Tom Holland's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Is the Best Spidey Adventure in 20 Years | Review

It's up to us to choose who we become. But what happens when those choices directly clash with the very foundation of our DNA? That's the kind of dilemma that has been at the center of Peter Parker's existence for generations; the "anyone can wear the mask" premise of his origin story often makes us wonder about how our own identities can sit uncomfortably at the crossroads of power and responsibility. It's an idea that feels very old school Spider-Man, and it's one at the center of Marvel and Sony's latest blockbuster, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

While it is indeed a brand-new day for the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man franchise, with Shang-Chi's Destin Daniel Cretton taking over for (and immediately outshining) previous steward Jon Watts, it's also a nostalgic trip back to the friendly neighborhood version of the character that was so impactful in Sam Raimi's vision of the franchise. It's fresh and familiar in equal measure, beautifully balancing its dazzling set pieces with a cerebral and much more emotionally mature take on Peter Parker's psyche. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is far from the ordinary fare we've received from the Marvel Cinematic Universe of late, proving that Cretton was just getting warmed up with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. And as far as live-action takes on the iconic web-slinger are concerned, this is the best Spider-Man movie in 20 years.

Resetting After 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'

The finale of Spider-Man: No Way Home wiped the slate clean for Peter Parker, as the love of his life, MJ (Zendaya), and his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), had all memories of him wiped from their minds prior to setting off to MIT for college. He chose not to track them down and tell them the truth about their shared past, hoping to protect them from the same fate that befell his beloved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). But the choice to alienate himself from the only people he holds dear has taken a serious toll on the young hero.

Over the course of four years, we see Peter grow lonelier, more determined, and more exhausted, as he helps bring record-low crime rates to New York City and becomes the Big Apple's favorite son. He has it all as Spider-Man, but as Peter Parker, he has nothing and no one. That life of exile starts to really wear on Peter, however, sparking an evolution in his arachnid powers, which pushes him beyond the limits of his control and introduces a new problem he believes he has to solve on his own.

At his lowest point since debuting in the MCU (unless you count being turned into literal dust), Peter is desperately trying to fix one symptom after another without ever actually tackling the true problem itself. But that reckoning is eventually thrust upon him, with the arrival of a dangerous new threat that only he can sense. Hired by the shadowy governmental agency Damage Control, Peter sets out to find the source of the new issue, and has to face himself and his past in the process.

A 'Brand New Day' for Both Spider-Man and Marvel

The title really does a lot of work for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, dropping the "Home" scheme to let folks know that this will be something different. This is an older, more mature, but still evolving Peter, who for the first time isn't able to lean on people he loves when he needs it. It's also a fresh start for the setting itself, which finally delivers on the New York element that has been so foundational and important to Spider-Man since his inception. For the first time in years, a Spider-Man movie also feels like a true New York movie, and that alone is a big step up from the MCU's previous Spidey outings.

The Brand New Day name also extends to the overall MCU in many ways (though I'm not going to talk about one of the biggest examples of that here, in order to preserve the surprise). This is the first MCU movie since James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy-capper that doesn't feel confined by the limits of the franchise. It's stylish in a way that every other MCU movie simply refuses to be. There is a deep emotional core that is baked into every single plot thread, never feeling like an add-on, afterthought, or victim of studio interference. For the most part, it seems like Cretton got to make the movie he wanted, complete with video game flair, high-flying wuxia fights, and a third-act climax that focused on two people talking through their trauma instead of devolving into a CGI mess. It's Short Term 12 by way of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2, which is a phrase I never expected to write, but am so grateful to have experienced.

Outside of Gunn and Ryan Coogler (and, to some degree, Taika Waititi), the ever-churning Marvel Machine hasn't given its filmmakers a ton of room to add their own style or experiment with their voice. Thankfully, Cretton was allowed to join those ranks with Brand New Day and, whaddya know, he made a movie that doesn't have to be graded on a franchise curve; it's thoughtful, entertaining and a film that you remember for more than a couple of hours after seeing it.

The hope now is that Brand New Day will be just that, and that Marvel will follow the lead of Gunn's DC by letting directors share more of their unique visions for these projects. If this is what happens when a good filmmaker gets to really let loose in the MCU, it should be the only way forward.

The Marvel Crossovers Actually Work

It's a well-known fact amongst more plugged-in Marvel fans that, as part of the deal between Sony and Marvel Studios that allows Spider-Man to exist in the MCU, his standalone films must include other MCU characters. Iron Man, Nick Fury, and Doctor Strange all babysat Peter in the first three entries, while Brand New Day doubles down by including the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). They sound like strange fits, but Brand New Day makes their appearances feel natural, much like character popping up for a few pages in a comic book.

The biggest surprise here, though, isn't how seamlessly the extra Marvel stuff is woven into Spider-Man: Brand New Day, though it is quite a jolt for all of it to feel so cohesive. The real shocker is that every tie-in or recurring character is better in Brand New Day than they've been in other Marvel projects.

Ruffalo is always excellent, and he remains steady here, but his full-form Hulk is simply fantastic, standing up to the version we saw in The Avengers more than 14 years ago. The biggest improvement, however, belongs to Bernthal's Punisher. Frank Castle has done nothing but shine on the Marvel TV side of things, but this appearance is a perfect evolution for him. Forced into the PG-13 sandbox of Spider-Man, Frank Castle has to tone down some of his more violent elements, which opens the door to a hilarious and emotionally grounded version of the character that knows exactly how to support his younger lead. Uncle Frank is an absolute scene-stealer, and somehow the comic relief in a movie that also features Spider-Man at the most authentically quippy he's been since joining the MCU. Bernthal and Holland have impeccable chemistry, and I hope to see more of them together soon.

Of course, you can't talk about chemistry without talking about Holland's on-screen work with Zendaya, which is as strong here as it's ever been. Thrust into new dynamics, they are brilliant in discovering new sides of Peter and MJ to explore. And without giving anything about her role away, Sadie Sink is every bit the powerhouse that Stranger Things fans believe her to be.

There is a lot packed into Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and at over two hours and 20 minutes, it is on the longer side for a standalone Marvel movie. But somehow, it never feels needlessly overstuffed. There's a tightrope walk here that Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers deftly pull off in their script, and Cretton translates flawlessly into a motion picture. Do I wish there was maybe a little less going on? Sure. Spider-Man doesn't need this much happening around him to make a great movie (as we've seen for more than two decades). But if the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues marching forward, this should be the blueprint for how to set up a future without sacrificing your present.