Tom Holland Swings in to Save Summer Movies

By: R.A. Rayne

It has been widely debated this summer whether the movie-going experience is on the decline, with some arguing that audiences are over-nostalgic for epic films and that “Superhero Movie Fatigue,” or SMF, is the cause. There may be an argument for that, but not after this weekend.

For the first time since 1985, an actor starring in two films in theaters at the same time took the number 1 and 2 spots. The weekend of August 23-25, 1985, Michael J. Fox starred in Back to the Future and Teen Wolf. Now, forty-one years later, not only has Tom Holland done it, starring in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, but so has his wife, Zendaya.

While neither Back to the Future nor Teen Wolf ever came close to setting the record for an opening day, Spider-Man: Brand New Day had an opening day of $168 million, beating Avengers: Endgame, and may end up grossing more than Endgame’s opening weekend total of $357 million. Not to be outdone, Holland and Zendaya’s other film, The Odyssey, is virtually a lock to join the $1 billion Box Office Club, having already surpassed $727.9 million globally in just 12 days of release.

But are these films good, or is it the hype, controversy, or the success of the franchise’s previous films that is driving people to the theaters? The short answer is no. These films are well-crafted, well-marketed, and shining examples of why the movie-going experience is not only alive but a must.

While I will not spoil either film, I will say that both are well-written, directed, acted, and produced. The storytelling takes the audience on an emotional journey, while the action keeps us on the edge of our seats, or at least it would if it weren’t for the reclining bucket leather seats most theaters have now. With the Odyssey, Christopher takes us back to ancient Greece, where Tom Holland plays Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, who never gives up hope that his father is still alive, even 20 years after the Trojan War.

In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Holland plays a more mature Peter Parker/Spider-Man who, for the past four years, has continued to fight crime while grappling with his aunt’s death and the loss of everyone who had ever known him. Holland’s portrayal of a cheerful, quip-cracking masked superhero and the lonesome twenty-something uber-genius who has the weight of the world on his shoulders is simply amazing.

There is a moment in Brand New Day when Spider-Man and MJ share an emotional moment on top of a building that appears to be the same neon Pepsi-Cola sign building scene from Madame Web, or at least the MCU 616 version. During this scene, MJ realizes she has an emotional connection to Spider-Man. The chemistry between Holland and his wife, Zendaya, is so good you just want to scream, “Tell her who you are!” Later, when Peter and MJ share a similar moment, it’s hard not to tear up as you get so drawn into their performance.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is exactly why we love Marvel Studios films, whether it is the intensity of the incredible fight scenes, Spider-Man’s buddy connection with the Punisher, the dizzying web-swinging through the New York skyline that makes you feel like you’re swinging along with Spider-Man, or the emotional turmoil of Peter. If this movie wasn’t spun well enough for you, the introduction of Sadie Sink’s character surely would have you trapped in its web. She is an X-ceptional addition not only to the film but also to the MCU. Her arc within the film reveals so many layers of her character that True Believers will identify with, and may even foreshadow where it may go.

It’s safe to say that Tom Holland is not actually a superhero, but he definitely is a superstar. Both he and Zendaya are Box Office draws, and I, for one, hope they continue to make many more Spider-Man films.

I know going to the movie theater can be expensive, but there is no better way to watch a movie.