I consider Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse to be the perfect superhero movie. I also consider it to be one of the best movies ever made, but I understand if you don’t feel the same. I do believe every superhero fan should love this movie. While this opinion is subjective, even objectively this movie ranks pretty high. It has a critic score of 97% and an audience score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. So clearly it is pretty beloved. From the great characterization to the amazing animation style, it all adds up to Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse being a great movie adaptation of a superhero comic book.
Into the Spider-verse follows a teen named Miles Morales who lives in New York and starts going to a new boarding school. One day, he is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains superpowers. Eventually, Miles discovers that he is not the only one with these spider-like powers.
Miles’ character arc throughout the movie is perfect. When he gets his powers he does not know how to use them and as a result, he makes a lot of mistakes. When he needs his powers and they don’t work, he falls when swinging and gets random objects stuck to his body. Miles feels like a teen who is in over his head with the responsibility of his powers. Peter Parker becomes his mentor and teaches him how to use his powers and cope with this newfound duty. When Miles finally learns how to use his powers, it feels satisfying to watch because it feels earned. It’s the moment you have been waiting for.
The amazing animation and soundtrack are both elements that add to the movie, making it even better. The animation style of the film is very fun and colourful and it makes the movie feel like a comic book come to life. The movie uses stepped animation, where the animation does not change every frame so the characters look jittery. However, it is never too much to overpower the movie but rather adds to the storytelling. The soundtrack is also amazing. If you have watched this movie you probably had at least one song stuck in your head afterwards. Each song was integrated into the story to move it along smoothly. Both of these aspects add another edge to the movie, making it the ultimate superhero movie.
The side characters were another thing that I loved. In this movie, there are many different versions of Spiderman. All the characters were unique and it was super fun to see the way they use their powers. The characters were not used for nostalgia points or a shock factor but were placed in the movie for a purpose and played a role in Miles’ life. From great action scenes to heart-felt moments, these elements accumulate into the ultimate superhero comic book movie.
The main takeaway of all of this is to watch Into the Spider-verse if you haven’t already. You will not regret it. If you have, then watch it again. It is a great movie to watch with friends and family to have a good laugh even if you are not a superhero fan like myself. It is also a film with a great representation of the Afro-Latino community. Even though it may not be your favourite movie or even your favourite superhero movie, I’m sure you will finish watching it with a smile, or at least get “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee stuck in your head.