Sony has made a LOT of missteps with Spider-Man over the last decade. Medling in the production of Spider-Man 3, the entire Amazing Spider-Man series, Venom, but for the first time in over a decade, they finally did something right. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not only a successful Spidey flick, but it’s also an incredibly potent and beautiful film that sends a powerful message to viewers of all ages.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows a half black/half latino teenage boy named Miles Morales stuck trying to navigate his way through life as a wannabe street artist. He also possesses incredible mental talents but chooses to neglect them, not wanting to dabble in science or anything of that nature.
One day, he’s bitten by a spider which gives him… well, you know the story. The only difference between this story and a typical Spider-Man origin story is that there’s already a Spider-Man saving the day in this universe, the Peter Parker we know and love. After a sinister science experiment is successful, multiple dimensions collide together and catapults Miles as one of the sole heroes available.
With the multi-dimensions colliding together, Miles comes face to face with several other Spider-Beings such as another Peter Parker (one that’s older, fatter, and more down on his luck played by Jake Johnson) from something that closely resembles OUR universe. Then there’s Spider-Ham (a pig Spider-Man played by John Mulaney), Spider-Man Noir (a 1930s detective played by Nic Cage), Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy with spider powers played by Hailee Steinfeld), and Peni Parker, a Japanese/Anime-esque girl with a Spider mech (played by Kimiko Glenn).
As the likes of Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) and other villains prepare to fire up their machine to continue merging other dimensions, the band of Spider-Misfits must unite to stop them and return to their respective universes.
The core of this Spider-Man story is Miles trying to fully figure out his powers and be an asset to his fully realized pals. He’s ultimately weak, reckless, and struggling to be a hero, something he’s not even sure he wants to be but feels obligated TO be. Something Stan Lee really loved the idea of when creating Spider-Man was that anyone can be behind the mask, no matter who you are. Into the Spider-Verse captures that perfectly.
By not only giving us literally multiple people as Spider-Man/Woman/Animal but by giving us someone who’s specifically not Peter Parker, someone who actually lives in a universe with Peter Parker. Miles Morales must rise to the occasion and the way it’s handled in the movie from start to finish is nothing short of immensely spectacular.
It has elements that feel slightly familiar but that helps launch it into something undeniably original yet still true to Stan Lee’s original intentions. Despite being a film that could ultimately be used as a way to just make immense money on tons of Spider-Man toys, there’s clear care and passion for what the filmmakers are creating.
Into the Spider-Verse is a damn goldmine for merchandising, yet it feels like one of 2018’s most thoughtful films and arguably the most important superhero film next to something like Black Panther. It has heart, charm, and a specific message to tell, one that’s relevant now for everyone but should really be seen by children.
When I left the theater, I began thinking about The LEGO Batman Movie as it’s somewhat similar. Lots of jokes, lots of references to Spider-Man’s history, but in hindsight, The LEGO Batman Movie has a somewhat forgettable plot and didn’t do anything very meaningful. It’s a fine movie but it doesn’t have the lasting impact Into the Spider-Verse does, it finds a nugget of humanity and keeps a very important emotional tempo throughout its 2-hour runtime.
It’s hard to really go into why the film resonated with me so much due to spoilers but I firmly believe that Into the Spider-Verse is one of the best superhero films of all-time and will likely go on to take home some awards in the coming months. It has everything it needs to be a standout film in a crowded year: It has a compelling story, action, great animation, and non-stop humor that shockingly never, ever falls flat. Every joke got a chuckle from me and the audience I saw it with, Nic Cage is a total standout with his deadpan humor that plays off the dark reality he comes from.
There were lots of incredible bits and gags that had me holding my sides from laughing so hard, there are very few movies that can pull off this many jokes this consistently. Some are random and bizarre, some are great nods to Spider-Man’s campy history (make sure you stay until the very end for one of the best post-credits scenes ever). The wholesome energy and charm of this film is truly unmatched, it’s hard to believe a studio as careless with Spider-Man like Sony was able to produce this.
One of the downsides of the film is that Kingpin as a villain felt slightly rushed. You see his motivations but they’re very surface level and they don’t completely flesh it out in the most satisfying way, it does the bare minimum to make sense but it doesn’t always feel the most well-executed.
The animation, while largely visually exotic, can look a bit off at times. Sometimes it looked slightly blurry or choppy but more often than not, Into the Spider-Verse is an outstanding achievement in what people can do with the animation medium. From juggling different art styles like an Anime-like character and a Looney Tunes-eqsque look with Spider-Ham without making it look jarring or distracting to making a world that feels truly captivating with colors and locations, Sony has outdone anything Pixar and Disney have ever done.
The Verdict:
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is quite possibly the most triumphant film from Sony in over a decade. Against all odds, they created an incredibly risky superhero movie and not only made it feel competent and coherent but also mesmerizing and meaningful.
They use the web-head and stunning animation as a vehicle for an importantly potent and powerful message, one that makes Spider-Man feel revitalized on the big screen in an incredibly personal way. It goes beyond just punching and iconic superhero moments and digs deep into human ones, moments that resonate deep in your heart and stomach that you can relate to.
It shows the importance of not just having heroes but the importance of realizing you can be a hero. Even though Miles has powers to save the day, it’s not them that truly help him. It his heart, his character, and his ability to recognize what a hero really is.
