Spider-Man: Brand New Day might be the best Spider-Man movie yet. Packed with action, humor, and a whole lot of heart, this one will leave you in your feels.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is back in Brand New Day, and things are getting real. After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the world has forgotten his secret identity. But the caveat is that his best friend Ned and his girlfriend MJ have also forgotten him. Peter Parker now dives full force into being Spider-Man. This, unfortunately, leaves him with a nonexistent personal life.
As with anything Marvel, it is nearly impossible to write up a detailed review without spoiling some things. So what I will say is that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is everything that I wanted it to be and more. I have to admit, when Andrew Garfield did not get his third film, thus avoiding a sad Peter Parker and a darker side of everything, I was disappointed. Things are not all sunshine and rainbows with this character, so I was excited to finally explore the more real, raw, and emotional side of being a superhero.
If you have ever talked to me about Spider-Man, I have probably told you that (in my humble opinion) Tobey Maguire plays a great Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield plays a great Peter Parker, but somehow Tom Holland brilliantly channels them both. With this film, he does it yet again. Perfectly portraying both sides of this character.
I am not ashamed to admit that I cried several times throughout the movie. Peter is going through a lot, and following him on this journey is difficult to watch. He still looks at MJ with stars in his eyes (the way that Tom Holland always looks at his wide Zendaya), and it warms my heart. But knowing that she has no clue how in love the two of them were breaks me.
For those who are comic book fans like me, you know just how exciting it is to have Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) appear in this film. I will not say too much about their interactions, but I get excited whenever they are on screen together. Both Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo are incredible actors, so watching them play opposite one another is a thrill.
I thought the day would never come when Punisher joined this version of Spider-Man on the big screen, and yet here we are. This character is very much an R-rated character, but he is seamlessly woven into this universe and this film in a way that not only fits and makes sense, but that will never have you questioning his actions. He does not compromise who he is in order to be in this movie, and Jon Bernthal does an incredible job once again (to no one’s surprise). He truly was made to play this character.
As for the villains in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, well, I refuse to give too much away about that either. Everyone’s favorite webslinger has a lot of foes. There are quite a few classic ones that we have already seen him come across in the past, so I was looking forward to seeing a few of them this time around.
I also need to give a quick shoutout to Michael Mando, who plays Scorpion. He is such a good actor, and I was thrilled to see him return to this character on the big screen. While he doesn’t get a ton of screen time, he shines when he does. The villains as a whole do feel like a bit of an afterthought, but to be fair, this movie is about Peter’s journey, not theirs.
Tramell Tillman is one of my favorite actors, so I was thrilled to see him enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Bill Metzger. From the very first moment he comes on screen, it is clear he was the right man for the job. Because of his very strong anti-mutant agenda, I was curious how he would fit into this world, and how that would tie to the upcoming arrival of the X-Men in the MCU. My lips are sealed, but just know that this was the absolute right casting choice.
One of my favorite things about this movie is the action. Not only are the fighting sequences amazing and incredibly well shot, but the swinging through New York scenes are visually stunning. The CGI does not miss a beat, which is impressive with a movie of this size. Usually there is at least a scene or two that could have been improved. Not here.
While there are some things I really want to talk about, I cannot because they would be straight up spoilers, but what I will say, is that there are scenes that go from one person to another, that involce the main villain, that are absolutely phenomenal.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton proved himself with the martial arts action in Shang-Chi and once again delivers some truly impressive and memorable choreography in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The way he directs the stunt team, the actors, and the camera operators all comes together to make something really special.
I cannot finish this review before talking about Sadie Sink, however, as you can imagine, I can say just about nothing about her character, which has been kept top secret all the way through marketing. What I can tell you is that she absolutely nails it. To no one’s surprise, as she is a brilliant actress, she steals nearly every single scene she is in. One towards the end, in particular, is going to live rent-free in my head for months to come. I cannot wait for everyone to see what she does here, because WOW. Just… wow.
Overall, I walked into Spider-Man: Brand New Day with fairly high expectations and walked out completely blown away. It is unafraid to tackle the real and raw side of being a superhero. It addresses just how important it is to have a community. To have people on your side. If you don’t, it is a slippery slope into darkness, and one wrong step can make you plummet.
Rating: 9 out of 10
About Spider-Man: Brand New Day
It’s a BRAND NEW DAY for Peter Parker. Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him — and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him — sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves — a powerful villain no one can even see. The world may have forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten them.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st.
