Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review: The Definitive Spider-Man Adaptation
- Alex Schlerf
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
Tom Holland returns for his fourth Spider-Man installment with Brand New Day, helmed by director Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy, Shang-Chi).
Synopsis:
Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter Parker he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves - a powerful villain no one can even see.
Cast: Tom Holland, Sadie Sink, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Liza Colon-Zayas, Mark Ruffalo
Release Date:
In Theaters Now
Tom Holland Channels Spider-Man Perfectly
The title of this article is not hyperbole - this is the true peak for a live action Spider-Man that we've gotten so far. I've always liked Tom as the character, but I felt certain decisions made in the previous trilogy were holding him back from reaching the Garfield levels. He truly is at his best in this film, both in channeling the character and just acting wise. It's really a true Spidey story, taking away so much of what makes Peter Parker happy and allowing for the webslinger to fully take over. That's a huge through line of this film, with basically every character included reflecting the idea of Peter vs. Spider-Man. I think Holland does a phenomenal job of channeling that inner turmoil, from the webbing issues to dealing with the tragic ending of No Way Home.
That leads us right into one of the things I was most intrigued about for this film - the inclusion of Ned and MJ. It was something they had to be really careful with because of how special the ending of the last installment was and I seriously thought they handled it perfectly. At the end of the day this movie is about reconnecting with friends after time away and trying to put yourself out there. Peter's dynamic with MJ leads to some absolutely devastating scenes, partly because Zendaya is just an incredible actor. It had to be tough for her to play out these scenes with confusion after all the two have been through in the last three films (and also in real life!), but there's just so many subtle gestures that convince us completely. There's even the really sweet connection with Ned, who for me was more likable than ever in this fourth installment. You learn to fall in love with this trio all over again and it's a lot due to Holland finally fully channeling this character under this new path.
Script Weaves Together Side Plots
One of my main concerns going into this film was the amount of characters and plotlines being interwoven into one film. You've got so many seemingly unconnected things being packed into one movie and a weaker script could've easily lost itself among all these things. However, the script here by Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna somehow allows for this to be a smooth ride all the way through. All of these zany characters have a genuine reason for being in the story that reflects Peter's trauma. Like the Hulk for example, which on the surface just seemed like the Sony mandate of including one MCU character in their Spider-Man films, but actually is a compelling inclusion for Peter and also an interesting Bruce Banner adaptation. The opening montage features a lot of spidey's rogues gallery, including people like Scorpion and Tombstone. Some of these people have more screen time than others, but they all work to establish what Peter has been up to and also maybe plant some roots for future interactions down the line.
The real main thing that seems so random but becomes the best thing in the entire film is Sadie Sink's character. I'm sure the majority of people that read this blog know who she's playing, but I'll just keep up the secret for a bit longer and discuss her inclusion. Not only is Sink an absolute standout acting wise, but it's fascinating how well her character reflects Peter's inner turmoil. They both equally become the emotional core of this film and there's so many great emotional moments towards the end. I figured I would get emotional on the follow-ups to the No Way Home ending, and I did, but the majority of my emotions came from Sink's character. Her backstory is devastating and perfectly gives off the exact vibes of the storied comic character she's playing. The entire script takes things like this and gets the absolute most out of them in a movie that had so many things going on.
Cretton Puts Immense Weight Into Action and Swinging
Jon Watts did a lot for this character along the prior trilogy of Tom's films and that definitely should be recognized. However, I have to say that my biggest complaint of his films was the lack of interesting and compelling swinging or action scenes. Now Destin Daniel Cretton comes in and makes a complete 180, crafting a movie with the best swinging scenes in any live-action Spider-Man film. The composition of these scenes not only feels like the most realistic webslinging we've seen yet, but also helps emphasize New York as an actual character of its own. Spider-Man is genuinely within the city the entire movie and that's how it always should be. Cretton even handles the plot line of organic webbing super well, making it feel fresh and distinct.
That can also lead us into the action scenes, with it both being a standout before and after these changes start to come into the titular heroes life. The scenes with the secret main villain are obviously less physical, but all of the fights against Spidey's rogues gallery are so smooth and creative. I love that all the action for Destin's movies (just this and Shang-Chi to this point, but still) feels incredibly well choreographed. There's such a clean feel to all of the fights, wether the inner demon inside Peter is taking over or he's just trying to save somebody. Spider-Man action genuinely feels like it has life again and I couldn't be happier.
Incredible Supporting Cast
To end here, it feels like I have to give credit to some of the other standout supporting cast members. I have to start with Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. I figure that the people around me in the theater started to get tired of me laughing at literally every single one-liner he had. It's somehow his best performance in this role to date, not only because of the comedy but also the genuine sibling dynamic between him and Holland. That comes in the form of a lot of bickering to start off, but eventually becomes a really great relationship for Peter. Tramell Tillman has arrived in the MCU and it's another case of a great television actor finally getting some shine on the big screen. I loved everything he did in this film and it left me wanting much more for his character in the future. Ditto that television comment for Liza Colon-Zayas who also forms a really great working bond with Spider-Man. I think it's technically not out there yet, so I'll just say there's another popular MCU character who has just a hilarious cameo in this film. She's got only a few scenes, but continues to standout as one of the faces of the MCU right now.
Final Thoughts
We've gotten a lot of great films with this character over the last 20-30 years, but to me this is the best of them all. It's emotional, funny and compelling all at once. It never gets lots within its themes and I will be rewatching this for years to come. See it on the biggest screen possible!
Rating: 5/5 Stars
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