REVIEW: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ celebrates the blessing of friendship but hits a few family speed bumps 

Peter Parker is a young man with no friends, no family and no one who even remembers his name.

Such is the life of a superhero trying to live a double life. Parker, better known as Spider-Man, once had the woman of his dreams, MJ, and a best friend who shared his interests and adventures, Ned. But that was before his nemesis, Mysterio, framed him for murder, exposed his secret identity to the world and upended his life. To undo the damage, Doctor Strange cast a spell that erased everyone’s memory of Parker – a desperate compromise that solved one problem but created another, leaving Peter utterly alone. To make matters worse, his beloved Aunt May died in the chaos.

Now, Peter regularly leaves flowers at Aunt May’s grave. He also watches from a distance as MJ and Ned go about their lives, having no memory of him. MJ has even moved on with a new boyfriend.

Before long, though, Peter has bigger problems. While stopping what appears to be a military vehicle rampaging through New York City, he opens the hatch expecting to find a dangerous criminal. Instead, he discovers an ordinary middle-aged woman who has no memory of what just happened. Peter soon realizes she had been controlled by a mysterious, ghost-like force that leaps from one innocent person to another, each host turning to Spider-Man with an eerie stare as if to say, “You’ll never catch me.”

As if that weren’t enough, Peter’s own powers begin acting unpredictably. His heightened spider instincts – and hormones – surge at the worst possible moments, triggering bursts of anger that, in one instance, nearly cost a police officer his life.

Can Peter stop this mysterious new enemy? And can he regain control of his powers?

The new movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day (PG-13) continues the story of America’s favorite web-slinging hero. It’s the fourth Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland and the ninth standalone live-action Spider-Man movie since 2002.

It’s an entertaining Spider-Man adventure unlike any that came before it, introducing a villain whose powers have no real-world equivalent. Using telepathy to leap from one unsuspecting victim to another, the mysterious foe stays one step ahead of Spider-Man throughout much of the film. It also rewards longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe fans with plenty of Easter eggs, including the return of a familiar hero from previous Avengers movies and the introduction of a character who appears poised to play a major role in future stories. (Don’t worry: I won’t spoil the surprises.)

The film also highlights the blessings of friendship, prompting moviegoers to consider a haunting question: What would life be like without friends? God created us for community and companionship. As Proverbs 17:17 reminds us, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

For families, the violence remains on par with previous Spider-Man films, but, unfortunately, the coarse language is significantly more frequent, with roughly twice as many profanities as its predecessor, Spider-Man: No Way Home. (For Christian families, multiple uses of God’s name in vain are a concern; details are below.) The movie also includes an awkward scene in which Peter seeks advice from Yelena, only to find her relaxing in a pool with her bare shoulders visible. She tells him, “Take off your clothes,” prompting Peter to strip down to his underwear while keeping his mask on. We learn she has visitors remove extra clothing to ensure they aren’t carrying hidden weapons, but the sequence is still unnecessarily uncomfortable.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has several speed bumps for families. Still, beneath the superhero action is a fun and thoughtful summer blockbuster about friendship, courage and doing what’s right.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some language. Language: GD (6), h-ll (10), s–t (12), d–n (1), a– (5), misuse of “Jesus Christ” (1), single misuse of “God” (5), OMG (4), unfinished “mother.”

Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

(Image credit: Sony Pictures)