As someone who's seen every Spider-Man film beforehand, I at first worried that this would tread a similar path as the Raimi and Webb movies - taking pains to recap EVERY detail of the main character's origin story we've seen before, etc. I was pleasantly surprised that the film opened with a joke about film reboots that take too long to recap what the audience already knows. This sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
Miles Morales is the most magnetic, likable protagonist of any animated film I've seen in a long time. The other Spider-people are pretty cool too: Spider-Gwen is a badass big sister-figure, Peni Parker is just adorable, Spider-Ham is the perfect living tribute to cartoons classic and modern, and Spider-Noir is a tough, grizzled, nattily dressed, Nazi-punching detective played by the inimitable Nicolas Cage hamming it up like nobody's business. The Peter Parker we see in this film is both a departure and a more cynical look at the Spider-Man we're used to seeing: far from the snarky optimist he usually is, he's been left by decades of unrewarded superheroing and financial struggles as a bitter, jaded divorcee (no deal with Mephisto this time, though.) Aunt May here has a lot in common with Alfred, Jefferson Morales is an awesomely supportive-yet-somewhat-embarrassing father, Uncle Aaron is wonderfully complex, and Stan Lee gets a very meaningful cameo. Even the villains, despite their relative lack of focus, managed to make an impression either through sympathetic motives (Kingpin), badass designs (Scorpion, Tombstone, Prowler), or... other reasons (Doc Ock.)
Bottom line: if you like animated movies, and you like superhero movies, you're gonna love this.
Miles of Fun
SPOILERS
As someone who's seen every Spider-Man film beforehand, I at first worried that this would tread a similar path as the Raimi and Webb movies - taking pains to recap EVERY detail of the main character's origin story we've seen before, etc. I was pleasantly surprised that the film opened with a joke about film reboots that take too long to recap what the audience already knows. This sets the tone for the rest of the movie.
I can't think of a single thing this movie does wrong. It's a perfect celebration of everything we love about the Wall-Crawler without feeling at all like a rehash of previous films. The animation is breathtaking, the plot is enrapturing, the comedy is amazing, the dramatic scenes pack an emotional punch, and the ending will bring a smile to even the most embittered filmgoer's face.
Miles Morales is the most magnetic, likable protagonist of any animated film I've seen in a long time. The other Spider-people are pretty cool too: Spider-Gwen is a badass big sister-figure, Peni Parker is just adorable, Spider-Ham is the perfect living tribute to cartoons classic and modern, and Spider-Noir is a tough, grizzled, nattily dressed, Nazi-punching detective played by the inimitable Nicolas Cage hamming it up like nobody's business. The Peter Parker we see in this film is both a departure and a more cynical look at the Spider-Man we're used to seeing: far from the snarky optimist he usually is, he's been left by decades of unrewarded superheroing and financial struggles as a bitter, jaded divorcee (no deal with Mephisto this time, though.) Aunt May here has a lot in common with Alfred, Jefferson Morales is an awesomely supportive-yet-somewhat-embarrassing father, Uncle Aaron is wonderfully complex, and Stan Lee gets a very meaningful cameo. Even the villains, despite their relative lack of focus, managed to make an impression either through sympathetic motives (Kingpin), badass designs (Scorpion, Tombstone, Prowler), or... other reasons (Doc Ock.)
Bottom line: if you like animated movies, and you like superhero movies, you're gonna love this.