Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2018

Easily my favorite animated film in the last 5 years.

Where most animation suffers from plot dragging, too much comedy, or unrealistic character's, this one had none of these issues. The beginning captured me, meeting Miles, his uncle, and Spider Man - everything felt like how life happens, as opposed to 'random chance'.

There is so much about this art piece I loved, I can't even recount it all. The music was very fitting, and all voice talent well placed. A scene that gave me chills and tears at the same time, was the entire monologue of Miles' father while he was tied up, all the way through Miles discovering himself, painting the suit, and swinging through the city. That entire scene was perfect in every way - the music, the visuals, the emotion from the buildup, everything. The last time I was filled with that much emotion from animation was when Hiccup and Toothless met and were drawing in the sand, in How To Train Your Dragon.

I also loved the art style. It somehow clearly set itself apart from other animation, while simultaneously being beautiful, and at times realistic. I would love to see more of this style.

[8.8/10] I’m currently watching my fifth consecutive Spider-Man animated series. From the 1990s cartoon that I grew up on, to the Ultimate Spider-Man series that ended in 2017, Marvel and its licensees gave us five versions of the web-head in different forms. Some kept Spidey in New York, others sent him off into space. Some made him an untested kid in high school, others made him an accomplished young adult in college. Some narrowed Spidey’s world to a focused ecosystem of characters and conflicts and others expanded to encompass the whole of the Marvel universe.

But all of them starred Peter Parker as Spider-Man. And in the process of repeat adaptation, they can’t help but prompt the question -- what makes Spider-Man who he is? What is the connective tissue that makes all of these adaptations of a piece and recognizable as stories about the same character? Is it just the suit, or the web-slinging, or the quips, or is it something deeper than that?

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse aims to answer that question with Miles Morales, the Afro-Latino teenager from Brooklyn who took over the Spider-Man mantle in the “Ultimate” line of Marvel comics. Miles shares some of Peter’s qualities -- he’s young, he’s bright, he’s uncertain. But he also has his unique elements: his two loving parents, his being torn between two sides of his family, and the different culture he is a part of and represents. He is familiar to anyone who’s followed the Spider-Man character for years and years in his endearing efforts to figure out both his normal life and his superheroic one, and his youthful awkwardness and uncertainty at it, but he’s also distinct from the raft of Peter Parkers who’ve graced both the big and small screen in the last two decades.

And most importantly, this is his story. Into the Spider-Verse uses its combo-breaking protagonist and its parallel universe-hopping plot to ask the broader question of what makes a Spider-Man (or -Gwen or -Ham). But it is first and foremost a story about a young man being pulled in two different directions by the father he loves and the uncle he admires, about resolving the differences between the place that can help lift him up and the place he came from, about figuring out not just who Spider-Man is, but who you are, when everything’s counting on you.

Strip away the spidey-sense and supervillains. Strip away the interuniversal mashup and the flash and fury. At heart, Into the Spider-Verse is a coming of age tale for arguably the most compelling young protagonist the superhero genre has offered in a long time. And while it is yet another cape flick origin story -- something the film itself pokes fun at -- it has the smarts to make it much less about how a budding hero gets his superpowers, and much more about how a teenage boy decides who he wants to be.

That’s aided by the style of the film, which works in concert with the substance. The term “comic book movie” is thrown around willy-nilly to describe any cape movie (including by yours truly) but this is the first one to truly earn the designation. The entire film exudes the bumpy texture and tropes of the medium to firmly cement the movie as emerging, fully-formed, from the comic pages. It’s a tack that’s particularly effective when Miles gains his spider powers, and the prominence of thought bubbles and whirly onomatopoeia take over to cement the fact that something serious has shifted here. Honestly, you could halt the movie at around the half hour mark and still have a tidy and encouraging tale about Miles discovering his abilities that would work as its own thing and leave you hungry for more.

But that would deprive us of the ensuing hour of superheroic flash and fun. Into the Spider-Verse is a joy to watch, with kinetic, color-bursting action that captures the ebb and flow of Spider-Man’s balletic grace through the skies better than any adaptation to date. The stylized approach to character design and animation gives the whole movie a distinctive flavor from the first glance to the final scene. And the way the movie blends art styles to help connote the ways in which this is a crossover between Spider Men and Women from across the multiverse is funny and fantastic.

The films boasts almost as many web-heads per capita as a Spidey-themed Where’s Waldo book, but it works in the movie’s favor. Whether it’s the black and white stylings of Spider-Man Noir, the anime-influenced presence of Peni Parker, or the Looney Tunes-aping insanity of Spider-Man, one look at the horde of Spider-people on screen tells you what’s afoot.

At the same time, the film sketches out its supporting characters with complete arcs. A spider-powered Gwen stacy has tentative but inevitable romantic chemistry with Miles, but is a capable and vital part of the action, and slowly overcomes her reluctance to build friendships after what happened in her home universe. At the same time, an older Peter Parker from another world joins the fray to give us the “after” of the traditional Spider-Man to Miles’s “before.” There’s real juice in seeing a potbellied, battle-weary, and cynical Spider-Man being forced to rediscover his ideals through the eyes of someone who looks up to him (or, at least, a version of him), and needs him as a mentor. And the way the film not only reconstructs one Spider-Man in the background while it’s building up another for the first time, while baking in a story of growing comfortable with having children, is nigh-masterful.

But in the end, apart from the eye-catching art and dimension-spanning guest stars, Into the Spider-Verse is about Miles, and that’s where it’s the most engrossing. The film constantly draws a contrast between the life Mile’s policeman father wants for him, and the rougher-edged existence his black sheep Uncle has cut out for himself, with the freedom and style that Miles envies while trapped in his midtown magnet school existence. It depicts Miles as inherently uncertain, before and after he has the ability to stick to walls. He is undeniably capable of great things, something his family members and reluctant mentors all agree on. But he doesn't know what shape that’s supposed to take, how to be what he’s expected to be or who he means to be.

Then, through heart-rending but heartening trial and tragedy, he finds out. Into the Spider-Verse signposts it a little too heavily for my tastes, but with the encouragement of his uncle, the acceptance of his father, Miles finds his own path, his own style, that’s the true-to-oneself harmonization of the best that’s been passed on to him, from man and Spider-Man alike. He has his father’s inherent goodness and sense of doing what’s right, with his uncle’s talent for improvisation and determination, and his own creative spark that drives him to put his own signature on each move and choice he makes. The best part of Into the Spider-Verse comes not only from when our hero truly becomes Spider-Man; it comes from when he fully and firmly becomes confident, caring, self-actualized Miles Morales he wants to be.

With that, Into the Spider-Verse answers its animating question. In a preemptive strike against those who would claim that someone who doesn't share Peter Parker’s name, or his skin color, cannot be Spider-Man, it posits that the things that made the character so indelible through fifty years of stories go beyond moniquers or melanin. Through Miles’s journey, and his other universe counterparts, it declares that being Spider-Man requires facing down tragedy and knowing the pain of loss but having it embolden you toward justice rather than driving you to madness and cruelty like it does for the film’s villains. It means learning to trust yourself and what you’re capable of even when that tentativeness and uncertainty hangs over you like a cloud that you just have to thwip or leap your way through.

And most of all, persevering, getting up when you’re knocked down, and deciding not to quit. Time again, Miles is pushed back, beaten down, and all-around inclined to just give up. It’s the quality that inspires the most doubt, in his father, in his wall-crawling colleagues, and in himself. But when he overcomes it, when he finds himself and learns to believe in his own potential, he also refuses to stay down.

That’s the central idea of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The film was preceded by five decades’ worth of Spider-Man adaptations in scores of different mediums, and it will almost certainly be followed by five decades’ more. What unites these varying takes on the character, what makes them true and right and real despite their differences, is that indefatigable quality each of them shares, despite setting or style or sobriquet. And Miles Morales gives shape to that lesson, straining and striving to become Spider-Man, and becoming himself in the process.

Part 8 (of 8) of my Spider-Man movie re-watch marathon in preparation for No Way Home. Generally I have not been updating my original scores during this marathon, even in cases when the films didn't hold up, but in this case it's a nonissue because my original score (8/10) still feels appropriate.

THE BAD: No big problems, just nitpicks. I'm not a big fan of Miles' non-traditional venom strike and invisibility powers. They just don't feel very Spider-Man to me (apologies in advance if they are actually comic book accurate powers, but I certainly wasn't aware of them beforehand). That said, I appreciate their importance from a narrative perspective and thought they were used well throughout the movie. While the over-the-top nature of this movie's premise is obviously very intentional and allows for extreme creativity, certain elements just weren't my speed. In particular, the Looney Tunes-esque Peter Porker was not a real value-add for me. There were also certain action sequences (e.g. the cemetery/dragged by train set piece) that were a bit more slapstick/cartoonish than I would like, especially given the darker tone/event that kicked off the plot.

THE GOOD: The most impressive thing about this movie is the fact that it successfully executes such a ridiculously ambitious premise. Interdimensional antics have been a mainstay of comic book storytelling for probably 50+ years, but this film might be the first real success in translating those antics to the big screen. The darker elements of the story are well executed, leading to some very effective emotional beats (including a great Stan Lee cameo, rest in peace). The animation is top tier, with maximum creativity on display in every scene. In particular, the comic book inspired elements (thought bubbles, multi-panel sequences, etc.) are perfect. The soundtrack is killer. The voice acting is top notch. The humor is plentiful, naturalistic, and meaningfully contributes to character development. Jake Johnson's Peter B. Parker is an impressive example of how lean storytelling combined with well known mythos can establish compelling new characters very quickly (this technique was also used to varying degrees of success in Marvel's recent animated What If...? show on Disney+).

And with that, my Spider-Man movie re-watch marathon is officially over. Luckily, with No Way Home coming out tomorrow, I won't have to wait long to get another dose of the web-slinger. It's really a testament to the character that even after watching 8 straight films, I'm still excited for more.

Miles Morales, not Peter Parker, is the lead character in the new animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the latest venture from Sony and Marvel. The movie follows Miles as he develops his spider powers and teams up with various versions of Spider-Man to take down the nefarious Kingpin and his machine. The movie offers a refreshing take on a beloved character and a unique visual style that combines traditional comic book drawings with 3D and 2D animation. The voice work from the ensemble cast is excellent and the writing is filled with humor and heart. Overall, Spider-Verse is a visually stunning and fun film that is a refreshing addition to the Spider-Man franchise.

Miles Morales, no Peter Parker, es el personaje principal de la nueva película animada, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, la última aventura de Sony y Marvel. La película sigue a Miles mientras desarrolla sus poderes de araña y se une a varias versiones de Spider-Man para derrotar al infame Kingpin y su máquina. La película ofrece una versión refrescante de un personaje querido y un estilo visual único que combina dibujos tradicionales de cómics con animación en 3D y 2D. El trabajo de voz del elenco es excelente y la escritura está llena de humor y corazón. En general, Spider-Verse es una película visualmente impresionante y divertida que es una adición refrescante a la franquicia de Spider-Man.

Alternate Spider-Men from various dimensions are brought together by a selfish scheme, confusedly interact, share a few puns, trade tips and race to beat the bad guy before their respective home worlds are annihilated.

Given the steamroll of positive word-of-mouth, I had concerns about this one living up to my expectations. Instead, it smashed them to pieces. It surprises, delights, amuses and entertains right from the opening gun. A sharp, witty script manages to nail the goofy essence of the character (seen through a kaleidoscope of different lenses) without feeling forced, hokey or dated. It's effortlessly hip and tuned-in, a tale that understands what's fresh and spotlights that without exploiting it. The plot remains light-hearted and smooth, but not without trials or consequences.

And I don't think I can say nearly enough about the dynamic, electrifying visuals. They're a shot of adrenaline, consistently vibrant and dazzling, a vivid showpiece that leaps straight from page to screen without sacrificing any of the clever little quirks and format-conscious tricks that always seemed so inseparable from the printed medium. Into the Spider-Verse is the first time a big comic book adaptation has really worn those funnybook roots as a badge of honor, something to be respected and embraced, rather than an embarrassing blemish. It understands what makes a good comic tick, values those singular traits and uses them to improve the entire production. I didn't realize how much I needed something like this.

Hoorah, a one-off Marvel super-hero story that does not mesh into other stories or heroes and is entirely stand alone. What a breath of fresh air. How do you make a Marvel super-hero story and particularly a popular hero, Spider Man, who has had so many incarnations (I think I might be up for the role soon) fresh? The makers of this movie, and there’s a roster’s worth of names, came up with an idea, whilst not original, certainly boosted the old tropes and made fun, in a loving way, of the whole Marvel Universe whilst creating an interesting and to point super-hero story.

What’s more we’re in a world of animation here and yet an old gimmer like me felt more connected to Miles, his parents and the jaded Peter B. Parker with his fat gut and pizza guzzling ways. How can animation hold my interest and make me genuinely laugh more than skilled on-screen actors and action?

The main protagonist Miles is the glue that holds the story together, more like a kid in a difficult situation than any host of live-action stories on the same tack. More believable, more fun, and more downright relatable. Aside from the animation and voice acting, it must be the writing, the feel for how a young lad might possibly react in these out-of-the-world and in-the-real-world situations.

The set up before the real story begins is engaging and enjoyable and drags you into Miles and his parents situation and once we get to the larger-than-life King Pin, voiced by Liev Shreiber believe it or not, and the funny but no irritating Peter Parker and the Peter B. Parker this show is on the road. Every character is well-fleshed and makes sense in their own ways without their own world and it was a blast from beginning to the very funny end.

The artwork and animation are superb and cleverly harks back to the comic-book origins and seamlessly mixes different styles to great effect.

Certainly, this movie came along at the right time for me, not a comic-book fan or particular big fan of Marvel, its strength was it dragged me in, and I enjoyed the characters and story. Maybe this alienated it from real fans of these films, but I cannot see it. If you like comic-books how could you not like this film? The voice acting is perfectly suited to each character, believable and fun, and not annoying as I can find these types.

So, there you go, a Marvel movie about a superhero, with fighting and explosions, that I enjoyed. I recommend Spider Man: Into Multi-Verse it is how comic-book films should be made.

8 reasons why everybody should watch this movie:

1) The animation
This is what animation was made for. Pushing it to the limit. The colours are vibrant, movements fluid and the visual storytelling stellar. You can't take your eyes off the screen. And honestly, you shouldn't. This does justice to the comic book adaptation name. Very raw, straight from the page.

2) Choreography and camera work
Nowadays many action movies don't care about choreography and just show characters punching each other in a dark smoke filled desolate area. Not this movie. The fight scenes are awesome, well staged and Spiderman's ability to swing is used to its full potential. Let me tell you, this movie is such a visual treat.

3) The story
We all know Spiderman's origin story by now. Bitten by a spider, yadda yadda yadda. But not this time. The writers are very well aware of the tropes yet respectful to the origin material and have created an adventure worth rewatching. Combining everything we know and all from all of the dimensions creates a very unique story.

4) Emotions
This is an emotional rollercoaster. You will laugh at the jokes geared toward both kids and adults, you will cry at the emotional moments, you will have chills watching this movie. Trust me.

5) Miles Morales
Miles Morales in the comics isn't quite the best character ever made. He has a hard time developing something unique about himself and it shows on the page, yet the writers of this movie have completely remade the character to be his own person. He finally got his unique personality, his unique origin story. You can finally enjoy his character whether you knew him before or not. But if you did you can also enjoy the subtle nod to his comic book self.

6) Character development
As the Pixar rule of storytelling goes: you admire a character for trying rather than succeeding. And our main characters try a lot. And fail a lot. But that's how life goes and we see our characters deal with real-life situations in a way that makes us root for them.

7) Representation
There are hundreds of stories about how Miles's character inspired children to feel like a superhero. Representation matters. Everybody can be a superhero. All you need is just...

8) A leap of faith
The chills.

Well the biggest surprise of the year appears to be that the Sony Animation release where John Mulaney voices a talking pig is one of the best films of 2018!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an incredibly unique film showcasing fantastic animation that gives the film a look that will always be associated with this project. Introducing comic book elements into the film only to switch it up further by incorporating different animation techniques on top of each other later in the film.

As a comic book fan it is really cool to see underappreciated characters treated with such respect in a big film like this. Cage and Mulaney both do a fantastic job playing two of the more comic relief characters in the film while still managing to showcase what makes those characters interesting. This film follows the character of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) a fan favourite but often overlooked character in the Spider-Man cannon. Despite most audiences not being familiar with the character the care and commitment to getting him right is commendable.

Really that’s what this film is all about, care and commitment. Sony Animations doing a Spider-Man film with bankable stars like Hailee Steinfeld and Jake Johnson was always guaranteed to make money but this film goes above and beyond to ensure that it offers a new experience.

I realise that the way I’m talking about this film makes it sound like an “important” film that is more art project than family fun but that could not be further from the truth. Into the Spider-Verse is hilarious. This film has a writing credit from Phil Lord one half of the team behind the Jump Street films and the Lego Movie and it shows. I can’t remember a single joke that didn’t land and much like with The Lego Movie even scenes that don’t feature as many jokes are still very engaging and entertaining.

In sort: See this movie! (and stay for the end credits!)

Disappointing. I was looking forward to this movie for two reasons: a great voice cast and the whimsy of multiple Spider Man/characters from varying dimensions. But instead of building interesting characters (heroes and villians) I was presented with a number of long, chaotic action sequences robbed of dramatic (or comedic) tension by the lack of well articulated characters and interpersonal dynamics. There was also a production anomaly that was puzzling - there were times when the animation was blurry as if drawn for 3D (there was a 3D version, but that wasn't the one I was viewing), so, I hastily put on my 3D glasses, which I happened to have at hand, and it was still 2D, just blurry ... odd(?). I hoped for a better story and entertaining character interactions but I was disappointed. In retrospect, I may have been overly critical of this movie. More positively: I thought Shameik Moore's portrayal was relatable and I liked the whole vibe of Miles Morales's Spiderman from his unique powers to his artistic expressions to his final costume. I also know that most reviews are straight out raves, maybe I was having an uninspiring day. I give this film a 5 (meh) out of 10. [Marvel Animation]

Okay, I don't think I've ever seen anything like Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse film. It's just such a refreshingly unique animated movie, and I absolutely adore it.

This is a prime example of why I say Chris Lord and Phil Miller are two of the greatest directors right now. They inject their films with such flair, and take these iconic IPs that others would just slap the name on and call it a day, and do something wholly original.

It's not just about making a franchise movie for them, it's about making a statement.

And God, does this film make such a bold statement. It's such a beautiful, beautiful piece of art. The way they have taken such care and dedication to replicate the feel of a comic book, from the page turns to the comic book panels and the text boxes is just mind-blowing. Their direction makes it feel exactly like watching a living and breathing comic-book.

And the animation is utterly stunning. The colours are so bright and punchy, and I love how they have gone for a sort of stop motion 2D feel with it. It's still CGI animated, but it has that feel of 2D animation down to a tea.

Oh, and the story is just so good too. Miles Morales is immensely likeable from the very beginning; he is exactly what Spider-Man should be. An everyday teen who is caught between his personal problems and his superhero life. Kingpin's motivation for starting the collider, an attempt to bring in alternate versions of his loved ones who passed away, works so well and means you are really able to understand where he is coming from, even if he is deranged and going about it the wrong way. And the whole thematic hook throughout of 'the leap of faith' is just perfect; the pay-off is executed flawlessly in a stunning piece of animation, and comes in a place where it feels totally earned.

The humour is on-point (I loved the recurring puberty and Rubik's cube gags in particular), and the female Doctor Octopus was a genius spin on Otto Octavius.

I don't think I could praise this film enough. They just got it so right, and I can't wait to see how Spider-Man 2099 factors into the sequel.

The Good:

• The film ties neatly with both the earlier Spider-Man movies and the world of comic books – it has fun with its roots in ways most superhero films do not have.
• Quirky and colourful animation; both a tribute to comic books and refreshingly different.
• The core of the story is exactly what you would expect from a Spidey story: a teenage drama and a story about growing up and finding yourself.
• The entire world feels realistic and the characters are highly relatable. In many ways, Into the Spiderverse is more down to earth than previous Spidey films.
• Its visual style, storytelling techniques and flow bear close resemblance to comic books.
• You will fall in love with the tried and tested Spidey origin story all over again.
• Into the Spiderverse plays around with layers and angles in ways that are surprising for an animated feature.
• The animation is so slick at times, that it feels almost photorealistic.
• The actions scenes are huge, bold and inventive.
• Miles’ road to becoming Spider-Man is wonderful to watch – the problems, challenges and stakes feel realistic.
• Nice to see the film populated by alternative versions of the character.
• The script teaches its viewers many important things and has real depth.

The Bad:

• The livid action scenes are also a major weakness, since they tend to turn into a mesh of colour more akin of a messy LSD trip than enjoyable action.
• Unfortunately, the movie often falls into the category of childish goofiness that is so common with animated films. The goofiness in most of its physical comedy might not suit all adult audiences.
• The trippy visuals and over the top action turn the movie into a hectic and childish affair.
• Mostly boring villains (apart from the reimagined Doc Oc): Kingpin just hangs around for the duration of the film and the Scorpion is just a mindless beast.
• The alternative versions of Spidey really have no real place in the story, except for Hobo Spidey, and feel more like unnecessary fan service.

Verdict:
It does a lot of things right and reinvigorates a character who has been through most on the big screen already – but it is just too much of the good thing to truly be enjoyable.