Unsurprisingly, advance bookings for Brand New Day have been nothing short of phenomenal. This critic attended a 6 am PXL show on the first day of its release, and it was virtually houseful. (The IMAX screens continue to screen The Odyssey In India) The unspoken dress code was predominantly red and blue, and everyone was set for the ride.

When we separate the hype from the content, though, does the film still hold up? Let’s find out.

The film picks up right where Spider-Man: No Way Home left off. Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s best friend Ned and girlfriend MJ have forgotten who he is, leaving him completely alone. With no personal life to lean on, Peter throws himself into one thing: bringing down New York City’s crime rate. But his routine is disrupted when he comes face to face with a force unlike anything he has encountered before, one that can possess anyone’s body. As if that wasn’t enough, Peter also finds his Spider-Man powers spiraling out of control, seemingly taking over his own body.

This instalment lives up to its title in more ways than one. With Peter forced to navigate life on his own, it truly feels like a brand new chapter for the character. This film is noticeably more grounded in its opening, allowing the spectacle to take a slight backseat. Instead of rushing from one set piece to another, it spends time with Peter Parker, exploring the loneliness and emotional weight that comes with the life he now leads. The premise is genuinely intriguing, even if the film occasionally indulges in the obligatory 3D pop-out moments. The audience in my theatre reacted to it all heartily.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton largely gets the balance right here. Superhero films rarely pause long enough to examine what their heroes feel behind the mask, and those quieter moments lend the film an emotional authenticity that has often been missing from the genre.

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Where the film begins to falter is in its third act. The reveal of the antagonist is well conceived, rooted in a story that feels believable. The character’s intentions are crystal clear, making for a promising conflict. However, the screenplay leans too heavily into drawing emotional parallels between Spider-Man and his adversary at times. While the idea of two damaged individuals mirroring one another has potential, the film returns to this emotional thread so often that it starts to lose its impact. As a result, the narrative loses some of its momentum just when it should be building towards its most exciting stretch. When people around you begin to scroll through their phones, you know something is clearly not going right.

The cameo appearances, a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, are far fewer this time around. Instead, the film compensates with a dose of laugh-out-loud moments that perfectly suit a superhero like Spider-Man who is no longer a kid. The humour lands naturally, without undercutting the emotional beats. There is also some very heavy inspiration drawn from Spider-Man 3. Those familiar with Sam Raimi’s film will spot the parallels almost immediately.

Tom Holland does a fine job as the titular hero. He has, by now, embodied the character so much that it feels like an extension of his own real-life personality. Zendaya lends the film some of its emotional heft, while Jacob Batalon does well too. Some of the spectacular sequences feature Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, battling Spider Man.

Overall, Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn’t quite swing as high as No Way Home, and a bloated final act keeps it from being truly amazing. But when it’s not trying too hard to make a point, it reminds us exactly why Spider-Man has endured for generations. Beneath the web-slinging and city-wide chaos is a lonely young man simply trying to do the right thing. And that’s a formula that, much like Peter Parker himself, refuses to go out of style. Atleast the crowd at my early morning show felt so, going by the hooting and cheering.