In 1962, comic book writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko introduced the character Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15. After his introduction, Spider-Man soon became one of Marvel’s most popular characters and has remained popular to this day. While there had been both live-action and animated versions of Spider-Man before, his first feature-length film wouldn’t be until 2002. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film was a massive success and led to two sequels in 2004 and 2007. After the disappointing reactions to Spider-Man 3, the series was rebooted in 2012 with The Amazing Spider-Man. A sequel followed in 2014, but it received similar backlash to Spider-Man 3 and was rebooted again. After being introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man introduced the character to the MCU with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Now, after Sony’s somewhat disappointing spin-off Venom, we now have the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
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Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is a typical teen living in Brooklyn adjusting to life at a new elite boarding school. Things change however when he gets bit by a radioactive spider and starts developing similar powers to Spider-Man (Chris Pine). One night, Miles uncovers a secret lab being overseen by Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), who has big plans. Turns out Fisk has developed a machine to access parallel dimensions to try and bring back his wife and son. Unfortunately, Spider-Man gets killed by Fisk, but not before handing Miles a thumb drive that can deactivate the machine. Soon, the machine is activated and suddenly an alternate Spider-Man (Jake Johnson) arrives and reluctantly agrees to train Miles. Before long, more arrive, including Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage, and Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). Together, they have to stop Fisk and try to repair the altered dimensions.
Given that plot synopsis, there is so much to this movie that my summary only scratches the surface. This is by far one of the most imaginative, breathtaking, and visually stunning animated movies I’ve in quite some time. It’s very stylized and blends different types of animation together, including anime, Warner Bros. era cartoons, and pulp-style animation. Sometimes, movements appear somewhat jittery and it seems like the frame rate drops, but overall it’s not a deterrent. With how much life and energy there is in the animation, it’s easy to overlook some of the minor flaws. Overall, this movie perfectly captures the look and feel of a comic with its vibrant colors and creative character designs. Not only does this work as a fun animated superhero adventure, but it also provides great Spider-Man fan service. There are so many easter eggs and references sprinkled throughout that fans will gush over.
Shameik Moore does a great job making Miles feel like a real kid trying to figure his life out. Not only does he have funny moments, but he also excels at the more dramatic moments. Jake Johnson lends his great comedic timing to make Peter B. Parker feel like a real loser who’s given up. Hailee Steinfeld exudes confidence in her portrayal of Spider-Gwen, perhaps being the best Spider-Man out of everyone here. Nicolas Cage has some of the best lines given how out-of-touch Spider-Man Noir is, especially when using a rubix cube. Liev Schreiber makes for a great Kingpin, and Lily Tomlin is one of the best Aunt May’s seen so far. The action sequences are a sight to behold, and the animation makes them all the more breathtaking. Overall, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse not only pleases fans but also pleases anyone looking for a fun animated adventure.
