Review: SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is an animated film starring well, Spider-Man, but not the Spider-Man you’re used to. This film stars Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) a high schooler who gets bitten by a radioactive spider. Now, Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) has been Spider-Man for 10 years. He’s Miles’ inspiration for becoming the second Spider-Man. Without getting into spoilers, the two share a bond that sticks with you for the rest of the film. While Peter is fighting Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) a portal to alternate realities opens, leading to more spider-people coming to Miles’ world. From here we’re introduced to Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) aka Spider-Woman, Spider-Man Noir (Nicholas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Peter Porker: The Amazing Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). The objective is to stop Kingpin from destroying the multiverse and getting all the spider-folks back to their earths.

The film is Spider-Man at its best! Each character is unique and a joy to watch on screen. The film is built on themes from classic Spider-Man lore. While the words “With great power, there must also come great responsibility.” aren’t exactly said, it’s still heavily implied. Miles, Peter, Gwen, they all are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Showing the true meaning of being Spider-Man. Miles, while not Peter, has to balance being Spider-Man with his personal life. He is trying to make friends, and deal with his family. He feels like a kid. Once again, putting a fresh spin on the Spider-Man story. Peter, is now in a mentoring role, giving his character new places to go. It keeps things interesting. Spider-Man has had 6 movies so this changing was definitely welcomed.

The film has a very laid back tone. There is action and comedy sure, but they give it time to breathe. It’s character driven, and Miles is the driving force behind it all, even if Peter takes the wheel once and a while. The only major drawback is some of the visual effects. They get so bombastic at times that it feels like you’re watching a 3D film without the glasses. The art style was fantastic but some moments were too overwhelming.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a fantastic ride! It takes everything we love about the franchise and presents it in a way that will please both casual and die-hard Spider-Man fans. It makes as a fitting tribute to creator’s Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, and a love letter to fans everywhere. It really is one of the best films of the year.