Review: Actors, not action, give ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ its groove

Batman broods.

Iron Man swaggers.

And Thor? Well, he thunders and flexes.

What makes Spider-Man such a special, entirely relatable superhero is that he’s an emo sweetheart who, with one big-eyed facial gesture, can warm your heart or snap it in two.

Peter, rather Tom Holland, does that and more in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” a decent superhero movie that feels like it’s spinning its wheels at times but manages to wedge in enough emotion and action to tear you up and provide a fun time.

Holland is the standout in director Destin Daniel Cretton’s not-overly-inspired entry, the fourth chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man series. It will be welcomed by Spidey fans even as it mostly colors within the lines yet gets tangled up and cluttered with wanting to move the needle forward in the franchise.

That playing both sides dulls the film’s finish overall, making it seem calculated and schematic as it sets the table for the Marvel Universe reunion party (“Avengers: Endgame”) come December. But it still serves a blockbuster meal worth consuming.

While it is grand to see familiar faces — David Banner/the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Frank Castle/the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and more — a few of those appearances feel forced.

Not so the “Odd Couple” pairing of brutish pessimist Castle with the caring, hopeful Peter Parker. The squabbling banter between the two is priceless, even endearing.

But sometimes, such as when Banner and Belova, pop in, the IP seams start to show and the screenplay becomes more calculated. That holds true with another slow-to-develop plotline that should remain a secret — shame on anyone who reveals it. Safe to say it’s a more than satisfying surprise.

“Brand New Day” finds Peter Parker going through a crisis with his powers and reconciling with the new lonely world he inhabits. He eventually crosses path with Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman), director of the U.S. Department of Damage Control, while helping collar criminals in Manhattan and Queens with the guidance of Detective Jean DeWolf (“The Bear’s” Liza Colón-Zayas, who deserves more scenes).

The finest moments in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” occur not in the action sequences — even though there are two very good ones — but in the scenes pairing Peter Parker and MJ (Oakland native Zendaya). It’s here where the film perks up and genuinely stirs the heart as it allows Holland, who’s a wonderful actor, a chance to show how good he is at revealing a character’s vulnerability and emotional texture. Zendaya plays off that with strength and feeling. I wish there were more scenes between these two dynamic actors.

Zendaya is great, but the scenes belong to Holland, who makes us feel the pain of isolation since, following the events of 2021’s “No Way Home,” no one remembers that Spider-Man exists. That goes for MJ and Spidey’s nerdy, goofy chum Ned (Jacob Batalon). In another important role, Sadie Sink has some fine moments.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” isn’t that elixir to magically pull superhero films out of the convoluted rut they’ve been stuck in, but it is a decent step in the right direction. That has less to do with another so-so superhero storyline and owes more to the talented cast and the performances they give.

And, oh yeah, don’t bother to stay through the end credits. They’re a waste of time here.

‘SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY’

3 stars out of 4

Rating: PG-13 (sequences of action/violence, some language)

Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Florence Pugh, Sadie Sink

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes

When & where: Opens July 31 in theaters