Spider-Man: Brand New Day

I never expected to walk out of Spider-Man: Brand New Day disappointed, especially after the incredible journey this version of Peter Parker has been on. Judging by the reactions online, I feel like I’m in the minority, but despite all of its strengths, this one just didn’t click with me. Everywhere I look this film is being praised as another massive win for the MCU, and while I completely understand why so many people are loving it, I simply couldn’t connect with it in the same way. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to enjoy here and I’ll get into all of that, but after the emotional masterpiece that was No Way Home, I was expecting another deeply personal story that hit just as hard. Instead, I found a film packed with exciting moments that never quite came together into a truly satisfying way.

Before I get into the review, I have one piece of advice. If you haven’t watched the trailers yet, don’t. Seriously. I felt like so many of this film’s biggest moments had already been shown beforehand. Every time a sequence arrived that should have made me grin from ear to ear, I’d already seen most of it in the marketing. There are still surprises throughout the movie, but many of the standout action beats were unfortunately spoiled long before release. Going in blind will only improve your experience because there are plenty of enjoyable moments layered throughout a Spider-Man film that, for me, never quite reached its full potential.

As expected, Tom Holland is exceptional. This is comfortably the most mature version of Peter Parker he has ever portrayed, and it’s wonderful seeing just how much the character has evolved across this quadrilogy. Every hardship Peter has endured feels like it’s weighing on his shoulders, and Holland sells every ounce of that emotional baggage. One of my favourite aspects of these Spider-Man films has always been watching Peter grow rather than instantly becoming the perfect hero, and this movie continues that brilliantly. Perhaps my biggest positive is that this is finally a true street level Spider-Man adventure. Peter has fully devoted himself to being Spider-Man, and anyone who criticised previous films for feeling like mini Avengers movies or making Spider-Man feel like a supporting character in his own story won’t have those complaints here. This is his neighbourhood, his responsibility and his fight.

Sadie Sink is another fantastic addition to the MCU. I’m deliberately not going to reveal who she plays because, despite the internet doing everything it possibly can to spoil the surprises, I still think audiences deserve to experience those reveals for themselves. It’s incredibly frustrating seeing people upload recorded footage online within hours of release because all they’re doing is trying to ruin the cinema experience for everyone else. Sink brings a fascinating new dynamic to the story and, while this version of the character may differ from what many fans expected, I’m genuinely excited to see where Marvel takes her next. Jon Bernthal is equally brilliant. His chemistry with Tom Holland feels completely effortless, and I wouldn’t be surprised if their real life friendship played a part in making their scenes together work so well. Every interaction between Spider-Man and the Punisher is entertaining and leaves you wanting even more.

Visually, this film is outstanding. Destin Daniel Cretton once again proves how talented he is at directing action after the incredible work he did with Shang Chi. The web swinging is easily some of the best we’ve seen in a live action Spider-Man film, with every sequence feeling fast, fluid and exhilarating. The camera constantly moves with Spider-Man, making you feel every swing between the buildings and every acrobatic dodge during combat. There are several action scenes that genuinely left me smiling, and from a purely technical perspective this is one of the most impressive Spider-Man films Marvel has produced.

Unfortunately, as incredible as the film looks, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was disappointed by the story. It’s only fair to admit that my expectations were probably sky high after No Way Home, and perhaps that’s partly why this didn’t land for me. Still, considering everything Peter sacrificed in the previous film, I expected a more emotionally powerful continuation. Instead, the narrative often feels like it’s introducing fascinating ideas without committing to them. Peter’s mutations become such a major focus throughout the opening half of the movie as he desperately tries to suppress what’s happening to him, but by the second half that storyline almost feels forgotten. When those changes finally become important during the climax, the payoff simply wasn’t satisfying enough to justify the build up. I kept waiting for the moment where everything clicked into place, but that moment never arrived. Instead of leaving the cinema emotionally drained like No Way Home, I simply walked out thinking, “Is that it?”

My biggest issue overall is the lack of a true central antagonist. Depending on your interpretation, you could argue Sadie Sink’s character fills that role, or perhaps the Department of Damage Control does, but neither ever feels like the defining threat of the story. The film almost feels reluctant to fully commit to having one overarching villain, and because of that there never feels like there’s a real sense of danger or urgency driving the narrative forward. The stakes never build in a meaningful way, making the climax feel strangely flat rather than exhilarating.

I’d been expecting an all out showdown between Spider-Man and The Hand, yet so much of that confrontation amounts to him simply webbing them up, something that was already shown in the trailers. The final battle lacks spectacle, emotional weight and any real payoff after everything that had been building beforehand. Even Bruce Banner’s appearance felt strangely unnecessary. It almost comes across as though the writers decided the film needed another large action sequence and simply dropped Hulk into the story to make that happen. Ironically, the Hulk fight ended up being my favourite scene in the entire movie. It has the scale, intensity and spectacle you’d expect from a third act finale, yet it arrives halfway through the film, making everything afterwards struggle to reach the same level.

There are also several supporting characters who feel disappointingly wasted. Ned is barely given anything meaningful to do despite being one of the emotional cornerstones of this Spider-Man series, while Scorpion finally returns only to be reduced to little more than an extended cameo. Storylines are introduced and then largely forgotten until the story needs them, leaving the film feeling oddly unfocused. It’s a strange experience because there’s constantly something happening on screen, yet it rarely feels like the story itself is actually progressing. Rather than building momentum, the film often feels like it’s moving sideways, jumping from one idea to the next without allowing any of them to reach their full potential.

Zendaya once again delivers a lovely performance, and her scenes with Tom Holland are undeniably sweet. Knowing they’re now husband and wife only adds another layer of authenticity to their chemistry, and those quieter moments together are among the film’s strongest emotional scenes. However, I kept waiting for an emotional payoff that never truly arrived. After everything that happened at the end of No Way Home, I expected those moments to carry far greater emotional weight than they ultimately did. There is also one post credit scene that has completely baffled me. I’m still scratching my head trying to work out exactly what it means, but strangely that’s also one of the things I enjoyed most. I have absolutely no idea where Marvel is heading next, and that mystery genuinely excites me.

Maybe this is entirely on me. After No Way Home, I expected Marvel to tell a smaller, character driven story that really explored Peter living with the consequences of everyone forgetting him. Instead, the film constantly introduces new ideas without giving any of them enough room to breathe. That’s perhaps why I left feeling disappointed. Not because it’s a bad Spider-Man film, but because I genuinely believed it could have been a great one.

Overall, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still a fun, entertaining blockbuster with fantastic action, some excellent new additions to the MCU and another superb performance from Tom Holland. Sadly though, I think it’s held back by a story that never delivers on the emotional or narrative potential established by its predecessor. I know this opinion will divide people because most audiences seem to be loving this film, and I completely respect that. This is simply how I felt walking out of the cinema. Maybe a second viewing will change my opinion. I genuinely hope it does, because right now Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels less like the exciting new beginning its title promises and more like a missed opportunity.