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In "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which opens on July 29, "Spider-Man" faces off against the most powerful villains yet. / Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Peter Parker (Tom Holland)—who lost his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) as the price for saving humanity and was erased from the memories of loved ones including MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon)—spends his lonely days as New York City's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. One day, after gaining uncontrollable power from a genetic mutation, Peter seeks out Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo)—who has mastered the technology to transform into the Hulk only when he desires—to learn how to control his power, but it proves no easy task. To make matters worse, he faces a desperate crisis once again when he encounters an unidentified entity capable of controlling others' minds.

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day," opening on July 29, is the ninth live-action film adapting Marvel Comics' popular comic "Spider-Man" to the big screen. Among these, it marks the fourth installment in the series starring Tom Holland, following "Homecoming" (2017), "Far From Home" (2019), and "No Way Home" (2021). The previous trilogy drew a whopping cumulative total of 22.82 million viewers in South Korea. This is why "Brand New Day," alongside "Odyssey" set for release on August 5, is considered one of Hollywood's "top two" powerhouses this summer poised to halt the solo box-office run of "Hope."

While the first Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire, strongly projected the image of a quiet, model student and the second, Andrew Garfield, that of a rebellious genius, Holland possesses an image fit for a coming-of-age story as a flaw-ridden boy you could meet anywhere in the neighborhood. This advantage of Holland adds realism to the process in which the protagonist—having chosen the lonely life of a superhero after parting ways with his family, friends, and lover—matures humanly through even greater hardships and adversity.

The appearance of the most powerful villains yet delivers high-intensity action sequences frequently. Among them, the action sequence where the ninja clan "The Hand"—which exuded terrifying lethality in the 2005 film "Elektra"—reappears to attack Spider-Man with swords and shuriken stands out as the highlight of "Brand New Day."

Additionally, a villain who hops between people's minds joins the fray, providing intense tension. Although specific details cannot be disclosed, the moment this villain's name is revealed and their identity is exposed, fans of Marvel Comics will likely slap their knees with a smile, as it hints at the integration of the "Spider-Man" series with another superhero franchise.

Special format screenings such as ScreenX, which utilizes the left and right walls inside the theater as screens, and IMAX are expected to further elevate the series' signature dynamic thrill. As of the morning of July 28, it comfortably topped the advance ticket sales ranking at 72%, securing 730,000 viewers in advance. With a runtime of 2 hours and 25 minutes, it is by no means short, though not quite as long as "HOPE" (2 hours 36 minutes) or "Odyssey" (2 hours 52 minutes). Rated 12 and over.

                                                                                                        Cho Seong-jun