Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Film Review

Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962, Spider-Man has endured a long and storied history. Swinging from the pages first in the timeless late ’60s cartoon, then to the Nicholas Hammond TV series of the ‘70s, to the inevitable live-action films beginning with 2002’s Spider-Man, and carrying through Marvel and Sony’s deal to incorporate the bug into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Venom and now Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse hitting theaters this year, everything is coming up spiders for Sony. But are all of these reboots, spin-offs, and revisionist attempts to stranglehold the market with Spider-Everything simply too much?

Hell. No.

Utilizing a unique brand of revolutionary animation one could reasonably describe as “stop-motion graffiti”, Into the Spider-Verse follows the origin story of Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore). Everyone still reading is far too familiar with Peter Parker, but Miles is another young man from the Marvel well who eventually becomes infected by an amazing arachnid. Wrestling with his own identity as he adjusts to his new private school, Miles also struggles to find his footing in society between an overwhelming hero-cop father and a blind adoration for his shady (yet loving) Uncle Aaron. If you’ve never read a Spider-Man comic, just know that uncles are a big deal.

We are feverishly brought up-to-date on Peter Parker’s actions, and Miles conveniently stumbles into Parker’s attempt to thwart Kingpin’s master plan of screwing with alternate dimensions for personal gain. Too much explanation could spoil far too many fantastic reveals, so suffice it to say, this connection ultimately brings variations of Spider-Man from every dimension into Miles’. Together, they must defeat Kingpin if they ever stand a chance of returning to their own respective worlds.

Plopping in my seat for Into the Spider-Verse, I was completely disengaged due to ho-hum marketing and a Venom stinger that, frankly, left as indelible a mark as a turd in the wind. Then the lights went down. The theater was quiet. Suddenly, my Spidey senses were engaged!

The animation is eye-popping, bold, dazzling, and a borderline CIA sensory deprivation tactic. It’s unlike any style of animation I have witnessed in any medium (though some anime rivals the concept). For every iteration of a comic-book film that comes along with critics like myself claiming “this movie looks ripped out of a comic book!” THIS movie actually leapt straight out of one! An avid reader my entire life, this is the first time I have felt Ditko and Lee’s creation maintaining form and bouncing straight off the page. And if you have the opportunity to experience it in 3D, do not hesitate.

Spider-Verse hits the ground running with a pulse-pounding soundtrack to illuminate the jazzy animation and clever script. And much like Airplane, this film is stuffed with nods, winks, and homages for comic and movie buffs alike. From incorporating comic “thought” panels into the narrative to acknowledging Peter Parker once emo-danced through New York City, Into the Spider-Verse refuses to mock its own history and, instead, revels in its past.

Story points I won’t go into – trust me, you will want to experience this with fresh eyes – but aside from the blistering visuals and Phil Lord’s exceptionally tight script, the voice acting is impeccable. Shameik Moore pours his heart and soul into Miles and his journey. Running shotgun is a surprisingly warm Jake Johnson as an older, potentially wiser Peter Parker. Johnson delivers enough of his trademark wit to remind you it’s him, but his emerging compassion and Yoda-like leadership skills in the final act punch up the emotion in an otherwise whiz-bang script. With numerous other talents on loan – Lily Tomlin (a fiery Aunt May), Nicolas Cage (Spider-Man Noir, equal parts ominous and hilarious), and Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Gwen, finally making an appearance in a Spidey flick) to name a few – there is rarely a minute which rolls by where you are not playing “whose voice was THAT?!”

All told, this is a film with flash and sizzle, the kind of animated flick that innovates while decimating expectations. I wish I could pontificate on the errors within, but I was simply too busy smiling to notice. Grab your family, friends, and Spidey fans and get to a theater STAT! Into the Spider-Verse is the rare Spider-Man film that fully understands the power of its historic responsibility.