Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review
Even if I disregarded getting to see Tobey and Andrew again, No Way Home would still be my favorite Spider-Man film. While that movie had some flaws, I loved the story of Peter Parker dealing with the downfall of his identity, the heartbreaking tragedy with Aunt May, and one of the best endings in superhero movie history. Unlike many, I don't find that the film's strengths lay solely in its status as a fan event.
For many of these same reasons, I was quite hyped for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, especially since Destin Daniel Cretton is one of my favorite directors. I was also excited to see the resolution or continuation of the previous film's ending, the usage of the leaked characters, and the first street-level solo story for the character since The Amazing Spider-Man 2. So, did this film live up to its record-breaking numbers and unmatched hype? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be discussing in today's review.
The Positives
First, the film did a phenomenal job of feeling like a live-action comic book. The street-level focus—and the way Spider-Man interacted with heroes like the Hulk and Yelena to get help—made the world feel lived-in without repeating the "mentorship is required" vibe of the previous trilogy. The opening villain montage and the cop ally Peter teams up with really added to the authentic NYC vibe.
Second, his camaraderie (and rivalry) with the Punisher was perfectly calibrated, creating a compelling moral juxtaposition and a perfect humorous landscape for the film. Frank Castle is toned down, but only as much as necessary. Unlike Hulk and Yelena, who get meaningful cameo sequences, Frank is genuinely the story's deuteragonist.
Third, the action, web-swinging, and camerawork are all unabashedly Spider-Man, infused with some of Cretton's signature kinetic flair. While I still find Shang-Chi more technically impressive (and a better film overall), this movie does a great job with its action set pieces.
Fourth, the cast delivered performances as strong as ever. Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Tom Holland, Sadie Sink, and the rest of the ensemble carried the necessary emotions well and kept up the momentum from their previous projects. It will be great to see what they do next in future films in the universe—and I'm particularly curious to see if The Punisher remains a mainstay.
Fifth, the overall story was well-calibrated across its elements. While some aspects were underdeveloped—which I'll discuss soon—Peter's journey was ultimately effective and emotionally resonant. It didn't all work for me, but it worked well enough.
The Negatives
However, while I'm positive on the film and think it does a ton right, this was probably the most disappointed I've felt walking out of a Spider-Man film. Don't get me wrong: that doesn't mean it's the worst; I was simply expecting more. Sure, I left the theater with a smile, but not with the excitement I felt with any of the previous Tom Holland Spider-Man films—yes, even the more mediocre ones. In fact, of every Spider-Man film to date, I found this one to have the widest array of issues, more so than Spider-Man 3 or The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
First, the ending rang hollow. The treatment of Jean Grey and how she is simply on a bus with no consequences by the conclusion made no sense—a flaw shared with WandaVision, but executed even worse here. The ending set up a perfect slam dunk for a post-credits scene: merely showing the X-Men Manor and teasing why Jean Grey gets off scot-free would have been fantastic. Instead, we got a post-credits scene that, while cute, might be the worst in the MCU so far.
Second, the treatment of Scorpion and the Hand was ridiculously disappointing. Scorpion did almost nothing of his own volition and ends up as a mere goon for Jean, all while eluding a horribly underbaked moment about him "going too far" that never leads to real consequences. Furthermore, The Hand's continuity is now completely demolished here. People complain about Doctor Strange casting the spell in No Way Home and the glasses problem in Far From Home, but this was far more egregious because it doesn't just hurt this film, but the wider universe and its established lore.
Third, the spider growth-spurt plotline was wasted here; it needed far more development. While the power inhibitor is obviously being set up for villains to use in the future, it needed either more screen time or to be introduced in a later film instead, playing directly into a growth-spurt or symbiote storyline.
Fourth, the plot twists about the Department of Damage Control being a villain and the addition of VMAX were just useless plotlines... VMAX should stay in the realm of Pokémon, and mediocre twists should stay away from Spider-Man. At least the Mysterio twist in Far From Home wasn't 100% obvious for non-comic readers!
Fifth, the Ned-and-MJ plot was a little underwhelming. While Jean Grey controlling MJ was easily the best twist of the film, and MJ's banter with The Punisher was awesome, it just lacked the emotional oomph that it should have had. In fact, that's my biggest gripe with the movie: it lacked the full spectrum of emotions that the previous film had. I didn't feel the weight of No Way Home's stakes carry over as deeply as I was hoping.
I get emotional at the smallest things in most movies, but here, the only moment that truly got to me was The Punisher covering for Peter. Jean Grey didn't feel sympathetic in the way Sentry did in Thunderbolts*, making the ending feel like reheated leftovers of that film. Peter's relationship with the cop and remembering the kids' names could have been poignant, but they were simply underbaked. Underbaked emotions are something I've not yet had a problem with in any Tom Holland Spider-Man movie.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 73%
Letter Score: B+
Star Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
While I loved Spider-Man: Brand New Day's action, characters, and street-level story, the film lacked the emotional gravitas and heartfelt nature of better Spider-Man films. While Destin Daniel Cretton is one of my favorite directors, this is one of my least favorite (and most disappointing) theatrical Spider-Man stories.
Interested in checking out some recent reviews for some other sci-fi, action, and superhero films? See them below!
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
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