WesternAnimation Dazzling and fun, but not perfect.
Gonna keep this brief. This is not the perfect Spider-Man movie. That probably still goes to Spider-Man 2. This is still a very well-made, solid movie with a very unique art style and characters that you'll grow to like. The storytelling is predictable, going through the standard three act structure you'll find in a lot of other movies, and some characters may not shine as well as others, but don't let that ruin your experience.
Don't go into this movie with the highest of expectations because of Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, or iMDB. Keep it moderate and you'll have a very fun time.
WesternAnimation It's... Okay?
So a lot of fans and critics are praising the silk out of this thing. And yeah, I liked it too... kinda.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is, essentially, the genuinely compelling story of Miles Morales enveloped in a celebration of Spider-Mania. It's a maelstrom of Spider-Man references; the bigger the Spider-fan you are, the bigger the reward. It could also be seen as a celebration of art in general, what with the shout-outs to comic books, film noir, anime, cartoons, 60s cartoons...
And of course, there's a lot of Spider-People. The jaded Cynical Mentor Peter B. Parker is an interesting take on the webslinger; he plays off Miles well. Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker, and Spider-Ham all have engaging introductions; I'd totally enjoy individual Spider-Verse works about them.
Spider-Gwen has the hint of a character arc, but not much more for now. Also Ship Tease with Miles. I'm sorry, but I seem to recall the two being from different dimensions, and they explicitly cannot remain in other dimensions; how's that gonna work out? Ah, they'll probably make something up.
Obviously, Miles is the protagonist. He's bitten (the spider isn't explained; just roll with it), gains powers, and is thrust into an adventure-conflict where he's way in over his head.
Then he wants to save the day himself, then he doubts himself, then he freaks and runs, then his Uncle's evil, then Noir jokes about it, then superfight, then Uncle changes heart, then Uncle dies, then Dad blames Spider-Man, then he doesn't, then... yeah, this moves at such a blistering speed, it's hard to properly internalize everything that's going on. I was honestly disappointed that Miles' epic rise came so late in the game; it often felt like the little guy was being crowded out of his own movie.
All in all, I enjoyed the film, but I couldn't help but find it somewhat hollow at points. It is massive amounts of flash with relatively less substance, and the substance that is there is difficult to fully appreciate due to the breakneck pacing. I guess it's like a roller coaster: thrilling, exciting, and fun to watch, but also dizzying and chaotic.
Maybe that's why I hate roller coasters.
I do look forward to future Spider-Verse works, but I hope they're more coherent and focused than this movie.
WesternAnimation Wow!
Ok, I get that superhero movies aren't everyone's thing. I mostly ignore such things myself. But THIS film won me over, hard. I'd ignored it when it first came out ("eh, Spiderman, don't care"), but then saw the Cinema Wins vid on it. I wanted to see more — even though Wins usually finds things to love in every film, no matter how awful the movie is, his enthusiasm for Spiderverse just went above and beyond.
So, rented it off iTunes...and ended up buying it, and can't stop watching it. There's so much to love here: the groundbreaking animation that's an oldschool comicbook come to life, the realistic voiceacting — it never sounds like acting, but actual real people living their lives as we watch — Miles & his growth from everyday kid to superhero, the various versions of Spiderman and villains (OMG, "Liv" has the best character reveal ever), etc etc.
But most amazing of all is how everyone, even the villains, come across as real, actual, living people, with problems and strengths and weaknesses and blind spots. That's rare even for live-action movies: we're not watching a movie, we're watching real people dealing with an extraordinary situation. This film went from "eh, Spiderman, so what" to one of my favorite films ever.
This film should be watched by all aspiring screenwriters: this is how you do it, this is how you create real characters, real situations, and get us to care about what happens: by keeping it real, even in the midst of unreal situations.
WesternAnimation Even better than I expected
Let's be honest. Sony has not had a great track record with handling Spider-man. The best spider-man movie I've seen in a decade was when Sony gave up control and let Marvel Studios do it.
On top of that, the whole premise is ripe for running purely on reference gags and nostalgia. Too many films have fallen to depending entirely on nostalgia-factor and in-jokes as a substitute for actual writing.
This film has plenty of references and gags, but it doesn't depend on that. It is ultimately about a kid learning to be spider-man - but in a slightly different take on the story, he at least has a few spider-heroes to look up to and mentor him. The focus on character, as well as the distinctive familiar-yet-unique identities of each spiderman keep them memorable enough.
The story is mostly simple enough, which lets us focus more on the characters. Miles is, in fact, just a kid who's thrust into a very dangerous situation before he's ready. When he wants to fit in, he's standing out. When he wants to be normal, he's got superpowers. When he wants to be a hero, he's thrown into the deep end. When he has the guts to try to do something, he doesn't have the skills yet. This is a character that is basically out of control of his life, and it's very relatable.
The visuals are amazing as well. It's mostly CGI but they also use a mixture of shading techniques. Sometimes it's flat, sometimes it really pops, sometimes it uses the old printed-comic style. The film truly embraces the comic origins, both in some of the silliness and the style. I saw it in regular 2D, but this is one of the rare times I think I would have enjoyed it in 3D.
8/10 overall, great film.
WesternAnimation Amazing, spectacular... the list goes on.
Since this is my first review, I decided to choose the first film I ever watched in 2019. And what can I say? For me, it clearly sets the bar for any other film I will watch this year, for multiple reasons:
- The animation style is unique in every sense of the word. Relying on comic-book text, slightly off-model animation and employing different art styles, they successfully blend into an enormous feast of the eyes, with every colour popping out to catch your attention. What’s more impressive is the amount of detail put into every single moment of the film. Whether it’s the way Peni Parker’s mouth moves due to her animesque depiction, or the onomatopoeias erupting from every action, this kaleidoscope of art is sure to make itself stand out among so many other animated films. (+1.5)
- The top-notch cast. Each of them play their part very well, from Shameik Moore as the timid, yet resolute, Miles Morales, to Jake Johnson’s surprisingly poignant portrayal of a despondent Peter B. Parker (Even after the atrocity that was The Mummy), and Liev Schrieber’s Kingpin, that owns the tragic mobster role very well, even though the shadow of Vincent D'Onofrio still looms over him. (+1)
- Story-wise, this was ambitious. Uniting six different Spider-Men could have felt overstuffed and incoherent. But the three directors manage to give just enough screen-time for each character to feel important. As a result, Miles’ emotional origin story plays out organically, being successful not to ape this overdone trope. The moral, similarly, feels fresh. No With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility here. Instead, it’s that anyone can be Spider-Man: whether it’s a pig, or an anime figure, or simply, someone who falls constantly but has the strength to get up. This is a beautiful aesop to let viewers consider whether they have what it takes to support others and become heroes themselves, albeit not in the literal superhero way. (+1)
- Daniel Pemberton’s score. By blending the oddity of the multiple dimensions together with the usual superhero fare, the result is music that fuels and enhances the scene. The pop songs are also a highlight. (+0.5)
- Respecting and mocking the source material. This balancing act is executed surprisingly well, from the multiple references to the previous comics and live-action movies, and the way it pokes holes at pop culture representing this hero. Due to this, it highlights the casts’ deep understanding of their characters and their worlds. (+0.5)
- The humour. With Phil Lord script-writing, you know there will be tongue-in-cheek moments and physical comedy galore. There is one particular credits scene that I won’t spoil, but may qualify as the film’s best joke. (+0.5)
WesternAnimation 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.
WesternAnimation One Of The Best Animated Movies Ever
Into The Spider-Verse is a truly outstanding film on many levels, especially in an era of bog-standard, lazy 3D CGI movies, and sets the new standard for what can be done with the medium - not just for superhero movies, but any and all stories.
First off, you can tell the people involved in this movie not only deeply care about the Spider-Man mythos, but are also fans of the character, and as such are more than willing to make cheeky nods to the hilariously off-kilter moments of the franchise in addition to the well-known and cool stuff (the MacGuire dance, anyone?) - The Stinger in particular had me dying of laughter. On top of that, much like the MCU forgoing a third adaptation of Peter's iconic backstory, Spider-Verse slims down the histories of each of its protagonists (aside from Miles himself) into two minute-long, fast-paced recaps that clearly differentiate the Spiders from each other while also providing lots of laughs and keeping the pacing up. The protagonists themselves are great - Miles is a relatable fresh face of a teenager trying to figure out his life and his new powers, Spider-Prime is (to my knowledge) the first blonde Peter Parker and pretty much The Ace of the entire cast, Spider-Noir is the Nicolas Cage role we deserve, etc. - and the villains are also solid, even if only Kingpin and two of his henchmen (won't spoil who since they're both twists) get significant screentime and characterization. The story itself doesn't revolutionize the coming-of-age storyline, but the characters involved make it as compelling as any all the same. And as for the action, well, it's up there with Incredibles 2 as having some of the most creative fight scenes ever put to film, both content- and visual-wise.
Speaking of visuals, this movie is fucking GORGEOUS at all levels - color palettes, cinematography, scene transitions, stylistic choices, you name it, Spider-Verse pulls it off with uniqueness and aplomb. I've held for a while now that Avengers: Infinity War is the most comic book-feeling movie due to how it brings so many characters together so easily and casually like, well, the comic books do...but Spider-Verse is easily the most comic book-LOOKING movie. I didn't think it was possible to effectively bring that medium to animation, but this film proved me dead wrong. Even if you're somehow not interested in what's happening on screen at any given moment, the look of the film blows almost all the other 3D CGI crap released in the last decade out of the water (excluding good stuff like The Incredibles ofc) and, as said above, really demonstrates that this medium has so much more potential than is displayed year after year.
Conclusion: if you're not into Spider-Man, this movie will get you into Spider-Man. If you ARE into Spider-Man, this is your childhood brought to life. Cherish it. Buy more tickets for it. GET ME SEQUELS TO SPIDER-MAN!
WesternAnimation I Want More of These Pictures!
The whole time watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, I kept getting distracted by the feeling that I had seen something like this already. There's a bit of Deadpool's metafictional gags, a bit of Big Hero Six's Western take on Super Sentai heroes, but there was something major that I wasn't able to put my finger on until the closing credits. Then I saw Phil Lord was the writer, and it all made sense. Of course, the Lego Movie guy!
This movie is exactly like the Lego Movie. Well, maybe not exactly, but the familial resemblance is clear as day. It's a vibrant, funny, hyper-kinetic, animated movie thing with a heart of gold and a message about how you - Yes you! - are a super awesome chap. This time around, the Lord leans more into the diversity aspect of that exact same message - the idea that a great person can look like anyone, and in the case of Spider-Man, that person can be a black-Latino kid. Once again, Lord is mostly successful at this. As with The Lego Movie, this feels like a deeply sincere story, doing a masterful job of successfully disguising the giant, child hungry corporate beast behind the screen.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is about Miles Morales, a kid who isn't Spider-Man, but who never-the-less gets bitten by a spider. Before he can get into the swing of his own super hero origin story though, alternate dimension versions of Spider-Man start dropping in all around him, and together they must fight to stop Kingpin's blackhole generating doomsday machine. One you look past the self-referential fractal madness of a setting where both Spider-Man and comic books about Spider-Man both exist, you find a fairly simple story. Again, Phil Lord mostly manages to distract you from it with laugh a minute gags and breakneck action, but the skeleton of the plot structure shows through. A kid might not notice, but anyone a little older will see the story beats straight away, and feel a little more bored for it.
Outside of occasionally intrusive blurry filtering effects, this is a triumphantly beautiful piece of animation that is able to do far more than any live action movie. So many moments look like they deserve their own poster. The finale alone looks like a perpetual explosion of colour and motion. I came away from Spider-Verse having had a really good time. My only major complaint is that having being created outside of Disney Marvel, this movie gets a fraction of the publicity it deserves.
WesternAnimation Amazing, but with one serious flaw
The art style is mind-blowing, like a comic book come to life.The easter eggs and shout outs are so plentiful that trivia-driven fans will be kept occupied for hours figuring them all out, while the story is compelling enough for those of us who are fans of the themes and storytelling of the genre. Excellent use of the origin story motif to draw the parallels between the different Spiders, and they were smart about the use of the "out there" characters, enough to help use relate to them, but not so much as to make them annoying. Miles and Peter B. Parker are characters whose relationships and personal issues are stunningly real. It makes it easy to connect to the characters and care about what happens to them.
All that said, if you have photosensitive issues, this may be the worst movie I've seen in a long time. (I'm sure there are others, I just haven't seen them). I get what they were going for, but I didn't feel like that amount of flashing effects was required to accomplish their goals. Even pre-medicating, I ended up with a migraine. I loved it, but I won't ever see it again on the big screen, and not sure I even would on a smaller one.
WesternAnimation A bomb dropped on the industry.
Who'd have expected this from the damn Emoji Movie studio?
Miles Morales is a brilliant student with a bit of a slacker side who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and watches Spider-Man die failing to avert the sequence of a dimension-ripping supercollider. As Miles discovers his powers, he meets other Spider-folk ripped from their sections of the multiverse and a team forms to stop the collider from doing more damage.
First of all, this is an animation masterwork. It's the freshest style I've seen in ages, being CGI that successfully co-opts all of the best strengths of 2D animation that 3D largely seems to have forgotten. The style is based on flat, vibrant, dynamic comic books, so the framerates, shading, and visual accents evoke drawings, sound effects, narration bubbles and the like for meta-theming while the film bursts with color and some of the most gorgeous framing and cinematography ever. It's maximalist and hyperactive, but endlessly poppy and beautiful. Few things embody the "every frame a painting" philosophy like this, my god. The character design is also very striking and appealing where this film invents and breaks from the comics the most. Oh, and several characters and shots show different art styles and worlds to emphasize the comic multiverse theme.
The story is good, too. Miles' journey is compared to puberty, but also closeted queerness as he finds a community of people who are different in the same ways...though this latter commentary doesn't scan great to me when applied to a character who appears to be a straight cis boy. The film serves as a nice commentary on reinventing the story and diversity, too, with the thesis of "anyone can wear the mask" being pointedly explored with an Afro-Latino lead. The film always feels gripping and emotionally charged, with serious stakes and darkness being explored and some tragically tense conflicts appearing. If you know Miles from the comics, some twists won't hit as hard as for someone blind like I was, but they still work.
Also, the film's really funny. Physical, verbal, meta, and character gags are everywhere and land well always.
This is a visual feast and a compelling story. The best superhero films are animated...but this is far up there among the best animated superhero films.