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!
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