In October 2019, legendary director Martin Scorsese created a stir when he again brought up the age-old “what are movies” debate, saying that “The Avengers” and other comic films were “not cinema” and were comparable to “theme park” rides. Scorsese was especially referring to the fact that the movies he was questioning lacked believable portrayals of human emotion and were paraded before audiences in a variety of numerical series of diminishing quality.
With the release in theaters this week of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) alone accounts for 38 features spun off from comic books. And that’s in only 18 years. The first MCU release was on May 2, 2008 with the debut of “Iron Man.”
Scorcese’s gibe was praised and criticized. One of the naysayers was the rather precocious then-23-year-old English actor Tom Holland, who made some salient points in his rebuttal to Scorsese, who was 77 years old at the time.
According to press reports, Holland, who was then best known for playing the character of Spider-Man, referenced the fact that Scorsese had never made a so-called comic book movie, saying “he may not fully understand the experience.” Holland emphasized that the key difference between a Marvel film and one geared toward winning awards is the “budget, not the artistic process.” He believed that Marvel movies are still “real art” and called comparing Marvel blockbusters to independent films unfair, because they reach vastly different audiences.
In a bit of delicious irony, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” stars Holland. It is his fourth stand-alone adventure featuring the character. The previous three are “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019), and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021). I believe the chair is now available for a rebuttal from Mr. Scorsese.
Holland is also available for your cinematic pleasure as Telemachus, the son of Odysseus in “The Odyssey.” As for a blistering attack on that movie, Emily Wilson, who translated the version of Homer’s epic poem used by the film’s writer-director Christopher Nolan, recently had this to say regarding his motion picture: “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this.” Ouch.
As for the latest entry in the “Spider-Man” series, I’ll start off by writing that it is not for young children. This is an adult tale and no kid who wears the character’s pajamas or dresses like him for Halloween should be subjected to the storyline, the mature dialogue, or the visuals. The best word to describe the mood is bleak.
Peter Parker is, of course, Spider-Man and he has been relegated to living a lonely private life in New York City. At least, what urban setting we’re visually experiencing that pretends to be N.Y.C. Where was the borough of Queens re-created? Well, that’s Glasgow, Scotland at which you’re looking as the exteriors unreel. Interiors and even some “outdoor” sets were shot inside sound stages at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. A note to the production people: Glasgow does not look like Queens regardless of how hard you tried to make it seem so.
Parker has accepted his role in life, which is to fight crime throughout New York. His former high school classmate and beloved ex-girlfriend MJ (played by Zendaya) is attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has a roommate named Ned Leeds (acted by Jacob Batalon). Ned has created an App called a “Spidey Tracker” so that he and MJ can follow Spider-Man’s good deeds. For the record, Zendaya is also in “The Odyssey” as Athena.
Adventure movies need believable drama to create energetic and, hopefully, exciting conflict. Director Destin Daniel Cretton and his screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have chosen the imitation route in which to entrap Parker and Spidey. The villainous concept of an entity that controls people and compels them to do its evil bidding is similar to what occurs in the 2014 supernatural horror film “It Follows.” Scorsese may have been correct about a lack of originality. Furthermore, the same concept is the focal point of a hit-and-miss, low-budget horror romance I saw in June called “Leviticus,” which arrived from Australia.
Additionally, Parker has to contend with changes to the chemical and physiological construct of his body. He’s so forlorn about so much that for advice he seeks out some fellow comic book characters. Frank Castle (the Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal) and Bruce Banner (the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo) pop in and out. MJ also makes her importance felt in an attempt to help Parker come to terms with his lonely status in life. Bernthal is also in “The Odyssey” as King Menelaus of Sparta, who is the husband of Helen.
What’s especially disappointing about the movie is that not much of it feels fresh. And, in keeping with tradition, there are unnecessary references to other members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anyone attending this 145-minute exercise in a stroll down memory lane needs to have some foundational knowledge about the MCU, and they also need to be prepared for excessive product placement. There are moments when it all feels like a tiresome television commercial.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” features an American actress named Sadie Sink, who will be essential to the goings-on. Sink is known for playing Maxine in the television series “Stranger Things.” In the movie, the thrust of her character’s storyline is shrouded in mystery, and I won’t write about how she fits in because doing so would be a spoiler of major proportions. Many members of a film’s audience enjoy going to see parts 2, 3, and 4, etc. of a series because they are comfortable with the main comic book character and their cohorts. They are also eager to see where their journey leads. Obviously, Scorsese doesn’t appreciate it all that much. Holland does. Regarding “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” it’s being billed as a major entry, but I think it is merely filler. Don’t fret. Coming in December is “Avengers: Doomsday,” an MCU superhero film jammed with comic book characters. One of them just might be Peter Parker and his alter ego Spider-Man.