressed. He fixed a marvel issue that Thunderbolts also did last year which is not letting humour undercut a emotionally driven scene as so many times in these films they will have a heavy scene that is serious in tone but always have this moment of humour to deflate the moment and I always felt bothered by it as it is okay to ride the wave and feel those heavy feelings for a moment and sit with it and here he respects the audience and lets them just stir in that sadness and heaviness of the themes and it is one of the biggest strengths of the film for me. Then when it came to the action it was not like some sky beam or something we have seen before he crafts these well thought out sequences that has you on edge the whole way through and he crafts real stakes for the characters that make you feel if they will make it out or not as he does not play it safe he creates an atmosphere  of uncertainty to keep you guessing where they will end by the end of the film which made it for a more thrilling time. Then for the emotionality of it I love the focus as I mentioned on the mental health of Peter and his self insulation arc and how its about self numbing and asking for help and having the courage to speak up for it the humanity he injects into the story really made it feel like the old Tobey days and it only showed me how much heart has been lacking from these films as Destin infused it with so much of that. The villain itself is not some moustache twirling villain but someone that also is traumatized and is going about it the wrong way and I love how the hero and villain are both traumatized people and trying to find ways in how they deal with their emotional heartache and Destin has so much respect for the character and its world it occupies and not only is he the right person to direct this film I want him to take over the reigns for any future projects of this character as I feel the web slinger is in good hands with him he never compromises story over style and he makes sure their is a story worth telling with a solid foundation of emotional depth for each character and having that totally set before even focusing on the look of the film. Destin goes to show his vision in the MCU is one of the strongest another greatly directed by Destin.