Nerds That Geek Movie Review - ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

The best superhero movies are those that inspire you to believe in something greater. You leave the theater feeling like a little kid again, wanting to don a mask and fight any evil you come across. The best comic book movies make you want to rush to your local comic shop and read everything you can about the characters you just saw. The best animated movies heighten your imagination and fill your world with color. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the perfect combination of each of those qualities. It’s as inspiring as a superhero movie has ever been, it’s the truest comic book adaptation yet, and it’s an ambitious and visually-stunning animated film. Spider-Verse thundered out of the gate, swinging into the top spot in the box office and already notching a Golden Globes nomination for Best Animated Feature. All the praise is well founded. It’s a must-see movie this holiday season.
 
The movie focuses on Miles Morales and a cast of five other Spider-People from alternate dimensions (Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen, Peni Parker, Spider-Man Noir, and Peter Porker/Spider-Ham), brought together after Kingpin built a particle accelerator to connect parallel universes. The team works to disable the accelerator and fight off Kingpin and a collection of notorious villains.
 
Into the Spider-Verse delivers a fun, fast-paced, meaningful story that does everything a superhero tale should. It checks the boxes for action, plot, heroes, villains, and adventure. It’s self-aware, humorous, and fun. And it brings home the most touching message from a Spider-Man movie yet. Not the one about ‘great power’ that you’ve heard before, but one that makes you believe that anyone can be behind the mask and anyone can be the hero the world needs.
 
One of the things it really gets right is its character depth. It truly makes you care about half-a-dozen Spider-Heroes plus a full cast of supporting players and villains, which is not an easy task. Each character gets their own quick backstory that is entertaining, endearing, and plays off the comic book theme. We’re also treated to a badass and fearless version of Aunt May, and to a set of Spider-Man villains that feel new – either literally in their appearance or in how the actors portrayed them.
 
The movie allows its star character to shine the brightest. The audience grows attached to Miles right from the very first scenes that it gets to spend with him. Simple ‘day in the life’ scenes showing him with his family and friends, at school, or mumbling through the lyrics to a catchy song (as we all have done) easily win your heart. Miles’ transition into the next iteration of Spider-Man is a terrific origin, too. Growing up in a universe where Peter Parker’s Spider-Man is infamous, Miles already has some context to help him understand the changes happening after a radioactive spider bite. Shortly after being bitten, he gets to be a proverbial spider on the wall observing a Peter Parker fight as he begins his journey in learning to adapt to his powers.

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​Fans of comics and the comic universe generally will find the movie to be a treat. It really is a top contender to be the best comic book movie in all senses of the phrase. The way that it’s framed and presented are evidence of that. From the occasional use of comic panels as a transition between scenes to the playful appearance of thought bubbles and comic book action words, it’s like a comic collection come to life. It features countless references to Spidey comics, movies, shows, and games, with Easter-eggs including nods to various Spider-Man suits, to key moments in history, and to Spidey comic creators (like Ditko, Bendis, and Romita, just to name a few).
 
The unique art style of Into the Spider-Verse pairs perfectly with the story that the filmmakers were trying to tell. Whereas traditional 2D animation would have felt too flat and where live action would have been too CGI-heavy or too cheesy, the art in Into the Spider-Verse allows for comic book style action, humor, and visuals. It takes a short adjustment period to get used to the different look and feel of the movie, but it feels smooth and refreshing once you get rolling. The filmmakers succeeded in trying something new, especially with how well their approach meshes with this particular movie.
 
I feel like I could go on forever talking about this movie, so I’ll wrap up with a few random intangibles that I loved. First, the look, feel, and substance of the movie is complemented perfectly by its sound. The film’s soundtrack both epitomizes Miles as a person and emphasizes the intensity of the action scenes. Next, given the message of the movie and real-world circumstances, this has to have been the most touching and poignant Stan Lee cameo yet (albeit with Stan’s usual humor still shining through). Last but certainly not least, the diversity in the movie was powerful. As was the case with Wonder Woman and Black Panther, it was invigorating to see new types of heroes represented. Seeing Miles’ connection to his African-American father and his Spansih-speaking Latina mother was a treasure. Anyone can be a hero, and that is now being shown on the big screen.
 
2018 has been an outstanding year for Spidey fans. We got to *thwip* our way through a beautiful story and gorgeous landscape in Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4. Several great Spider-Man comics are in circulation, including Spencer and Ottley’s The Amazing Spider-Man and Ahmed and Garron’s new Miles Morales series. And now this, the most perfect Spider-Man movie to date. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse brings together a heartfelt story, great characters, stunning visuals, and everything you love about Spider-Man to create a harmonious concert that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko would have been proud of. Swing by your friendly neighborhood theater to see it as soon as you can. 

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