Fans were on Cloud 9 after Spider-Man: No Way Home; seeing all Spider-Men together on one screen was just amazing. Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes some of the lessons learned in that one and mixes it with some themes from Spider-Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man. This combination gives the audience a new look at a familiar character that packs an emotional punch!

Brand New Day takes place 5 years after No Way Home. In the opening minutes, we are punched in the gut. We see Peter (Tom Holland) working overtime as Spider-Man and keeping up with his friends from a distance. Through their social media presence, Peter sees how MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) are adjusting to their college life. In these moments, we feel the emotional isolation that Peter is in.

These emotional beats are scattered throughout the movie as Peter tries to be Spider-Man and live a normal life. His days are so routine that he does not have time to enjoy himself like he used to. We see the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, who becomes such a staple in New York that the people love him and are there for him. While he has all this attention from the people, he does not have that from the people he wants it from.

In his loneliness, Peter’s only “friends” are Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas) and Frank Castle AKA The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). DeWolff has a working relationship with Spider-Man but also sees that he is working too much. She fills the nurturing gap created by the death of Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). She even tells him to rest at one point in the movie because she can see his fatigue setting in.

The dynamic between Frank and Peter is fantastic! The banter between them shows they have had multiple run-ins during the past five years. Frank’s “take no prisoners” attitude perfectly collides with Peter’s ideology of saving everyone, and seeing how they work together is a lot of fun. If they were to continue this pairing, I hope they do it in a short-run television series.

One of the themes in this movie is hiding the monster that lives within you. Peter is going through some changes and is not sure what is going on. By having Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), in Brand New Day, Peter gets someone he can relate to and get advice from. Ruffalo does a great job of showing how vulnerable he can be, and we see that during one moment when the Hulk makes an appearance.

Let’s talk about Sadie Sink. I will not say much about her character, but will say that she is fantastic in her role and helps build the theme of the monster inside.

Overall, Destin Daniel Cretton has given us a more mature Spider-Man who has walked away from his kid ways. The quips are still there. The action has been dialed up to eleven. The emotional stakes have also been dialed up. Cretton takes what we love about Spider-Man and shows us Peter is much more than that. The movie works great on its own and feels more grounded than ever. The way New York is highlighted in this movie makes it feel like you are reading a graphic novel and not watching a movie. If this is the beginning of the “Cretton Era”, I can not wait to see where he takes Spidey next!

Final Thoughts: Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the Spider-Man movie that perfectly shows a mature Peter Parker. The stakes are higher in this movie not only due to the new danger, but also in the path that Peter will take as Spider-Man. The entire cast is fantastic, and the emotional beats are spot on. The quiet moments really help you feel Peter’s isolation, and when he interacts with Ned and MJ, it feels like home. The use of Hulk, Punisher, and Sadie Sink’s character really helps to pull in the message of where the monster ends, and the person begins. Destin Daniel Cretton cooked with this movie! There is one after-credit scene.

Violence: The amount of violence in this movie is similar to the violence seen in the other Spider-Man movies.

Kid-Friendly: This is a more adult Spider-Man in terms of theme and language. Most of the bad language comes from Frank Castle AKA the Punisher. The theme of loneliness and mental fatigue might go over some kids’ heads. This movie shows that being a superhero comes with issues that are relatable to the average citizen.

It’s a BRAND NEW DAY for Peter Parker. 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 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.