New Release: Inside look at Spider-Man Into the Spider Verse

New Release: Inside Look at Spider-Man Into The Spider Verse

Director: Peter Ramsey
Writer: Phil Lord
Cast: Chris Pine, Nicolas Cage, Lily Tomlin, Zoe Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Hailee Steinfeld

First Thoughts/Opening Thoughts: It is rare as an avid filmgoer that I go into the film cold turkey. I didn't even see a preview for this film. My only knowledge was from my background of reading comics and knowing the different Spider-Mans across the alternate realities. I wasn't sure what versions of Spidey would appear and honestly unprepared for the film. That my friends is sometimes the best way to see a film because you have no expectations.

Plot: Miles Morales is an African American boy who lives in Brooklyn. Miles has a genius intellect and just recieved a scholarship to attend a premier academy designed to get Miles into the best colleges. The issue is Miles doesn't want this education opportunity, to Miles this opportunity is going to mean he will be looked down upon by his peers and possibly considered white.

Miles dad, a police officer, doesn't want Miles wasting his gift. Yet to Miles his dad's suggestions go unheard by him. Miles instead turns to his Uncle Aaron for advice. Aaron has gifts similar to Miles, but squandered them. Yet goes on adventures with Miles to develop Miles's artistic abilities because he is a Banksy in the making.

One day in a secluded area of the subway Miles working on an artistic masterpiece with Aaron gets bitten by a radioactive spider. Miles leaves, but decides to comeback later when he realizes he developed powers like Peter Parker in the comics who is Spider-Man in his world as well. During the investigation Miles gets caught up in a battle between Spidey and the Kingpin.

The Kingpin wants to bring his dead family from another universe through so that they can live together again. The issue is doing so may cause a blackhole that destroys two universes maybe even more. The machine malfunctions  causing devastating consequences for the Spideys across the universes.

Miles completely unskilled and unfamiliar with his powers must rely on the help of multiple versions Spider-Man to learn how to wield his powers to his own advantage if he wants to stop Kingpin and save the Universe.

Review: You would think after seeing multiple Spider-Man versions through film and television that you could probably not accomplish much new without the story feeling like a rehash of some sort. While yes there is some familiarity to other Spidey origins and films, Spider-Man Into the Spider Verse is uniquely its own film and surprisingly a fresh take in what could've been a boring been there seen that film.

The film has more in common with the Karate Kid then it has in common with the other Spidey Media. Miles isn't alone and has a master to teach him the ways it just may not be the master he was intending, which can lead to hilarious and awkward moments in the film. Yet that is not what sets this film apart from other Spidey films.

What sets this film apart honestly is its unique animation style. The film is no question a CGI animated, but it's filmed to look like the pages of a comic maybe from the 90s before the companies switched to nicer magazine paper from the standard newspaper type paper they were using before. Yet each version of Spidey is drawn and animated in the style that is appropriate to their medium. Spider-Man Noir looks he is drawn write off the cover of a pulp magazine from the 30s, Spider-Ham looks like he came from the world of Sunday Funnies, and the Japanese Spider-Man is animated like a Manga comic. The creative team behind this delivered what I would consider to be the first type of animation its type that I can only describe feels like the Italian filmmakers of the 60s Deadly Sweet teamed up with the creative team of the Batman TV show to deliver a campy one of a kind film.

You mix that in with sequences of multiple split screens at once showing different action scenes happening all at one time like multiple panels of a comic on the screen you end up losing yourself in the pure beauty of the film woth a strong story that makes you want more.

With how uniquely animated and a great story. I am not sure how you follow this film up with a sequel if you wanted and maybe should just be treated as a one shot film. Why tarnish this film with a turd?

Closing Thoughts: I can't contain how much I felt like a kid again experiencing something so fresh and unique in the world of film. Spider Verse is uniquely its own film that stands up well by itself. Mix in that with the feel of the comics, great social message, story great for all ages, and the comedy. I am going to give this film 10/10 and say just hand the studio the Oscar for Best Animated Film already nothing deserves it more than this film.