Logan, aged 5, is reportedly too young for the PG-13 rated “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” because of “sequences of action and violence.” But if you ask him, it’s only children younger than 5 who shouldn’t see this film. Having watched the first two Spider-Man films with his dad, Logan was prepared to see a special critics’ preview of the film at the Fox Tower Regal Cinema with his adult best friend. At the end, the Sony representative asked him for his rating.
But before I reveal it, we have some things to say. First, both of us advise you to see this in a theater. The reverberations of the sound and the full-screen emersion into Spider-Man flying from building to building, wondering if his webbing will still execute, is terrifying and exhilarating all at once.
Logan’s favorite character was Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, played by a tough Jon Bernthal. He’s Spider-Man’s “friend” who has a tragic past and is helplessly angry and aggressive now. While Spider-Man, played perfectly guileless and unassuming for a seventh time by Tom Holland, continues to try to web people up without killing them, Frank is rougher with a gun, with no reticence to use it.
Really fit for a diverse-aged audience, this Spider-Man struggles with moral dilemmas and questions about personal fulfillment. He feels bound to help the New York City police. Yet, his inner struggle with isolation and an emotional need for a mate affects his arachnid powers that increasingly and periodically diminish and compromise his ability to fulfill his heroic missions.
How can he solve his inner conflict? Can he get help from his old friends, who no longer know him (because he had previously erased himself from their memory)?
At the same time, a telepath who can read minds and even inhabit the minds of others threatens the entire city of New York. Can Spider-Man (or is it Peter Parker?) figure out her motivation?
The writer delves into humanity’s questions. Can humans, even those with an arachnid code, live without relationships and, existentially, without love?
Besides Spider-Man and his ability to fly, be a “web shooter” and “heal really fast,” Logan also liked Frank’s aggressive personality and the surprise appearance of The Hulk (wonderfully played by a conflicted Mark Ruffalo). We both appreciated the courage and determination of Peter Parker to do the right thing in the face of injustice, corruption, and personal sacrifice. Logan gave “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” a hearty 5/5, and so did I.
Rating: 5/5
Credits
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Writers: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers
Based on the MARVEL Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Producers: Kevin Feige, p.g.a., Amy Pascal, p.g.a., Avi Arad, and Rachel O’Connor, p.g.a.
Executive Producers: Louis D’Esposito, David Cain
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando and Mark Ruffalo
Release: July 31, 2026
Official Sony Website and how to see: https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/spidermanbrandnewday
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