Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review
Uncle Ben’s iconic quote, “With great power comes great responsibility,” has never felt more poignant thanks to Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This film had some big shoes to fill following Jon Watts’ heavyweight Homecoming trilogy and how gradually expansive that had become. However, I had a lot of faith in Destin Daniel Cretton, who not only made Shang-Chi a memorable character, but also delivered some of the best action Marvel Studios ever made. Fortunately, Cretton not only manages to continue presenting his best with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but also give fans an emotional retrospective while laying future groundwork.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day travels forward in time, where Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is continuing to live his superhero life in secret, alone. His friends, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), have fully forgotten that Peter is the friendly neighborhood hero, going to college without him. However, when a mysterious new threat (Sadie Sink) starts causing chaos in New York, Peter must do what he can to stop them. Peter’s also dealing with problems of his own as his body is going through some unusual changes.
If there’s one thing for certain that Cretton has nailed with Brand New Day, it’s bringing Spidey back to his roots. For most of the Homecoming trilogy, the escalation from low to multiversal-defying stakes was shocking. Yet, because of how Spider-Man: No Way Home ended, it effectively (mostly) cleaned the slate for Peter to restart as a character. That’s what’s seen in the opening montage as Peter relays his letter to MJ while we see him beating up iconic villains like Scorpion (Michael Mando) and Tombstone (Marvin Jones III). Peter’s heart still has it out to rebuild his old relationships, but he’s closed himself off for what he believes is their betterment. It doesn’t directly pull from the comic run it’s based on, but Brand New Day makes its thematic focus clear.
Brand New Day‘s three-act structure doesn’t even feel like a regular three-act film, but Cretton and company use this to their benefit. The first act almost plays it straight to form, focusing on creating that setup while retaining that adventurous, if brisk-paced, excitement franchise fans are familiar with. It provides a little taste of the action, notably with that tank chase with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) that you’ve likely seen online. The banter between Spider-Man and Punisher, which happens numerous times, is hilarious to watch as they go back and forth blaming each other for this Staten Island “thing.”
Yet, it’s fitting to see these two go at it with words and a bit of heat, with Holland and Bernthal’s argumentative repertoire lightening the mood. Here, there’s a much more fun side to Punisher that not even the previous Marvel shows have explored as often. By putting Spider-Man and Punisher together as this “buddy”-esque duo that gets into trouble, it really allows Holland and Bernthal to show their charisma and hit the right spots in between the “innocent” and “edgy,” never teetering between either one. Surprisingly, it also allows Punisher to have his own arc, albeit lingering in the background until the very end.
The film does take its time inserting MJ and Ned back into Peter’s life, but when it finally does, you can feel the transition occurring in real time. The second act feels like it takes a darker dramatic turn once they get involved, utilizing a much bleaker visual aesthetic as Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers’ writing makes you feel optimistic about if Peter and MJ will mend that bridge. In a way, the second act is like a psychological drama: as Sink’s character keeps taunting Peter, he starts folding back into a sinister version of himself, driven by doubt and his innate arachnid nature. While these two elements may feel separate, the way that Cretton, McKenna, and Sommers guide Peter towards that direction with the manipulation from Sink’s character makes the lesson learnt much more impactful.
As you might’ve guessed, Sink’s character is a torn, rebellious mess, but that’s because of the situation she finds herself in. Without spoiling what hasn’t already been said, Brand New Day takes a more cautious route with her arc. For the first half, she’s in the dark, but once her reveal happens and the pieces start to fall into place, everything about her also puts you in the feels. Sink’s performance is confidently commanding and outstanding, making her character the right imposing force on Peter’s psyche to give him the final piece of his heart.
In addition, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has to be some of the best practical action sequences put in a Marvel film yet. It should be no surprise because of Shang-Chi, but every fight scene almost feels like it came out of the Insomniac games, which is a huge compliment. The visual effects and cinematography for the swinging also feel improved, particularly with a second act swing that almost plays off of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 with respect.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day may be Marvel Studios’ best Spider-Man film yet, driven by Destin Daniel Cretton’s focused direction, standout performances from Tom Holland, Sadie Sink, and the supporting cast, and a darker, more grounded take on the MCU’s Spider-Man. This film feels like three Spider-Man stories were intertwining with one another in a way that kept me hooked all the way through. If this is the direction Marvel Studios is taking Holland’s Spider-Man, I’m excited for where he’ll go after the next Avengers films.
Rating: ★★★★
Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases in theaters on July 31.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.