Spider-Man: Brand New Day won't beat Spider-Man 2

Tom Holland brought a younger, more convincing high-school Peter Parker to the screen — he was 19 when he began as Spider-Man, while Tobey Maguire was 25 and Andrew Garfield 28 — and Brand New Day moves the character beyond high school. Still, it’s hard to imagine the new film topping what many consider the best Spider-Man movie: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.

Raimi’s sequel centers on a college-aged Peter Parker overwhelmed by school, a low-paying job as a pizza delivery boy, a strained relationship with Mary Jane and the responsibilities of being a hero. He briefly gives up being Spider-Man, only to be pulled back when his mentor, Oscorp scientist Otto Octavius, becomes a supervillain after a lab accident and kidnaps Mary Jane.

The film’s strength lies in its uncluttered drama: one hero, one villain, and a focus on human stakes.

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