There’s something
about Spider-Man. Ever since the popular comic book character first
hit the big screen in 2002 it’s hard not to be obsessed. And just
when you think you’ve almost seen
enough of the character we’re given another completely gratifying
and unique take that is truly
unlike anything we’ve been given before. I’ve enjoyed every
Spider-Man reboot and redo that’s been out there:
everything from the “Amazing” version, to
the fantastic MCU version,
the Raimi versions - hey even
“Spider-Man 3” is
watchable if horrible.
There’s
something strangely appealing about this web-shooting, wise-cracking
hero that feels universal and relatable. Enter “Spider-Man: Into
the Spider-Verse” the first animated theatrical film staring the
popular wall-crawler. It’s
a completely fresh and absolutely hilarious
take on the character and everything you thought
you new about the friendly neighborhood hero. Featuring innovative
animation, a truly clever story, and interesting new characters and
interesting takes on old characters, “Spider-Man: Into the
Spider-Verse” is a must-see for anyone who loves Spider-Man or
is a human being.
To
be honest the look of this Spider-Verse was jarring a bit. The
fast-paced action, comic book-like computer animation, and almost
stop-motion looking character movements were almost so new I wasn’t
sure if my eyes were enjoying it as much as my brain. But as the film
progressed and I settled into this new cinematic take on feature
animation I really began to dig it. We’re introduced to a teenage
Bronx boy named Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) who’s your average
city teen except he’s a person of color which feels delightfully
refreshing in this genre. His story may seem familiar: one day he’s
bitten by a radioactive spider and then he begins to experience
bizarre powers that are reminiscent of a spider. But that’s not
possible right? Because in Miles’ world there already
is a Spider-Man named Peter Parker who spends most of his time
heroically saving the lives of the citizens of New York City.
In
this world Miles quickly learns that there are many Spider-Men in
fact. After a portal to another dimension is opened up due to the
mischievous work of the evil crime lord Kingpin (Liev Schrieber), a
whole handful of different versions of the web-slinging hero are
transported to Miles’ reality. There’s a pig version, a black and
white version, an anime version, Gwen Stacy as Spider-Gwen, and even
an older, disheveled
version of Spider-Man. The
the unlikely meeting of this spider-powered group band together to
defeat the Kingpin and restore the time continuum so that they can
all return to their respective universes.
It
all sounds so convoluted and preposterous but that’s the magic
of animation and a top-notch script from screenwriters Phil Lord
(“The LEGO Movie”) and Rodney Rothman. A story like this would
never fly in live action but in cartoon form, mixed with a perfect
dose of clever comedy, in-jokes, and meta humor it all works
perfectly well. This movie exists in a world where Spider-Man comics
exist and Spider-Man movies exists; the movie knows you’ve seen and
read countless
iterations of the character and it plays with that. And if you aren’t
that familiar with the character (WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU??) the film
probably still works because most of us, myself included, is
unfamiliar with the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man anyway.
“Spider-Man:
Into the Spider-Verse” is an
altogether engaging and
cinematic animated masterpiece. The film truly has
stuff for everyone; long-time fans will be just as blown-away as the
newcomers. Besides, at this point who hasn’t seen Spider-Man in
some form onscreen? It’s both comfortingly familiar and yet
completely original. This
wildly experimental film with its unique animation, clever story
details, fantastic voice work, biting humor, pulse-pounding music
score, and its initially
jarring but truly mesmerizing
visuals is one of the most unique, well-crafted,
and fun movies of the year. GRADE: A
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