Spider-Man, Spider-Man, What do I think of the New Spider-Man?

Dear Readers,

So I realize it has been a couple of weeks… my movie schedule was not quite as loaded at the end of November as I thought it might be, and I have been eagerly anticipating watching and reviewing Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse.  Well, the moment is here… this will be a quick review… go see it, it’s awesome!

OK. Now that I have told you everything you really need to know, I will actually jump into some particulars.  Into the Spider-Verse follows the story of lesser known Spider-man, Miles Morales, as he gains his powers, struggles with his own self doubts and his estrangement from his overprotective father, and grows into his own heroic identity.  Oh, and a bunch of different versions of Spider-man from parallel universes pop in to help him fight a number of quirky villains from Spider-man’s rogues gallery.

This film has everything: incredible visual effects, good storytelling, interesting characters (with really stellar voice acting), spectacular action, and heart.  My one warning for this film is sometimes the action can be overwhelming with the constantly shifting colors, pace, camera angles: if you are the type of person that gets nauseous from over-stimulation, maybe skip this one on the big screen.  There is always a lot going on on the screen, and the action sequences are stunning but they tend to throw a lot at you.  The incredible visuals are offset by truly interesting and compelling characters.  While many of these characters are familiar to those who follow Marvel, or particularly those who are already fans of Spider-man, they each come across as unique individuals who have their own interesting back stories and motivations for their actions.  This is especially true of Miles, his father, and his uncle, each of whom are given unique backstories that dramatically impact their character in the present, while never falling into the trap of overdeveloping the past or using lazy flashbacks.  Their story is compelling and rings true as a genuine parent/teenager relationship.

The supporting cast is also excellent.  We see two different versions of Peter Parker; the version from Miles’ world who is Spider-man at his most iconic; based the various film versions of the character over the last 20 years, this version of Spider-man is confident in himself and thoroughly invested in his work as a hero.  We also get to see an older, more jaded version of the character who has been doing the hero thing for so long it has lost its glamour, while the constant battles have obviously taken their toll on his life and relationships.  He becomes a strong mentor for Miles, and their relationship allows him to confront his own failures and overcome them.  It’s a pretty typical reluctant mentor arc, but it is still well done and engaging.  We also get Spider-Gwen, from a universe where Gwen Stacy got bitten by the spider instead of Peter Parker, and becomes motivated to be a hero after Peter Parker is killed.  She is likable, the chemistry between her and Miles is fun but doesn’t overwhelm the story, and her fighting style is beautifully animated.  While not central, the rest of the Spider-cast is fun and well voice cast.  Nicholas Cage hams it up beautifully as Spider-Man Noir, while John Mulaney knocks it out of the park as Spider-Ham.  Although her character seemed a bit more extraneous and has little impact, the inclusion of anime style Peni Parker added a really interesting visual dynamic as the animators had to change visual styles for her scenes and fight sequences.

The villains are also well conceived and executed.  While Kingpin is by no means the scariest or most well known of Spider-man’s villains, the film does an excellent job making him menacing, while also giving him an interesting motivation for his actions beyond just, “I’m doing this because I am a bad person.”  I also loved (spoilers) the inclusion of a female version of Doc Ock: it created a fun visual take on the character, while also playing into the fun growing stereotype of the manic crazy female scientist, which honestly, is a trope I cannot get enough of.

Overall, “Spider-Man: into the Spider-Verse” was an amazingly fun film with incredible visuals, engaging characters, awesome action sequences, good pacing, excellent storytelling, just the right amount of heart.  A must see for the entire family, and a great addition to the “Spider-Man” franchise.

Well, back to reality!

Ralph Breaks the Internet... and the Big Screen

So my movie for this week was Disney’s “Raph Breaks the Internet.”  The long awaited sequel to “Wreck It Ralph,” this film takes everything that was thoroughly enjoyable about the first: quirky characters, compelling story, and easter eggs galore, and makes it bigger… because… the internet.  While marketed as a kids film, many of the jokes hit home for the adult viewer as well, making it an engaging view for the whole family.

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” picks up six years after the events of the first film.  Ralph is content with his life; work in his game by day, hanging out with his best friend Vanellope at night.  Vanellope, however, is bored of driving the same tracks every day and wants something more.  When her game breaks, she and Ralph venture into the world of the internet to purchase the necessary piece on Ebay.  What follows is an entertaining ride though a colorful representation of the online world, replete with viral videos, pop-ups, online gaming, viruses, and every subsidiary company that Disney owns.

While it does not pay to take too close a look at the relationships between the characters in the story (Ralph’s relationship with Vanellope veers wildly between father struggling to let go, overly codependent boyfriend, and super possessive best friend), the emotional heart of the movie is about struggling with change and putting the needs of others ahead of your own, always an excellent message for both kids and adults.  Ralph and Vanellope’s friendship is put at the forefront of the story, meaning that many of the other characters are not given opportunities to grow and develop, and while I would have liked to see more of the subplot with Fix-It-Felix and Calhoun parenting 15 obnoxious teenage children, the fact that the story chose to put quality over quantity in their character development and focus so intently on Vanellope and Ralph is undeniably positive.

What makes “Ralph Breaks the Internet” shine is the abundance of easter eggs.  Disney pulled out all the stops for this film.  The fact that Vanellope is an unacknowledged Disney princess is played well for both feels and laughs.  Many of the original voices of the Disney princesses lent their voice talents to this film, and the inclusion of a brilliant song by Disney composer Alan Menken, both mocks the hype surrounding the Disney princess phenomenon while brilliantly selling everything that is great about the characters.  Disney further pulls out all the stops with characters showing up from Star Wars, the MCU, and other Disney properties including a hilarious interview with Baby Groot and a special cameo that made me slightly teary.

There was actually a surprising amount to analyze in this film, and I may come back to it at a later date, but for today, take the time to check out “Ralph Breaks the Internet.”  This funny, insightful, and energetic film does a lot right, while also miraculously outdoing films like the “The Lego Movie,” for product placement, easter eggs, and self-referential/self-deprecating humor.

Well, back to reality!