Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

When looking through the canon of movies in the MCU, which is now something I type out with a bit more resentment than affection, it's clear that Spider-Man remains a firm favourite. It's also pleasantly surprising to see that he's now the character to be featured in standalone movies (relatively speaking) that should remain at the top end of any ranked list of modern superhero movies.

After the events of the last movie, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has to get used to a life of loneliness. He still pines for MJ (Zendaya) though. And misses his friendship with Ned (Jacob Batalon). Having fewer distractions does seem to help him fully grow into his "friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man" form though, but there's something within him that might be wanting to help him evolve even further. It feels dangerous, and Parker doesn't want to go out of control. That's why he heads along to get some advice from Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Meanwhile, a new villain is using people like puppets, which makes the city of New York an even more dangerous place, as if it wasn't dangerous enough with Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) causing carnage as he delivers his own brand of justice.

Written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who have plenty of experience in the Spidey-verse, Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like the most straightforward and well-plotted Marvel movie in years. While a couple of important plot points act as connections between the past and the future of the MCU, most people should be able to enjoy this without having to remember every detail of every past movie and TV show that Marvel have given us this century. You should be aware of the main characters who come in and out of the narrative, but none of the key players are minor figures in this long-running universe.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously helmed the very enjoyable Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, seems very comfortable here, taking the opportunity to present numerous images and moments that could easily appear in any omnibus of Spidey comics. It's probably a bit lazy and tiresome to say that many scenes here feel as if they could have been ripped straight from the pages of the source material, but it's very true.

Holland has been growing better as an actor in line with the growth of his character, and this may well be his best Marvel performance yet. He also has the benefit of looking so young that it's even more hurtful to see his character being properly beaten down by various villains. Zendaya remains a great MJ, cool and considerate, and Batolon is still good fun as Ned. Ruffalo gets a couple of great scenes, in both Banner and Hulk form, Bernthal allows his Punisher to stay true to the essence of the character while also warily making a connection with someone he strongly suspects is just a bit too young and optimistic to deal with what the world will throw at them, and the plot creates reasons for both Florence Pugh and Marisa Tomei to be back in the picture. Liza Colón-Zayas is enjoyable in the role of Detective Jean DeWolff, Tramell Tillman continues to do well in roles that make the most of his ability to be charming and slightly unnerving, and there's very good work here from Sadie Sink, being introduced into the MCU in grand style. Other names to keep an eye/ear out for include Naomi Watts, Michael Mando, Keith David, and Marvin Jones III. 

Like most of these movies, it's a bit overlong. I'm also a bit irritated, as I have said many times before, when we get so many movies nowadays that can't just give viewers a standard and harsh villain. These are minor criticisms though. This works well enough as blockbuster entertainment. As a Spider-Man movie, specifically, it's right up there alongside the very best of them. I can't wait to rewatch it, and I may even allow my rating to move up after I've absorbed more of the details and treats packed in to so much of the runtime.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing. All links are HERE.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Ghosted (2023)

A mix of action and rom-com starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in the lead roles, Ghosted should have been an easy success. The familiar faces, the familiar plotting, and a succession of cameos make it an obvious choice for some straightforward entertainment. There's a reason that it's pretty much been forgotten already though. It's not good. It's hard to describe as truly awful, although I am sure some will, but it's certainly as bland as some vegetable that has had all of the flavour boiled out of it.

Evans plays Cole Turner, a young man who falls hard for Sadie Rhodes (De Armas). He thinks that it might be a good idea, after spending one day with her, to pay her a surprise visit in London. Things don't go according to plan though, with Cole soon abducted by people who believe him to be an infamous CIA agent known as "The Taxman". Can you guess who is actually that agent? Bickering, gunfights, and various hijinks soon ensue.

Written by the not-insubstantial-quartet of Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers, Ghosted is what happens when you believe that your film has enough star power to ignore things like proper wit, pacing, and characters with some depth. There is nothing to this when you remove the stars. Nothing.

Director Dexter Fletcher is often a capable talent, but he is clearly hamstrung here by the demands of delivering such studio fluff. The action doesn’t have any weight or impact, there’s a surprising, and debilitating, lack of chemistry between the two leads, and nothing is done to make things more interesting around the superficial glossy smoothness of everything.

Evans and De Armas have rarely been worse. They can be charismatic, they can be convincing with action beats and physical work, and they can be fun, but you wouldn’t know that from watching this. Adrien Brody is a main villain, but feels like the wrong choice in every scene focusing on him. It’s either him just cashing a big cheque or not able to find his way into a performance that should just be a bit ridiculous and entertaining. Nobody else makes much of an impression, and the many cameos that crop up feel like a desperate and lazy attempt to please Marvel fans. They are smug and unfunny, like so many other parts of the movie.

I still won’t describe this as truly awful, there were one or two moments I enjoyed before completely losing any optimism about it improving, but it is bad. Very bad. It deserves to be as forgotten as it already is, and I am sure the main cast members are happy to see it fade from memory so quickly.

3/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

If you have made it this long without having Spider-Man: No Way Home spoiled for you then I congratulate you. I'll also try not to spoil anything here, although that makes this review a little bit trickier. I AM going to work on the assumption that most people saw one or two of the trailers, revealing some familiar villains coming back to our screens.

The basic plot concerns Peter Parker/Spiderman (Tom Holland) having quite a miserable time of things, all because of the repercussions from his battle with Mysterio. Everyone knows who he is, and everyone has a view on his actions. Some of them believe the lie fabricated by Mysterio. Some don't. What's worse is that it's not just affecting Peter, but also the ones closest to him. His friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya), are guilty by association, which leads to them being unable to get into the colleges they have applied for. Desperate for things to go back to how they were, Peter heads to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and asks him to cast a spell that will make people forget who he is. The spell goes just a bit wrong, resulting in our universe being invaded by characters who have met other incarnations of Spiderman in other universes.

Director Jon Watts and writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers may not have been the only people shepherding this Spiderman through his latest cinematic trilogy, but they have certainly been there for each instalment, helping to maintain the balance of light fun and major peril that our friendly neighbourhood Spiderman has dealt with over the past few years. This is the darkest of the new Spidey films yet, but it still allows plenty of time for humour, and it still incorporates a bright, solid, colour palette for the majority of the runtime. It helps enormously that Holland has a brightness to him that lights the screen further whenever he's not being beaten down by overwhelming odds.

Holland does his best work yet here (in these movies, I'm not talking about his entire career), moving from lighter moments to moments that are all the more heartbreaking because of his vulnerability, and it's hard to imagine what the bigwigs will plan next for the character. They clearly have to keep making the most of having Holland in the role, but this feels like a tough one to top. And yet, somewhat paradoxically, it's far from the best Spiderman movie. It's overlong, it's overstuffed, it's all just a bit overdone, and the third act has to ensure that every single character gets at least one satisfying moment. And the CGI is equally overdone, even if it is generally at a very high standard.

As well as Holland, both Zendaya and Batalon are as good as they have been in the previous movies. Cumberbatch has fun, playing a strong supporting role. And there’s pure joy in seeing the return of characters played by Alfred Molina, Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Thomas Haden Church, and Rhys Ifans, with each actor appearing to relish the opportunity to give their character a better resolution. Marisa Tomei remains an excellent Aunt May, doing her best to help and protect her nephew as danger crowds around them. And there are at least three other cameos/supporting turns that will have fans enthralled and delighted while the screen is loaded up with one treat upon another.

It’s clear that this has been made with the aim of really pleasing fans of the web-slinger, especially those who have enjoyed every one of his modern cinematic outings. Pretty much every big rumour you already heard about is true, but that doesn’t lessen the impact of every wonderful moment, whether big or small. It’s just a shame that it feels like a bit too much, this is a film that would have worked better split into two. It’s stimulation overload, just barely allowing the quieter, more sombre, moments time to breathe. That doesn’t mean that it’s not great, it just also feels slightly exhausting as you move towards the inevitably super-busy third act.

With great film-making tools comes great responsibility. The people putting this extravaganza together have been very careful to treat the characters with care. They just weren’t quite so careful with the pacing and the excess of visual effects.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Noir November: King Of The Ants (2003)

It may be a fairly low-budget, rough 'n' ready movie, but King Of The Ants has a considerable amount of talent involved, both behind and in front of the camera.

Based on a novel by Charlie Higson (still best known to many people for his great work on The Fast Show), it's all about a young man (Sean, played by Chris McKenna) who is always on the lookout for some paid work. He takes what odd jobs he can, with one putting him in contact with a man named Duke (George Wendt). Duke then arranges a meeting between Sean and a local businessman named Ray (Daniel Baldwin), which leads to him being hired for a different kind of job. He's to tail a man (Ron Livingston), a man who may have information that could get Ray in trouble. That's all well and good, until a drunken Ray then asks Sean to commit murder.

There's also the lovely Kari Wuhrer onscreen, as the wife of the man who may or may not end up murdered, and Sean finds her quite attractive. Because she is, but that's all I'll say about the plot for now. I don't want to give away any details or potential surprises.

Directed by the always-entertaining Stuart Gordon, King Of The Ants is dark, nasty stuff. Anyone who, like myself, only knew of Higson through his comedy work may well be shocked that he could weave a tale of such stomach-churning nastiness, but just be thankful that he did it. The final result, presented here in a style that veers between minimalist and slightly fantastical (in one or two nightmare sequences), is a memorable film that takes some common elements and makes them feel fresh again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . even if it does that by bruising them and coating them in blood and fecal matter.

The acting from all concerned is pretty solid, if not always great. McKenna is a likable presence in the lead role, even as his character makes some bad choices. Wendt and Baldwin are both intimidating in different ways, and have the likes of Vernon Wells and Lionel Mark Smith on their side. Wuhrer is quite lovely, which I've already mentioned, and does a decent enough job with her few scenes. And Timm Sharp is a welcome inclusion, playing Sean's friend, and one of the few characters onscreen not carrying around any big secrets.

While not exactly tense, in the traditional sense, this is a movie that certainly leaves you on edge throughout. I know that sounds paradoxical, but I simply mean that the movie often paints such a dark picture that being tense, hoping that characters can turn things around, seems futile. It may also turn your stomach, thanks to the mixture of violence and the sheer depth of despair and hopelessness that it explores. I'd argue that it's the darkest film in Stuart Gordon's filmography (although Edmond is a movie that has evaded me over the years), and that alone should make it worth a watch if you're a fan of the man.

Well worth seeking out. Just don't watch it if you're after something to put you in a good mood.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/King-Ants-Chris-McKenna/dp/B0001ZX088/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1415976796&sr=1-1&keywords=king+of+the+ants

You know how you can show your appreciation for bloggers? If you share and share then every additional reader helps. Connect through Google or Blogger or any way you can, and rest easy in the knowledge that you've made little ol' me a very happy man.

And/or you could also buy my e-book, that has almost every review I've written over the past 5 years. It's very reasonably priced for the sheer amount of content.

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.