Note: No spoilers!
Yep, I’m saying it. Marvel and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is not only the best Spider-Man movie (sorry, Tobey), but it’s the best superhero that’s been made to date. I honestly thought that we had peaked at “Black Panther” or “Thor: Ragnarok” (which are great too, btw), but it’s really this animated superhero movie that steals the show. How can you top the attractive Mr. Hemsworth or Mr. Boseman, you ask? Believe it or not, it’s all in the animation.
It’s no secret that animated movies have been demoted to a subgenre of movies. A lot of people dismiss their legitimacy as a real or adult film because they’re too “childish” or “immature.” That may be true for a lot of animated flicks, but this one is a whole other ballgame. This movie is not just for kids. Sure, kids can see it and enjoy it, but it’s not a watered down version of Spider-Man just to cater to younger audiences. At first, I was skeptical. An animated film that follows a middle-school age Spider-Man? Bor-ing. But after the first five minutes of stunning color and amazing music (I’m not kidding – it’s literally in the first five minutes), I was hooked.
The story follows a young Miles Morales, a student in Brooklyn, who becomes the Spider-Man of his reality, with the help of his counterparts from alternate dimensions including a familiar Peter B. Parker from our universe, Gwen Stacy, Peni Parker, Noir Peter Parker, and Peter Porker. Not only do you get to see our boy, the Peter Parker that we know and love, you get see other incarnations of the character from other comics. Some of the villains include Wilson Fisk, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Prowler, some of which should sound familiar if you’ve watched other Spider-Man movies. All of these characters, surprisingly, did not overwhelm me nor did they complicate the plot. They somehow managed to include a lot of interesting characters without becoming irrelevant.
If you take away anything from this review of the movie, it’s that the animation is visually stunning. Within the first five minutes, I was leaned back in my chair, hungrily taking in the vivid colors and shapes. The art and design of the characters, the landscapes, and the architecture honestly floored me. It felt like a literal feast for my eyes. But then the music comes in, and you’re not even ready for it. You’ve got blood-pumping music for the fights scenes then fresh hip-hop for the less intense scenes.
Just a reminder, you’ve got amazing voice actors like Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney, Nicholas Cage, Live Schreiber, and Chris Pine, just to name a few, and this movie has been nominated for awards 37 times and has won 42, including a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. With a solid 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie is officially certified fresh. Bottom line: If you want to see an amazing movie with diverse characters, award-winning actors, a dope soundtrack, and animation that will rock your socks off, this movie is for you.