Time: 145 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence
Cast:
Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
Zendaya as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson
Sadie Sink
Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova / Black Widow
Tramell Tillman as William “Bill” Metzger
Marisa Tomei as May Parker
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Early on, I wasn’t sure about the latest MCU Spider-Man movie. It seemed to be adding a lot into one movie, including The Punisher and The Hulk, and the previous Spider-Man trilogy wasn’t exactly among the best films of the franchise. At the same time, the director of Shang-Chi, Destin Daniel Cretton, was taking over from Jon Watts, and that interested me. Brand New Day turned out to be much better than I expected.

The story of Brand New Day is pretty good. It’s by far the most mature of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man run, it is heartfelt, the emotional core is pretty solid, and the humour doesn’t get distracting or annoying. Previously, the MCU Spider-Man had struggled with having his own story and identity. In his first couple of movies, he’s overshadowed by Iron Man by constantly trying to live up to Tony Stark (even after he’s dead). Even after that, his third movie added in the previous Spider-Men and their respective villains, and they overshadowed the actual protagonist. Brand New Day really does feel like the first actual Peter Parker/Spider-Man story for Tom Holland’s version of the character. We see Peter’s own struggles, dealing with being alone after May’s death and everyone forgetting him, including MJ and Ned. While he does have an AI who he talks to, he feels very alone and the movie allows time to actually show this and how it drives him to make certain decisions. Despite the super powers, things feel a bit more street level and personal. Peter has a proper arc, he grows and finds his own identity. It is also helped that the world he lives in is much better established and feels organic and real. The inclusions of other known MCU characters like The Punisher and The Hulk are done surprisingly well. The way they interact makes it clear that they are characters in the same universe who would inevitably end up crossing paths one way or another. Most importantly, the use of Punisher/Hulk/Sadie Sink’s character really helps to convey Spider-Man’s story, even with thematic parallels. Their inclusions felt far more purposeful than just applying the action figure smashing logic that some other comic book movies have. Brand New Day definitely has its faults. There’s a lot in this 2.5 hour long movie, so much so that some aspects don’t get much chances to shine. Some villains like Scorpion end up just being very brief physical encounters and nothing more. The first act has some choppy editing, mainly when it’s trying to get audiences up to speed with Peter’s current life. Parts of the movie feel stretched, especially in the middle. While I liked the subplot of Spider-Man’s powers changing, I felt that it could’ve been explored that aspect more, leant further into the body horror and gotten weirder with it. 

This is Tom Holland’s best performance as the title character. He does well at portraying a Peter Parker who’s alone and going through his worst days. He sells the classic wit and humour of Spider-Man while also conveying the more heavy and emotional scenes. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon return as MJ and Ned, and while they don’t play massive parts in the plot, their inclusions in this movie added a lot. Zendaya particularly does a lot with very little. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk has been stuck in comic relief mode for nearly a decade. However, this is the best the character has been in a while. He’s not a massive part of the movie, but he fits in really well. Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher was a surprise. Not only does his iteration fit into a PG-13 Marvel project, but this is one of his best appearances. He works as such a good foil for Spider-Man, and Bernthal and Holland play off each other wonderfully. He’s also surprisingly effective and hilarious as a comic relief. Without going into Sadie Sink’s character, she gives a great performance, even if the stuff with her character will be divisive for some people.

Destin Daniel Cretton is a notable upgrade from Jon Watts’ work in the original trilogy. His direction felt more stylistic and a bit more comic booky. I wouldn’t say that it looks great, but it’s still a visual improvement from what came before. There was more contrast in the colours, and while it largely looks gloomy, it actually feels like an intentional choice and fitted the tone of Peter’s story. It’s also the best action that MCU Spider-Man has received. It’s dynamic, vibrant and entertaining to watch, and I especially like the web swinging. The CGI is a little dodgy, like in the previous movies, but it’s a bit easier to look past here. One aspect that hasn’t improved however was the music from Michael Giacchino, which remains very underwhelming to me. He has composed some great scores, but his work on Spider-Man is just bland and doesn’t really resonate with me on any level, and Brand New Day didn’t change my mind.

Despite some inconsistent pacing and visual effects, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the best MCU Spider-Man movie, with a more human, grounded and personal focus, dynamic direction, and a good cast. While I remain sceptical about the MCU on the whole in its current state, I’m now looking forward to seeing more of this Spider-Man in his own movies.