SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018) Review

Spider-Man has fought dastardly villains. Spider-Man has saved New York. Spider-Man has fallen in love. Spider-Man has danced very weirdly in the streets of Manhattan (what was that, by the way? I’m still mad at Raimi for that). Spider-Man has been delivering for years, and will surely be delivering for years to come. SPIDERMAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE recognizes all of this very quickly, and builds its own unique, crisp, and aesthetically pleasing Spider-Man tastefully around the mold that has been created for him by numerous reboots and “reimaginings” of Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter-ego. Through tasteful and mesmerizing animation and an incredible blend of story-telling and new characters, (the directors) deliver the best Spider-Man to date, and perhaps one of the best comic book movies of all time.

As a creative and imaginative Brooklyn kid, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) just trying to fit into his new school and deal with his cop dad. When he gets bit by a radio-active spider and a portal to other dimensions open up in the middle of New York, his world quite literally becomes a jumbled mess of colour and superpowers. He meets different spider-people (and animals!) (Johnson, Steinfeld, Cage, Mulaney, Glenn) from the other dimensions, and through these relationships and his new-found distinctions, they must work to close the portal and stop the ultimate Kingpin from destroying the Spiders’ beloved home.

Looking like it is fresh out of the comic strip, and bursting with neon and fresh animation, INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE offers the most refreshing cinematic take on Spider-man we have ever seen. Every frame bursts with bright, shifting colours, as if the colours themselves are alive. Complete with abounding onomatopoeia and think-boxes, this experience truly does feel like the comic you know and love has come alive, and is projecting itself onto and into every single one of your senses. I found myself mesmerized throughout the entire movie, unable to take my eyes away from what looked like 3D characters jumping in and out of a 2D book. One of the finest takeaways of the animation is a shot of Miles jumping from a building, an upside down shot with colours magnificently blended to accent Miles’ courage, and the city he loves pushing him to its core. Yet, the feats of animation were not the only star of this movie.

What makes this vision feel contemporary is the fact that this is not simply a superhero origin story. Miles is a kid figuring out where he belongs, he is a teen who is growing up, and he is someone who wants to express himself creatively. This movie, the writing, and direction burst themselves out of their pre-determined mold created exactly for its purpose, and divulge into the deeper aspects of Miles’ individual relationships, mirrored by his origin story. Had the characters not had superhero powers, this would be classified as a coming of age story; had Miles been a bit older, this would be a “finding yourself” story. Yet, since Miles is a Spider-Man, and he’s a kid, and he’s struggling to express himself, it is all three stories in one. We see his relationships with his family, the other Spiders, and with himself has all interwoven, never did it feel an aspect of the story feel out of place.

Concerning the actual Spider-Verse, each Spider brings different things to the table, and it doesn’t at all feel like a “here’s what I have to offer” kind of way. It’s not just super team, and it’s not just more of the same Spider-Man formula; caring about them all individually was very easy and was felt deeply – it’s definitely new to me to cry during a comic book movie. Not once did I think “oh great, another Spider-Man”, and in a movie where multiple Spiders team-up, it’s a great feat to have them all feel independent and completely original, while at the same time nostalgic of the classic Spider-Man quips and thwips. The stand out for me, other than Moore’s obvious portrayal of Miles, is Cage’s Spider-Man Noir. Taking an era of black-and-white, adding Spider-Man punching Nazis, and on top of that, a cloak? Absolutely genius material, and one of the funniest characters of the year.

In a world in which the same character has more than 3 different iterations in multiple mediums, creating something innovative and original would be a difficult feat. Yet, the team behind INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE certainly did not disappoint. I have always loved Spider-Man, but through the 5 different dimensions, I have learned very easily to love anyone who is behind the mask – which is what Spider-Man is all about.

Jade

Score: 9.4/10