"SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY" - REVIEW

Of all the Marvel properties, the SPIDER-MAN films always felt the most complete.

Whether we are talking about the original Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire trilogy, the middle pair of Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield films, the more recent Jon Watts/Tom Holland entries, or Lord/Miller’s unfolding animated SPIDERVERSE saga (of which we will see a third next year), each SPIDER-MAN movie, for the most part, has a beginning, middle and end. Each film, and especially the recent Tom Holland films, feel like part of a larger story, as is the intended nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while also being wholly satisfying standalone adventures. They always tease another film, but with the sense of, “if this is all we get, I’ll still be happy.”

When last we saw Spidey in 2021’s SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, Doctor Strange cast a spell that erased the memory of Peter Parker from the minds of those who knew him, with MJ (Zendaya, in her third of four 2026 movies following THE DRAMA, and a little film that is super easy to get tickets to) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) being chief among them. Yes, it teases a sequel, and even if we didn’t get one, I was still satisfied.

When this was announced, my spidey senses weren’t necessarily tingling. Like with the announcement of TOY STORY 5, I was wondering if we needed another one of these. After all, how long can the also-in-that-little-sold-out-movie-just-one-screen-over Tom Holland convince us of his boyishness? What stories are left to be told in the wake of the events of NO WAY HOME with no home to go to? Is it just going to be dark now?

Well… I’m happy to report that just like with the excellent TOY STORY 5, this latest entry proved me wrong. And not only that, but SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY is perhaps the most satisfying Spider-Man film yet. It reaches and often surpasses SPIDER-MAN 2 levels of greatness.

Without getting into major spoilers, Peter is living a life of extreme do-gooding and of intense social isolation. He has decided that the best way to protect his loved ones is to distance himself from them, and to devote his life to saving the city (yes, just the city this time) from all manner of enhanced roustabouts and ne’er-do-wells. He spends his days either swinging from crime to crime; collecting intel on crimes in progress while enjoying an anonymous Commissioner Gordon dynamic with Detective DeWolff (THE BEAR’s Liza Colón-Zayas); and perfecting his body, suit and accessories to help him in stopping the next crime. But he has no family. No friends. He keeps tabs on MJ and Ned through social media, but doesn’t engage, despite having the intention to tell them that they once knew each other and begin again. No sir, this brand new day makes no time for the personal, but it’s only a matter of time before it once again becomes very personal…

And that’s all I’m gonna say because the riches of this film are so rich!

With a sharp script from returning series screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Summers, this new adventure is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who is no stranger to Marvel (he directed 2021’s SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS and the recent Disney+ original WONDER MAN), but it is his cinema of wayward young people from his excellent 2013 feature debut SHORT TERM 12 and his wells of empathy from his 2019 social justice drama JUST MERCY that help bring about a well-rounded emotional adventure that seeks to find the good in all, no matter how broken or hurt they are. He coaxes wonderful performances from Holland (his best yet) and a cast that includes an amusingly gruff Jon Bernthal (also in that little movie down the hall) as Frank Castle/The Punisher; Michael Mando (BETTER CALL SAUL) as Mac Gargan/Scorpion; Tramell Tillman (SEVERANCE) as a higher-up at the Department of Damage Control; and the great Mark Ruffalo in what is also arguably the best Hulk movie. We also get a nice Aunt May scene with Marisa Tomei (and this time, refreshingly, no commentary about her hotness), and the raw power of STRANGER THINGS’s Sadie Sink as… I’m not telling.

Not only is it the best Spider-Man movie yet on an emotional level, it is also the best looking Spider-Man movie since the Raimi films, with cinematographer Brett Pawlak blending the poppy colors of the previous outings with rich contrast of light and shadow (none of that washed-out look of most Marvel films). Composer Michael Giacchino also brings new shades as well, not simply dusting off his Spider-Man themes but imbuing them with weight and grit that comes with the story of a young man maturing and growing into someone who must find balance, who must involve others in his life, who doesn’t have to bear the load alone.

Where it goes from here? Who knows? All I can say is it feels like an exquisite chapter with another on the way, and it feels complete. Most of all, it is a blast. It is big and fun, but it will reward the vulnerability you bring to it, with a message we all need to hear.

#moviefriend

#spiderman

#spidermanbrandnewday

#marvelstudios

#sonypictures

#destindanielcretton

#tomholland

#zendaya

#sadiesink

#jacobbatalon

#jonbernthal

#markruffalo

@mncritics

Zach is a proud member of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA). For more info about Zach, the organization, or to read other great reviews from other great Minnesota-based film critics, click here: www.mnfca.com