'Spider-Man: Brand New Day': A Fun, Overstuffed Summer Blockbuster

PHOTO: Sony Pictures/Marvel

It has been an interesting few years for Marvel. Their once successful Cinematic Universe has been in flux both critically and commercially, and there is some skepticism surrounding the Hail Mary they’ll be throwing later this year with Avengers: Doomsday. But before we get that particular star-studded extravaganza, Marvel has made the wise decision to check in with one of its most beloved and bankable characters: Spider-Man. After Spidey’s previous outing, Spider-Man: No Way Home, helped revitalize movie theaters after COVID, a fourth solo film with Tom Holland as everyone’s favorite web-slinger was guaranteed. But while a new Spider-Man movie is pretty much money in the bank, the ebb and flow of the MCU had me wondering just how it would fare in terms of quality. I went in with lowered expectations, fearing that this might be a lesser Spider-Man movie. But despite some issues, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a fun and thrilling watch that fans will love, boasting some of the best action sequences of the franchise and a healthy dose of heart.  

After having a spell cast where no one remembers him, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has begun fighting crime as Spider-Man full-time. While he has become a hero to the people of New York, Peter lives a solitary existence and misses his old friends, Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya). He struggles to see their lives move on without him, which ends up sparking a change in him that causes him to gain new powers. All of this occurs as a new threat emerges, one that cannot be seen and enters through people’s minds. Peter must try to deal with his own issues and fight this mysterious new enemy in order to save New York and protect his friends.

Brand New Day is a continuation of the three previous Spider-Man films, but it is also the beginning of a planned new trilogy starring Holland. With this being the beginning of something new, it makes sense that Sony and Marvel might want a new director to take over for Jon Watts, who directed the past three films in the franchise. Enter Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously directed Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Cretton isn’t necessarily a director I am enthused by, but he is a good fit for Brand New Day. One of Shang-Chi’s biggest strengths is its action sequences, and Cretton brings his eye for action to this film. This is incredibly welcome considering that the action sequences in Watts’s Spider-Man movies often underwhelmed me. This film feels more visceral in its fight sequences, which Marvel as a whole feels like it has been lacking as of late. Not to mention that there are a lot more web-swinging scenes here, and they manage to feel more exciting compared to the last three films. I almost wish Cretton would have come aboard sooner, as he has a stronger vision than some of his fellow MCU directors, and his work here is a marked improvement over Marvel’s recent output and elements of Watts’s Spider-Man films.

Where the film struggles is its screenplay, which is to be expected with any MCU film at this point. Since everything is so intertwined with Marvel at this point, every project is duty-bound to drive the overarching narrative of the Cinematic Universe forward. This means cameos, references to other films, and setting up characters and plot threads that will emerge in future projects. These elements of Brand New Day are the weakest, save for the introduction of Sadie Sink’s character (who I won’t spoil in this review) which is handled rather well. The film is at its best when it is a Spider-Man film and not when it is concerned with MCU stuff. But since it attempts to do both, the film often feels overstuffed and sags in the middle with all that it tries to include. It does start off very strong (helped tremendously by a montage set to TV on the Radio’s “Wolf Like Me”) and it resolves many of its plot threads in a satisfying way. It could have benefitted from being tighter and having a stronger focus, but it is anchored by the emotionality we see through some of the character arcs in the film, and has enough humor and fun action sequences to boost it.

Like most people, I have felt that Tom Holland is the best of both worlds when it comes to playing Peter Parker and Spider-Man. While his predecessors have excelled more at one half of the character than the other, Holland has a good balance to both. Perhaps it is because Holland himself is maturing a bit, or because Brand New Day gives him a bit more to sink his teeth into, but this might be his best turn in a Spider-Man film yet. Holland is great at playing sad and wounded (something that can also be witnessed in his performance as Telemachus in The Odyssey) and this particular version of Peter Parker gives him plenty of opportunities to do so. At this point, both Peter and Spider-Man feel more natural to him which makes his performance as both feel stronger than some of his past outings. Holland continues to be great in both roles, and I am curious to see where the character goes from here.

The rest of the cast is quite good as well, with Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, and Zendaya as some of its biggest standouts. Bernthal is a great fit for The Punisher, and he does a great job of bringing out the gruffness and intimidating nature of the character while injecting it with some of his natural charm and charisma. Sink gets a lot to chew on, as she deals with her character’s past trauma and has an angsty quality to her performance that she is so good at portraying. It’s hard to discuss her role without revealing who she is, but it is the type of performance that certainly packs a punch and is one of the best things about the film in general. As for Zendaya, she continues to prove that she is one of our brightest stars currently working. She may not be in all that much of the film, but she has a presence that is so strongly felt and makes the most of what she is given. I also want to shout out Liza Colón-Zayas, who plays a small, yet memorable role as Detective Jean DeWolff. DeWolff and Spider-Man have kind of a Commissioner Gordon and Batman dynamic, and Colón-Zayas brings such a great energy to the role and her scenes with Holland. She is gone for much of the film, but I hope we get to see more of DeWolff in future Spider-Man adventures.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is an interesting step forward for the Spider-Man franchise, and is the type of fun Summer Blockbuster that is sure to hit big with audiences. I may be slightly cooler on the film than most, largely due to my issues with its pace and script, but I had a great time with it nonetheless. Despite its flaws, it still has a lot of what I like in a Spider-Man movie and I really appreciate what director Destin Daniel Cretton brings to the table. If nothing else, it shows that there is still some life left in the MCU, and that it’s always great to check in with our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Rating: 3.5/5