Hey gang, Valkor here. 2018 has been a good year for superhero films; things kicked off with Black Panther, then there was Deadpool 2, Venom, Avengers Infinity Wars, and even Ant-Man and the Wasp was a whole lot of fun! So, what better way to close out the year than with a film centered on one of my personal favorites – Spider-man? Well, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse isn't all about Peter Parker, but damn is it still a fun flick!
In “Into the Spider-Verse”, it's Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) who takes center stage in this CGI animated feature. And while he might be well known in the streets of Brooklyn, he now has to adapt to a different crowd when he is switched up to a new school. He doesn't get as much shine as before, so he feels like something of an outcast. One night, while hanging out with his uncle, Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider. It doesn't seem like a big deal, until his powers start manifesting, turning Mile's world upside down. When he goes back to find out exactly what happened to him and how he got his abilities, he runs into Spider-Man battling it out with the Green Goblin and Kingpin (Liev Schreiber).
It turns out Kingpin was attempting to open a portal into another dimension to bring back his long-lost wife and son. But it all goes haywire when Spider-Man got tossed into the mix, which ultimately leads to his death and a world without Spider-Man. Miles takes it upon himself to take up the mantle. And he's not alone; thanks to Peter's interference with the Kingpin, five Spider-peeps from across the dimensions were sucked from their worlds into his. One of which includes a loser, overweight version of Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), then there's Spider Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), cartoonish Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), the dark, shadowy Spider-Man Noir (Nicholas Cage - Pay the Ghost)), and a female, anime version named Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), who rides in a mech robot that's powered by a radioactive spider. Together, they'll teach Miles the ropes and prove that he's not alone in the world. And it's now up to Miles and his new found team of Spider-Friends, to put a stop to Kingpin from opening up another portal and destroying his beloved city and quite possibly the world!
I'm skipping a lot here because there's so much packed within “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” 117-minute run that it would be a shame to spoil any of it. A lot of it is predictable, but that doesn't ruin any of the fun. Finally, I was definitely touched by the Stan Lee cameo, but having him there is most fitting and the perfect swansong to the man who brought us so much joy.
The Good:
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an animated masterpiece that's worth seeing again and again. I'm a huge Spider-Man fan, but I was never really drawn to Miles Morales; no hate towards the character, but Peter Parker is my dude. However, after watching the film, I can see why Miles is popular and you can color me a fan. The story is clever and pure perfection from the start until it's climactic finish. There's also a balanced amount of action, emotional drama and humor to the point that there's never really a dull moment to be had. But it's the action that'll hold your attention as its jaw-dropping, fast, fluid, and fun to watch. My favorite scene is Peter vs. the mutated Green Goblin in the beginning, but I also thought the scene where Prowler was chasing down Miles was hot too. Visually, Spider-Verse is breathtaking with plenty of fluid, crisp animation and vibrant backdrops. But there's so much eye candying that it's seriously worth seeing again just in case you may have missed something. Finally, I loved all of the performances in Spider-Verse; mind you I didn't keep up with the film during production, so a lot of voice work was a surprise, especially Nicholas Cage as Spider-Man Noir; he really gives the character that level of “cool” that he deserves. In the end, if you need an extra dose of web-slinger in your life, then make yours “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”.
The Bad:
N/A
The Ugly:
Green Goblin! What the name of all things Venom has happened to you!!?
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is making its theatrical run. And with Christmas and New Year's Eve right around the corner, you'll definitely want to check this one out if you haven't done so already as they make for fun holiday watching. And even if you've already seen it, then it's well worth seeing again. The film is fast, funny and every comic book fan's dream come true. I highly recommend it. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving Spider-Man: into the Spider-Verse a perfect 5.
