I was more than pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Brand New Day..
Spider-Man has never been my cup of tea, to be honest. I was a wee lad when the Tobey Maguire films were released so one would be mistaken for thinking I have an affinity for Spidey, but alas, I never was fond. Not just of him, but of superhero films in general.
It wasn’t until 2014 that I actually found my love of the MCU, which if you remember was a strong year for Marvel. The Winter Soldier followed by the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Easily two of my top five Marvel films.
That was, until I was completely blown away by Brand New Day.
That may be a bit of an overreaction but it stems from the fact that it delivered more than I expected, and that’s why I rank it so high.
All the feels
Everything was deliberate and it made every poignant moment that much more meaningful, more emotional. And it was a very emotional film.
The point of it being Peter on his own, engulfing his life with work to the point that he was losing himself to the spider within is something most everyone can relate to – the work part, not the spider part.
Missing out on those four years of college with his best friends hit deep too, especially any of the scenes where they have him essentially subject himself to the pain of seeing Ned and MJ during their studies as they live their life.
It’s a feeling of existentially dread that it gave off to me. It was as if Peter was dead and watching his friends from the afterlife, having to endure seeing them live happily without him while he’s miserable in his own situation.
I was worried that they’d pull some BS and have Ned and MJ simply remember who he is halfway through the movie like some cheap low-budget Disney film. To not only keep him as a nobody to them but to drive it in when MJ finds that note and tells him how she doesn’t love him cus she doesn’t know him, oh that bit hit me deeeeeep.
Conversely, I then loved the very next scene when the three are hanging out in their apartment, only it’s Peter as Spidey. That felt so wholesome, heartwarming and honestly promising. At that point, I almost did want them to remember.
I’m glad they didn’t, though, until the slight glimpses at the end, not just of Ned and the handshake, but with MJ and the tears. If you haven’t seen the theories on that, I encourage you to go check them out.
Saddie Sink IS Jean Grey
The worst kept secret in the MCU possibly of all time, Sadie Sink as Jean Grey was brilliant casting. I can’t say I’ve seen any of her work before but from what I understood about her role in Stranger Things in particular, she was the right choice.
And that she was. She seemed to hit every part of the role perfectly. At first she was the younger, more conniving version that was constantly taunting Peter. Then it was the more desperate Jean who needed to attain her goals but was starting to feel the threat of consequences from her actions – mainly the part of bringing prime Hulk into the fray.
When she’s captured and being subjected to the tests, you really feel her struggle in those moments. Her looking up and realising what V-Max actually stood for, I genuinely couldn’t cope.
Then her going full power (or at least that we know of right now), you could feel the almost sadism in her. And finally, realising she’s not alone and the errors of her ways – or at least the ones she was close to committing – was portrayed so well. The scene with her and Peter in his memory, chefs kiss.
We know how big a part Jean can and will play in future stories particularly when the X-Men are involved, and I for one and excited to see more of Sink in the role.
I need more Frank
The Punisher is a tough series and Frank Castle is a brutal character. The original Netflix series was hard-hitting the whole time, so to see a somewhat more lighthearted Frank was refreshing.
He’s still got that edge, like the whole swearing budget being taken up entirely by him, but the way he’s sort of Peter comic relief while also being his guidance counsellor is a great touch.
I’m yet to see the Disney+ Punisher show so I didn’t really get any of the Staten Island jokes but I guess it was made fairly clear as to why he and Spider-Man get on like they do.
Then there’s the pain in his face when he accidentally guns down his mate. You could read his expression like a book; “I’ve lost everyone I loved once already and now I’ve just lost the only other person I’ve let in since.” Brilliance.
And how could you not love his distraction technique in the hospital. Donning the Spidey mask and acting a damn fool at the window. He might have only been a side character but he almost stole the show for me.
You know who did steal the show for me even in her small cameo role?
Yelena is the one true Marvel hero
I liked her in Black Widow, I loved her in Thunderbolts, and now I’ve fully fallen for Yelena Belova.
She’s the hero I want to see the most every time now. Well, her and Thor. He’ll always be number one in my heart.
But Yelena is a ridiculously close second, and that’s largely in part to Florence Pugh and her brilliance in the role. She just gets her.
Obviously, a big part of how good she is is the writing, and putting her office as a sauna-spa is inspired. It’s exactly the sort of thing this version of Yelena would do.
I won’t say much more for fear of expressing my real feelings towards Yelena and her office, but I’ll leave it with this as my reaction:
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