Sony & Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has finally premiered in Los Angeles, and with it comes the early reactions ahead of the major reviews due out in the morning.
The overall sentiment is divided. Going by the fan accounts, this is the best Spider-Man in years, if not ever. Going by more seasoned film critics and reviewers, the reaction is more mixed/positive.
Holland has been universally praised for his performance, as has the cast chemistry, and quite a few are fans of Sadie Sink’s turn as well. Also widely praised are the visuals and Cretton’s directing, calling it the best visuals of the MCU Spidey films to date.
Where the reactions differ is on aspects like the script which some call too busy, the humour which has been downplayed in this entry, the amount of MCU interconnectivity, and the ending which has long been rumoured to be divisive.
Early reactions always trend more positive than reviews, so take these with a grain of salt. I tried to limit the reactions to actual reviewers or journalists who look at films for a living:
“SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY is a much more cerebral followup than the crowd pleasing No Way Home. It’s Tom Holland’s best performance as Peter Parker and the best Spider-Man movie since Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN 2. Also the costume finally looks incredible.” – Mike Ryan, Uproxx
“Really loved #SpiderMan Brand New Day. It’s so joyful and emotional, investigating/celebrating/deconstructing both the character and his power as a symbol. Exciting, emotional and given a fresh spirit by Cretton. Proof that it’s not superhero fatigue, it’s lousy movie fatigue.” – Drew Taylor, The Wrap
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day is an ambitious, mature take on Peter Parker, finally trusting him to (mostly) stand on his own. Cretton crafts excellent scenes of Spidey’s powers, and the emotional beats rank among the MCU’s best. Easily Tom Holland’s most varied, confident MCU work.” – Brandon Lewis, GVN
“‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’… feels like a three-part episode of the ’90s Spider-Man animated series brought to life, capturing the same excitement, energy, and larger-than-life comic-book storytelling that so many of us grew up loving. Destin Daniel Cretton directs a thrilling, heartfelt chapter packed with incredible battles and some of the best action sequences ever featured in a Spider-Man movie. Tom Holland delivers his strongest and most complete Spider-Man performance yet.”- Sean Tajipour, Nerdtropolis
“Cretton brings a more grounded, back-to-basics approach to the beloved web-slinger, making this fourth standalone film feel like both a fresh reset and a necessary evolution for the character, giving Tom Holland the space to find new depths in his continually pitch-perfect performance. The inclusion of the Punisher and Hulk is fun… but the movie doesn’t fully pick up until Sadie Sink’s character announces herself to the world and changes the course of the franchise’s future. The pacing and visual effects are inconsistent and it’s nowhere near as funny as previous installments.”- Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
“SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY has some of the best visuals and characterization its title character has gotten onscreen. Yet its notable shine is dulled by an overstuffed script that puts MCU interconnectivity and cameos over its title character.” – James Preston Poole, Discussing Film
“#SpiderManBrandNewDay suffers from the same problem as many post-Endgame movies: it feels like a stepping stone rather than a cohesive standalone film. It’s not the most egregious example of this. Peter & Frank are a great duo. Story/structure is messy, but it’s pretty good.”- Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool
“Between some super dodgy CGI and really uninspired fight sequences, the first half of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY has a sort of Obsession/wish willow scenario that gets good performances out of Zendaya and Tom Holland. Jon Bernthal is great though, and one great cameo.”- Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day is… fine. It looks better than the last three. Tom is a very good actor. There’s some neat action and swinging sequences. But the stakes feel fairly low and the way it adapts [spoiler] is honestly pretty dire. Marvel has done it again!”- Carlos Alonso Morales, IGN
“#SpiderMan Brand New Day is a mixed bag. The first 20 minutes are quintessential comic book Spidey…[it] explores loneliness among young adults with delicacy and emotion, and Tom Holland delivers yet another amazing performance as Peter Parker. Unfortunately, the film mirrors “Spider-Man 3″ in being overstuffed with far too many elements and having stop-start pacing. The humor doesn’t land. Despite a strong turn from Sadie Sink, the third act is hijacked by her character and culminates in a painfully flat climax. Destin Daniel Cretton makes easily the most visually appealing MCU Spidey movie to date and brings incredible style and intimacy to the filmmaking.”- The Holofiles
The new movie, set four years after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” sees Peter Parker has been anonymously protecting New York City until his superpowers undergo a surprising and potentially dangerous evolution.
Talking about potentially returning for more, Tom Holland tells THR: “I will do it for as long as they’ll have me. So if this movie does good, I guess we’ll see!”
The film is currently on track for an opening weekend as high as over $300 million domestically and $800 million worldwide with the global rollout kicking off from Wednesday. Full reviews are expected to go online Tuesday morning.
