SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE review

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the 2018 animated film directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman. Released by Sony, it stars Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, and Hailee Steinfeld, with John Mulaney, Nicholas Cage, Kimiko Glenn, Liev Schreiber, and Mahershala Ali. Following the Miles Morales incarnation of the character (with a slew of other dimension versions too), ItSV was released to rave reviews, box office success, and much talk of sequels and spinoffs and oh lawd, now we have another Marvel franchise that people seriously care about from day one. Having hit home video late last month, I can now say without a shadow of a doubt that this is a) the best Spidey film thus far by a longshot and b) one of the best films that came out last year. It's the kind of movie that's so good, you don't need to have seen too many other films from 2018 to know it's certainly up there.

(poster by Matt Ferguson)

Many 3-D animated films of today share a very similar aesthetic that often feels cribbed from Pixar. Few CG animated movies break away from the pack and bring something fresh and special to the table, and none do so with the awe-inspiring scope, bounce, and confidence of ItSV. This is a flick with a look all to its own, and it's a downright beautiful one that's positively eclectic. It grabs up all the things someone might call kitschy, throws 'em into a blender, as everyone watches on. Not only does the animation kill when in motion, but it's also one of those animated features you could take a still from, frame it, and it'd be a damn awesome piece of art (see the stills used in this review for reference). Running at a breakneck pace, the film exhilirates from book open to book close with so much detail jam-packed into every pore it's always on the edge of bursting. Being so perpetually exuberant does come at a small price, however, as some of the action scenes are a little too anarchic to immediately intuit as much as you'd like to at a glance. As far as the music goes, it's pretty stellar. The licensed tunes aren't to my tastes personally (which is inevitable. Music is an especially divisive medium), but I can tell they're damn well done and they fit with the story in the way you'd want from any licensed tracks. That said, the musical score is definitely something I can see myself listening to outside of the film, and it also seeks to augment the moments it's used, rather than being grafted on just to sound cool (though it does). Prowler's theme is by far the favorite of all the tunes in this.

Narrative is something I seldom expect to be of anything approaching major focus in a big budget, family friendly film of this type. Not to say I don't care about story in cartoons like this, it just means when something with a story as warm and inviting as this comes along it gets major kudos for knocking things out of the park where most wouldn't dare bother. There are scenes in this which are so inventive, I kinda wanted to applaud it for being so wonderfully crafty. Unfortunately, there are some moments which don't work exactly as intended, like a tragic bit in the climactic battle where I was just like "Well, that came out of nowhere and had no impact." Like any family film, Spider-Verse has its message, and it's one any older members of the audience will have knocked over their head repeatedly throughout, though that probably makes it sound more grating than it is--IE, more than not at all. It's a good message for kids and it's told well, though you know some parent somewhere will inevitably blame this film for their dumb kid breaking their back trying to wall-climb like Spidey. In fact, I'm surprised if it hasn't happened already. It's a fast paced watch that never gets boring throughout, thanks to a deluge of cool shit at any given moment.

Ever impressive is its menagerie of excellent talents behind the mic, who are all cast perfectly. They do wonders in portraying each character as you would expect for them to sound as you're reading them in a comic. Obvious highlights include Cage and Mulaney, though I would posit that Moore owns the film, Steinfeld kicks ass as always, and Johnson does a phenomenal job selling "Chunky Spiderman."

This is a flick with a throbbing hard-on for all things comics. Where other films that share a passion for that medium like Zack Snyder's Watchmen or Ang Lee's Hulk often err in attempting to bring elements from the sequential page to the screen, Spider-Verse brings panels! Onomatopoeia! Zip-a-tone! Panels! Narration/speech/thought boxes or bubbles! Even some transitions are page turns! And actually succeeds in applying them all to animation, elevating an already visual stunner with its off the wall flair. This savvy adoration for comicdom extends to the art of adaptation itself. Unlike the aforementioned Watchmen, Spider-Verse recognizes the value in not just licking the source material's balls for the entire runtime. It doesn't treat the minutiae of canon as sacred gospel that can never be altered, and it instead tells the same kind of story with some elements changed so everything could fit in the 117 minute (1:47) run time. In changing things, it provides the opportunity for wonks like me to see something fresh that still has its roots planted firmly enough in the source material to give boundless fan service. I'd pity the fool who tries to take the untenable position that this is somehow disrespectful to the comics.

Then we have the characters, which you would think would be a single sentence of commentary since almost all of them are Spideys, but that's what's so lovely about alternate dimensions. With so many characters in such a relatively short runtime, you're bound to wish there was more of them. I wish that all of the Spideys after Peter B. Parker had more screen time. All of them, sans Spider-Gwen (who definitely had some moments of great humor towards the end), were hilarious and entertaining, though the cynical side of me says "Duh, merch." And the cynical side of me is usually at least partially right about such matters. But what's cool is how effectively the film manages to accomplish the impossible task of introducing newcomers to characters like Spider Ham without making their heads explode. Great job showing folks how cool comics are!

Spider-Verse is no slouch when it comes to humor, though it isn't as raucous as some other films in its strata--but then again, it's not trying to be. With all the rapid fire visual gags needing a fine toothed comb to pore over, this is the kinda flick that's perfect for rewatching over and over again to find new hidden details you didn't see the first time. Its snappy dialogue helps ease you into its comedic bona fides, as well as the more emotional moments. You're never like "No, no one would say that. That's something a human being wrote and forgot to replace in editing."

Into the Spider-Verse is a one of a kind film. A big studio production so anarchic, striking, and artistic you wonder how it ever could have been greenlit. Definitely seek it out if you've held out on doing so. There may be a lot wrong with our universe, but the fact that we got this film in it is a pretty nifty thing (by no means a good deal, of course, but I digress). Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse gets a 10/10.

Master-class

Summary:

Vibrant, fun, heartfelt. Something kids now will hold special and something older audiences will find worth popping in every now and then.