WALRUS SCORE: A-
From the moment Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens, you can tell this isn’t your typical Spider-Man movie. Peter Parker has lost everything. He’s watching Ned and MJ live their lives from a distance through Instagram, and it’s been a long time since they’ve known who he really is. He’s also formed an unlikely friendship with his own version of Commissioner Gordon, played wonderfully by Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear), and has thrown himself completely into his work to cope with everything he’s lost.
At the same time, Peter is undergoing mysterious changes of his own, leading him to seek out Professor Bruce Banner for help. As a dangerous new threat emerges, he’s forced to decide whether it’s finally time to tell Ned and MJ the truth.
The movie delivers plenty of satisfying action sequences, but it’s the emotional journey that really landed for me. By the end, it completely got me. Yes… I cried.
That said, as a longtime comic book reader, I felt the main story was a little thin. At times, it seemed to exist mainly to connect all the cool ideas and moments the filmmakers wanted to include, rather than standing on its own as a deeply layered narrative.
It’s a bit like Marvel handing me a double-stuffed Oreo. There’s so much delicious filling packed inside that it almost becomes too much. I would have been perfectly happy with a regular Oreo if it meant a tighter, more focused story.
Even so, Brand New Day is a thoroughly enjoyable ride. It’s packed with exciting action, heartfelt moments, and genuine surprises. And that final scene… it delivered one last emotional gut punch that wrapped everything up in exactly the right way.
