Michael Moore Hates America (2004)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn’t feel like a typical Marvel Cinematic Universe film.  Nor does it even feel like a typical superhero film, which has mostly been defined by that Marvel Cinematic Universe.  In fact, this doesn’t feel like a film at all.  The newest entry in the Spider-Man franchise feels more like a very long episode of a cartoon than a movie. 

For some, this will mean that it is an entertaining ride, with simple yet effective emotional moments, fun action sequences, and a plot that keeps you guessing.  For others, that will mean that this movie has a shallow plot, unoriginal action sequences, and uninteresting characters.  Like many other movies, this is a bit of a Rorschach test.  Either take is valid, though it definitely appears that the general consensus is more with the former set than the latter. 

When it comes to a superhero movie, the bare minimum one can deliver is on the action sequences.  For the champions of this movie, the action sequences are numerous, complex, and pit Peter Parker against appropriately formidable foes while constantly raising the stakes.  For the detractors of this movie, these action sequences sometimes lack tension and never feel like new material.  There is nothing you can’t find in most other superhero movies when it comes to the fight scenes, which one can interpret as either satisfactory or wanting.