Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back, but this time he has a fellowship of web-warriors from other dimensions to save the day. In a market currently flooded with Marvel, one might scoff at the idea that ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘ has anything new to offer, but prepare for a fresh spin on this radioactive world. This ‘Spider-Man‘ is hilarious, bold and inclusive. It not only reflects diversity in its artistic approach, but also in its cast of characters – and above anything else, the animation is absolutely unparalleled!
In an alternate reality, middle-schooler Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is bitten by a glowing spider and becomes the new Spider-Man. But when the evil mobster Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) opens a mysterious portal, Miles soon discovers there’s a multiverse with more than one Spidey. First appearing in 2011 in the Ultimate Fallout comic after the death of Peter Parker, ‘Miles’ was created as a positive role model for children of color and to reflect the changing ideals of American society. And after a repetitive decade of Spider–films sticking to the same format, it’s fun to see one that breaks away from the norm and takes risks to forge its own path. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘ not only celebrates its origins and allows the audience to experience what its like reading a comic, but it uses the means of shifting viewpoints and movement to tell an engaging story.
Definitely earning its PG rating, fans of ‘Deadpool‘ will recognize the influenced humor and self-aware narration. Although the movie is marketed to children, some of the violence and villains might be a bit heavy for those under a certain age. A young boy at this screening, for example, was overheard telling his mother “this is too scary” as Miles was chased down a dark tunnel by one of Kingpin’s evildoers. And speaking of Kingpin, one of the few mistakes in this animated feature was making him comically large. Whether intentional or not, every time he comes on the screen, adult viewers will find it difficult not to laugh. The only other negative might be the slight blurriness viewers experience who don’t purchase 3-D tickets, but it doesn’t completely take away from the experience; it can easily pass as part of the film’s modern flair.
Swinging back to the positives, ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘ has some terrific voice acting. From Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir to a bittersweet cameo from the recently deceased Stan Lee as himself, the diversified group perfectly capture the emotional tone of this action-packed adventure. The mighty scale of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘ is indescribable and has to be personally witnessed, but it’s something that delivers both a progressive message that anyone can wear the mask and hope for the future of the superhero genre.