Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Now playing in theaters and available for pre-purchase on Amazon!

RATING: PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and some language

LENGTH: 2 hours 25 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A

FEATURED PRODUCT:

You can already purchase the Tom Holland Spider-Man 4-movie collection on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4bCrg2d

IN A NUTSHELL: Picking up after the heartbreaking events of No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is completely on his own in New York City. The entire world, including his former best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and the love of his life MJ (Zendaya), has forgotten that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. As Peter tries to rebuild a lonely life while dedicating himself 24/7 to protecting the city as Spider-Man, a dangerous new threat and evolving powers push him to his absolute physical and emotional limits.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi), this fourth MCU Spider-Man installment manages to bring the franchise back to its grounded, emotional, street-level roots while still delivering massive superhero spectacle.

To say that people are excited about this newest installment is an understatement! When the first trailer came out, it got 719 million views within the first 24 hours!

Fun fact: This is the 38th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not all of their films are perfect, but they sure learn from their mistakes and know how to entertain fans, while experimenting with new ideas.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Violence: Expect superhero action, including intense hand-to-hand combat, explosions, gunplay, and characters getting bloodied or bruised.
Profanity: Mild to moderate profanity (standard MCU language). Early in the movie, a rough & tough character was getting ready to drop an F-bomb, but Spider-Man’s web hilariously and quickly flew onto his mouth, preventing anyone from hearing the naughty word. Love it! Thank you, Marvel!
Themes of Loneliness & Identity: Peter goes through genuine grief and isolation, which might be emotionally heavy for younger or sensitive viewers. The whole film feels heavy and somewhat dark.
Frightening Sequences: A few intense sci-fi transformation elements and menacing villain encounters might startle younger kids.

THEMES:

Self-sacrifice and duty vs. personal happiness
Finding identity in the face of loss, isolation, depression, and loneliness
Moving forward and starting over (“Brand New Day”)
The enduring power of friendship, human connection, and love
Vulnerability
Coming of age into adulthood
Asking for help, not trying to do everything yourself

THINGS I LIKED:

Tom Holland’s Performance: Holland continues to prove why he was born for this role. He brings a mature, heartbreaking depth to Peter Parker as he navigates real adulthood and grief. It’s impossible not to get swept away with him as Spider-Man. He shows incredible emotional depth and range in his performances. Love him! Did you know he has his own line of non-alcoholic beer? It’s called “Bero”. You can see it on the shelves in the store at the beginning of the movie. I’ve seen a million “real-life” clips of him with Zendaya and am always impressed with how attentive and kind he is.
Grounded Action: Director Destin Daniel Cretton brings his trademark crisp martial arts and practical action style from Shang-Chi, giving Spider-Man’s acrobatic fight scenes a tactile, thrilling weight. Fantastic set pieces and some pretty doggone cool action sequences!
Strong Supporting Cast: Zendaya and Jacob Batalon shine even with their altered dynamic with Peter. Sadie Sink and Jon Bernthal bring fantastic dynamic tension to the story!
A “Fresh Start” Feeling: It manages to feel like both a satisfying continuation of Peter’s journey and a clean starting point for a brand-new era.
Comic Book Feels: The movie was dedicated to Gerry Conway, the comic book co-creator of The Punisher. The Punisher first appeared in 1974 in The Amazing Spider-Man issue #129! Frank Castle is a new character in the Spider-Man franchise, but he has been around in the MCU before as “The Punisher” in Daredevil Season 2 and The Punisher on Netflix. He plays a pivotal role in this movie.
If you’re a fan of the Spider-Man comics, you might already recognize that the title for this movie was taken from 2 of the issues from 2008! You’ll also be happy to know that some of the comic covers are recreated in this film!
You’re definitely going to want to re-watch the previous Tom Holland Spider-Man movies to refresh your memory. There are a few flashbacks in this film, thankfully. Here’s the list in chronological order:

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Yes, like all Marvel movies, there IS a short bonus scene after the final rolling credits. Like true Marvel fans, the audience I watched the movie with stayed in their theater seats, patiently waiting. Not a single person got up to leave. Marvel has trained us well! Unfortunately, this one wasn’t very impressive.
Spoiler: Jean Grey’s name should sound familiar, especially if you’re a big fan of X-Men. This is her crossover introduction into the MCU! I’m curious to see how they’ll introduce some of the other X-Men into future MCU films.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Pacing Lag in Act Two: The midsection slows down a bit as Peter juggles multiple mysteries and street-level subplots. Act 3 is worth the wait, though!
Bittersweet Tone: If you’re expecting the high-energy multiversal fun of No Way Home, be prepared for a darker, more melancholic tone. There is a prevailing sadness in this film.
Plot Holes: There are some little details that might bug you if you think too hard about them. Just remember, this is superhero fiction. Just relax and enjoy.

FUNNY LINES:

“So you’re telling me you make an app to track Spider-Man, but you can’t remember where you put your apartment keys?” — MJ
“I’m not a vigilante, I’m a neighborhood watch program with better spandex.” — Peter Parker

INTERESTING LINES:

“The world forgot Peter Parker… but Spider-Man still owes them everything.” — Peter Parker
“Sometimes starting over isn’t a curse; it’s the only way to build something real.” — Frank Castle
“Just because we’ve lost someone…It doesn’t mean we have to do this alone. I mean, we can’t. Trust me. I’ve been trying. It doesn’t work.” – Peter Parker