Spidey weaves wonderful web in latest film outing

There’s a brief scene in this fourth instalment of the Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man saga that nicely sums up the current Marvel Cinematic Universe situation.

A world-weary Yelena Belova, a.k.a. Black Widow (Florence Pugh), is chatting with Spidey in her Brighton Beach “office” (it’s a rundown Russian spa). She explains that the Avengers and their potentially universe-ending sky-beam battles against cosmic alien forces are “big potatoes,” while Spider-Man and his petty New York City problems — dangerous driving, bodega robberies and Central Park muggings — are “little potatoes.”

Let’s hear it for the little potatoes, then.

With their proliferating multiverse timelines, crowds of cross-referenced characters and generic CGI, the MCU’s biggest potatoes have become increasingly bloated and empty. Meanwhile, this very appealing little potato keeps things grounded and human with a specific, street-level NYC setting and Spider-Man’s relatable 20-something emotional issues.

Unlike so much recent MCU content, Spider-Man: Brand New Day works. (Well, it mostly works.)

As the peppy subtitle suggests, this web-slinging adventure feels fresh and fun. Even if the story is a titch too long and struggles to coalesce around its enigmatic villain, director Destin Daniel Cretton and scripters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers deliver tight fight scenes, kinetic action sequences and some wink-wink fan service, all boosted by the modest, self-deprecating, friendly-neighbourhood vibes of the main character.

Peter Parker is still a “nice kid” from Queens. But his beloved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) has died — though she returns for some crucial flashbacks — and his pals no longer remember him. He has renounced his friendship with Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his love for MJ (Zendaya) in order to keep them — and the whole world — safe.

In the four years since this induced memory loss, Ned and MJ have graduated from MIT and are living in Brooklyn and seemingly moving on with their lives.

Peter, however, is coming up on a quarter-life crisis. Basically living and working as a full-time Spider-Man, he’s doing a great job cutting crime stats in the five boroughs, but he’s isolated and sad and burnt out.

Plus, he’s having some arachnid DNA issues.

His only human contact involves phone calls with NYDP detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas from The Bear) and occasional run-ins with his frenemy Frank Castle, a.k.a the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), an antihero whose take on crimefighting — much tougher than Spider-Man’s— makes for some double-act comic bickering.

There’s a quick montage of Spider-Man fighting some of his canonical foes, but it turns out his showdown with Scorpion (Better Call Saul’s Michael Mando) isn’t what it seems. Scorpion is actually possessed by some other consciousness — a spooky force that can move from person to person. And we won’t say too much about this mysterious supervillain, except she’s played with appropriate intensity by Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink.

Director Cretton likes to use practical effects when he can. An encounter with an absolutely giant Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) will obviously require some CGI — “I didn’t know you could get that big,” says an astonished Spider-Man — but a run-in with the Hand relies more on good fight choreography and wire action.

There are beautifully kinetic and swoopy scenes of Spider-Man swinging through Manhattan’s urban canyons, with gorgeous aerial views and dark, glowing nocturnal vistas. But there’s also anarchic Loony Toons slapstick comedy running through even the scariest battles.

That’s not to say Brand New Day doesn’t address serious issues. We see Peter/Spider-Man’s struggles to balance his supercharged abilities with his vulnerable humanity, underlined by Holland’s increasingly mature performance. And, of course, there is the classic Spider-Man examination of great power and great responsibility.

Holland and Zendaya — now married in real life — give real sweetness and sensitivity to their scenes together, but their emotional moments are brief, and the story misses the easy three-way banter among Ned, MJ and Peter we saw in the previous outings. This isn’t quite replaced by Frank and Spidey’s constant comic sniping about “that Staten Island thing” (though that can be kind of diverting).

Fortunately, the gang seems to be getting back together, and the movie ends with a promise that “Spider-Man will return.” So many Marvel sequels these days offer only diminishing returns, but in a franchise like this, which actually keeps getting better, that feels like good news.

arts@winnipegfreepress.com