By Ben Wright (@Iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
Following the events that changed Peter Parker’s life forever, Spider-Man: Brand New Day finds our friendly neighbourhood hero trying to rebuild his life while facing new threats that force him to question what kind of Spider-Man he wants to become. It’s a more grounded story than we’ve seen in recent years, but one that never loses sight of the heart that has always made Spider-Man such a relatable character.
Our Spider-Man characters have finally come of age.
This is easily the most mature entry in Tom Holland’s run so far and, for me, it’s comfortably the best of this current series. The tone is darker, the performances are stronger, and the pacing is probably the best it’s ever been.
That said, I’d still argue it isn’t the Tom Holland Spider-Man film I’ve had the most fun with.
That honour still belongs to Far From Home. You can absolutely argue it leans into nostalgia, but that was part of its charm. I walked out of that film with a huge grin on my face and, while Brand New Day doesn’t quite reach those same highs purely from an entertainment point of view, I do think it’s the better film.
Entertainment and quality aren’t always the same thing.
Personally, I think this is Tom Holland’s most complete performance as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. More than ever, it feels like he’s finally found the perfect balance between the two sides of the character.
For me, Tobey Maguire has always been the best Peter Parker but a good Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield, who’s still my personal favourite, was a good Peter Parker but, for my money, the best Spider-Man we’ve ever had. Tom Holland, though, gets the nod overall because I think he excels in both roles more consistently than either of them.
As Marvel continues treading water on Shang-Chi 2, Destin Daniel Cretton swaps the Ten Rings for New York and delivers the best Spider-Man film of this era. That probably shouldn’t come as a surprise because I still think Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the MCU’s strongest films.
One thing I really liked was how Destin Daniel Cretton balanced everything. The film feels grounded without ever becoming full street-level like Daredevil. There’s still plenty of spectacle and fantastical comic book fun, but it always comes back to Peter. The darker tone feels like a natural step for the character rather than a dramatic shift, and despite running for well over two hours, I never found myself checking my watch.
The action is fantastic.
Every set piece feels different from the last, and there’s a creativity to them that I haven’t felt in these films for a while. I wish I could talk about one particular team-up towards the end because it’s easily one of my favourite moments in the entire film, but that’s definitely something everyone deserves to experience without knowing it’s coming.
Michael Giacchino’s score is probably the only area where I came away wanting a little more. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a good score, but Giacchino has set such a ridiculously high standard over the years that I always expect greatness. The big musical moments never quite landed for me in the same way some of his previous work has. That probably says more about my expectations than the score itself.
Tom Holland gives his best performance as Peter Parker to date. You can really feel the weight of everything he’s been through, and that lingering sense of isolation hangs over the entire film. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon naturally take more of a back seat this time around, but I actually think the story benefits from that because it reinforces just how alone Peter now feels.
Sadie Sink is another great addition to the MCU. She fits into this world really well and gives a strong performance throughout. My only slight criticism is that I think her character’s arc resolves a little too neatly. Given the moral grey area she occupies for much of the film, I would’ve liked Marvel to be a little braver rather than tying things up quite so cleanly.
Then there’s Jon Bernthal.
As a huge Daredevil fan, I was genuinely nervous about how Frank Castle would be handled here. I worried he’d be toned down to fit Spider-Man’s world, but thankfully that isn’t the case. Is he exactly the same Punisher we’ve seen elsewhere? Not quite. But he’s about 95% there, and that was more than enough for me.
What surprised me most was just how good the chemistry is between Bernthal and Holland. Peter and Frank make such an entertaining pairing, and some of my favourite scenes in the entire film happen between the two of them.
There are a couple of surprise appearances along the way, with one particular return leading into what I thought was the most emotional scene in the entire film. Mark Ruffalo also plays an important supporting role as Bruce Banner, and he never feels like he’s there just to remind you this is an MCU film. He fits naturally into Peter’s story.
On that note, I’d probably tell people to lower their expectations if you’re expecting this to become Avengers: Doomsday before Avengers: Doomsday.
This is Spider-Man’s story.
There aren’t endless cameos, massive multiverse reveals or universe-shattering post-credit scenes. In fact, there were actually a few boos during my screening because I think some people had convinced themselves we’d get some enormous Doomsday tease at the end. We don’t.
And honestly… I’m glad.
This film works because it stays focused on Peter Parker instead of trying to sell you the next Marvel film.
As for negatives… there really aren’t many.
If I had to pick one, it’s that the more mature direction comes at a small cost. The humour is still there, but it’s dialled back compared to previous films. Personally, I think that works for the story they’re telling, although I would’ve happily taken one or two more lighter moments just to break things up. It’s only a tiny criticism, but I do think it would’ve made an already excellent film even stronger.
I still think Far From Home is the Tom Holland Spider-Man film I’ve had the most fun watching, but when it comes to the complete package, Brand New Day comfortably takes the crown. It’s more mature, more confident and easily the most rounded Spider-Man film Tom Holland has made. The darker tone won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it results in the strongest outing of his Spider-Man career so far.
X-Geeks 