‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is full of charming chemistry, chuckle-inducing humor, crunchy action sequences and surprises galore

At the heart of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is a deceptively simple question: “Are you Peter Parker or are you Spider-Man?”

For as long as we’ve known the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Peter (played once again by the charmingly dorky Tom Holland), he’s tried to be both: the world-saving hero and the normal teenager. It could never last, and in 2021’s stellar “No Way Home,” that tightrope act finally tipped, reminding our hero that ever since that radioactive spider bit him, he has never been normal again.

As we get into “Brand New Day,” which follows directly after “No Way Home” — in which the world has forgotten about Peter but not his superhero alter ego — Peter has swung masked head first into his “work,” saving citizens and stopping crimes … and not much else. Honestly, he’s a bit of a sad sack, which, not surprising, considering the whole no one-remembers-him situation, including best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and girlfriend MJ (Zendaya).

Read the full review at The Seattle Times.

Four XX stars out of five.

Photo caption: Life isn’t exactly going to plan for Peter Parker / Spider-Man (Tom Holland) in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” (Courtesy of Sony Pictures)