If you caught the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse snippet at the end of Ralph Wrecks The Internet and feared the worst – you’ll be glad to know that those fears were unfounded. The very first thing that strikes you about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is that the frame rate issues of that snippet has been resolved and the rest of the film is of an animated, cinematic quality – which I’m personally thankful for, because I wasn’t too sure how the film would turn out.
Fortunately, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a mature but fun look at the Spider-Man mythos, showing us how far Spider-Man movies have evolved by giving us a variety of alternate universe Spider-People and trusting that the audience already knows the basic premise of Spider-Man. In fact, despite this being a film targetted at children, it never panders and has faith that the audience is intelligent enough to follow a (sometimes) complex plot.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse focuses on Miles Morales, the latest person to don the Spider-Man identity – even as he deals with the arrival of Spider-Folk from other dimensions. However, his struggle is to win their faith in him as Spider-Man, even as a looming threat arrives to destroy them all.
Even though the animation quality is excellent, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has a distinct stylised aesthetic that’s meant to evoke the idea of a comic book panel on screen – complete with printing dots and intentionally erroneous “afterimages” to simulate the inexact printing processes of old comic books. While it’s a creative and original idea, it’s also a pain for the eyes – it just doesn’t work, and serves to distract you from the story.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has a seemingly straightforward plot, but underpinning it all is the story of a boy who has tremendous responsibility thrust upon him – which is the classic tale of Spider-Man, given a fresh form. Despite the fact that they’re all Spider-People, the two central Spider-Man are given strong character arcs, presumably to cater to two different audiences. There’s Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), who must fulfill his duty as a superhero and is the kid-appeal character that younger audiences are meant to connect with.
But for the adults watching the film (and there will be plenty, because it’s a good film in and of itself), there’s also Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), a Spider-Man who has to live with the consequences of his personal mistakes. We’re not talking about Uncle Ben dying here – we’re talking about real, mid-life crisis issues that seem strangely apropos for the adults in the film. Perhaps the children in the audience may not fully understand this character’s story, but the beauty of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is that there’s multiple layers of meaning for different viewers.
Miles ends up being awfully endearing, even if he doesn’t seem all that suitable as Spider-Man when the film begins. There’s also the fact that we literally see him growing into the role, and this metaphorical growth is what spurs us to cheer him on as he faces a menace that even the greatest Spider-Folk couldn’t defeat.
As a film for kids, the plot is fast-paced and packed with humour, which will keep any viewer’s eyes glued to the screen. However, there are some shockingly brutal moments amidst all the jokes, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse suffers from a fair bit of tonal whiplash on this front. Those moments are necessary dramatic beats, but they’re surprisingly painful (no blood though) for a show that’s clearly targetted at children.
The villain of the piece, Kingpin (Liev Schriber), is suitably menacing and imposing – but he also seems drastically overpowered for a human. It’s a little incongruous to see him being as strong (or stronger) than Spider-Man, but then the film never really claims that Kingpin is completely human, so it’s slightly forgivable.
The other Spider-Folk are a joy to see, even if they don’t play an extremely significant role in the main story. But it opens up the possibilities of other versions of Spider-Man making it to mainstream media, and it’s always a treat for fans to see these other Spider-People on screen.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a wonderful animated film that adds to, rather than rehashing, the Spider-Man story. While it does some some tonal balance issues, it does have something for everyone, which is an impressive feat for the movie and makes it a true family film.
Should you watch this at weekday movie prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? It depends on how much you like Spider-Man.
Score: 3.5/5
Secret ending? Yes (plus there’s a Stan Lee cameo in the film itself)
Running time: 117 minutes (~2 hours)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a 3D-animated superhero action-adventure film that’s based on the Spider-Man franchise. While not set in any specific continuity, it does draw reference to previous Spider-Man films.
The movie follows the adventures of young Miles Morales, who is the new Spider-Man, after he witnesses a terrible event. He’s joined on his quest by Spider-Men from alternate realities. However, there’s more than meets the eye to these events, and Spider-Man and his amazing Spider-Friends must band together if they’re to save the multiverse – and themselves.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman; and written by Phil Lord, with additional screenplay credits for Rodney Rothman. It features the voice talents of Shameik Moore (Spider-Man/Miles Morales), Jake Johnson (Spider-Man/Peter B. Parker), Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy), Mahershala Ali (Aaron Davis), Brian Tyree Henry (Jefferson Davis-Morales), Lily Tomlin (May Parker), John Mulaney (Spider-Ham/Peter Porker), Nicolas Cage (Spider-Man Noir/Peter Parker), Kimiko Glenn (Peni Parker), Liev Schreiber (Kingpin/Wilson Fisk), Chris Pine (Spider-Man/Peter Parker), Oscar Isaac (Spider-Man 2099/Miguel O’Hara), Kathryn Hahn (Doctor Octopus/Olivia Octavius), Zoe Kravitz (Mary Jane Watson), Lake Bell (Vanessa Fisk), Jorma Taccone (Green Goblin), and Marvin Jones III (Tombstone/Lonnie Thompson Lincoln). It is rated PG.
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This is an original article on marcusgohmarcusgoh.com
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I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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