Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse combines beautiful animation and Spider-people from different parallel universes for a battle to stop Kingpin.
Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales has trouble adjusting to the new boarding school his parents enrolled him in to help reach his full potential. While painting graffiti in an abandoned subway station, Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider. The next day, Miles begins to notice he has spider-like abilities. Miles returns to the subway station to investigate the spider and stumbles upon a fight occurring between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. During the brawl, Kingpin turns on his particle accelerator accessing parallel universes. Before Spider-Man is killed, he gives Miles a USB drive to disable the accelerator and prevent the destruction of the city. While visiting Spider-Man/Peter A. Parker’s grave, Miles meets Peter B. Parker, an older, out-of-shape Spider-Man from a parallel universe. Later, Miles and Peter discover there are other Spider-People from different parallel universes that have come into Miles’ universe; Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Peter Porker/Spider-Ham, Peni Parker/SP//dr, and Peter Parker/Spider-Man Noir. Together, they must work to stop Kingpin and make it back to their respective universes before they die.
Animated films are hit or miss for me. There has to be something that grabs my attention to truly enjoy an animated film. There’s a lot that grabs my attention in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I’ll begin with Spider-Verse’s story. The film does an excellent job of respecting the live-action narrative in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, by creating an incredibly unique story. Marvel films have done an excellent job of injecting humor into stories that require a fair bit of seriousness. Spider-Verse follows suit with humorous dialogue, as well as fun and hilarious characters. However, it was important to choose the right voice actors for these characters.
I love the casting for the “Spider-People”. Shameik Moore, Miles Morales/Spider-Man, has really established himself through film and TV roles. I thought he was fantastic in the film Dope, and he does an excellent job voicing the awkward, funny and determined Morales. Hailee Steinfeld does a phenomenal job voicing the badass Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman. Jake Johnson, Peter B. Parker, and John Mulaney, Peter Porker/Spider-Ham, will have you laughing throughout the film. I love the inclusion of an animated pig that’s also a crime-fighting “Spider-Ham” and I’m not sure anyone could have fulfilled that voice role the way Mulaney has. Additionally, Nicholas Cage and Kimiko Glenn are great as Peter Parker/Spider-Man Noir and Peni Parker/SP//dr. Other voice actors include: Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Zoe Kravitz, Kathryn Hahn, Lake Bell, and Jorma Taccone.
Something else to love is the animation itself. This is a beautiful film. The blend of 3D and comic book animation, along with the sharp, bright coloring creates a visually appealing film. There’s incredible attention to detail all the way down to small shards of glass. I also enjoyed the use of different animation styles for character’s from different universes, i.e. Spider-Ham, SP//dr, and Spider-Man Noir.
It’s a no-brainer that this film is for you if you’re a fan of Marvel, superhero, or comic book films. However, even if you do not not fall under any of the previously listed categories you should still check out Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. There’s plenty of action, adventure, and comedy. I guarantee you will find something to like about this film.
