My Movie Review on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Plus, a Bonus) · 5:20pm Apr 27th, 2023
Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
Today, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse".
Here's the rundown of this superhero adventure:
Miles Morales is a new boarding school student who hasn't figured out what he wants to do in life yet. On top of that, he's struggling to live up to the expectations of his father, police officer Jefferson Davis.
In an unexpected turn of events, though, Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains spider-like superpowers. As if that isn't crazy enough, he soon encounters a multitude of other spider-people, each coming from different universes: Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Peni Parker/SP//dr, Peter Parker/Spider-Man Noir, and Peter Porker/Spider-Ham.
With the help of the other spider-people, Miles must learn how to use his newfound abilities and discover how he can become his universe's Spider-Man. Especially in order to stop Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, who's using a multiverse collider that could destroy every dimension the more he keeps using it.
I really can't lie, I've been wanting to review this movie for quite a long time. It was a film that I initially planned on analyzing when I was officially becoming a reviewer, but as with a great many others, I put off doing so because there were other movies I was more interested in giving a critique of at the time.
Until now, that is.
With my analysis-stack having lessened, and thanks to not having too much in my schedule at the moment, I figured that this would be the perfect time to finally review "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse". And yes, I saw the movie a few times before, and rewatched it not too long ago in preparation for reviewing it, so I'm definitely not a stranger to it.
Speaking from a retrospective standpoint, especially after rewatching this Spider-Man movie a few weeks ago, I really must say that "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is still what I gladly consider to be an absolute gem. And a truly revolutionary animated feature, if I may add.
For instance, the direction by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, the story by Phil Lord, and the screenplay by Lord and Rothman, were outstanding.
In spite of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller not being this movie's directors, I can see why it was credited as a Lord & Miller project. As producers, their creative style and fingerprints were practically all-over-the-place, and Lord's involvement as the writer and co-screenwriter clearly guided the directors into how they could help create the kind of movie Lord and Miller wanted to create. The directors weren't afraid of incorporating their own creative flairs either, and neither was co-screenwriter Rodney Rothman.
As a superhero film, Into the Spider-Verse is perhaps the most original movie I've seen in years. The multiverse is a concept that I hardly recall being tackled in any other movie before this one, and the way the filmmakers provided exploration on it while ensuring the plot maintained focus and an even balance was excellent. The humor throughout was brilliantly-timed and hysterical, and the best part was that the comedy contained an innocence that helped the jokes be all-the-more fun. The film certainly wasn't without heart, emotion, and drama either; and the overall morals and themes it had were incredibly meaningful, nicely handled, and excellently presented.
The animation was astonishing, if I may add.
From a 2023 standpoint, I can definitely see why the animation was acclaimed and influenced various other projects, such as "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish". Everything about the overall visualization was like seeing an actual comic book's pages brought to life right when you flip past the cover, with the illustrations being remarkably three-dimensional. The character animation and designs each looked like the kind created by illustrators of Marvel comics, and the settings had colors and visualizations strongly reminiscent of works by watercolor artists. Plus, the action sequences were a rollicking great time to watch, the biggest reasons for why being because of how fluid and lively the animators made them.
Finally, the voice acting, characters, and character development were spectacular.
Looking back, Into the Spider-Verse was the movie that introduced me to Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. Granted, I did learn that the two of them appeared in some TV shows, and I know that Gwen appeared in both the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Spider-Man film franchises, but to me...Into the Spider-Verse was their breakout moment. Both characters were introduced and established incredibly well as people who are completely different from Peter Parker, and since they were created by Marvel comic writers and illustrators beforehand, their incorporations didn't fall into the politically-correct valleys. Shamiek Moore did a fantastic job portraying Miles, and Hailee Steinfeld was an instant showstopper in the role of Gwen.
Miles Morales in particular proved that he was capable of holding his own and taking center stage if given the chance, and his development throughout the movie was the most compelling and relatable out of everyone. Gwen Stacy had great character development as well, in that she learned to be more open and not shut herself off from others anymore.
Peter B. Parker was also quite a scene-stealer, that's for sure. In many ways, this Peter Parker is much more laidback, sarcastic, and cynical compared to other versions of the character. Once you're given the comic book rundown of him that's featured in the movie, though, it becomes understandable as to why he's portrayed this way. Jake Johnson was both awesome and hilarious in the role, and Peter's development throughout the film was marvelous.
The incorporations of Peter Porker/Spider-Ham, Peter Parker/Spider-Man Noir, and Peni Parker/SP//dr were fun as well. Despite not having as much screen time compared to Miles, Peter, or Gwen, Peni, Noir, and Ham still managed to shine brightly throughout the film, and their inclusions neither felt secondary or last minute. The performances of John Mulaney as Ham, Nicolas Cage as Noir, and Kimiko Glenn as Peni were amazing with a capital 'A', and each of the aforementioned characters were brilliantly developed in their own way.
Another character I particularly enjoyed was Doctor Olivia "Liv" Octavius. At first, she came across as a mere scientist that was kind of an awkward nerd. When it's later revealed that she's the Doc Ock of Miles's dimension, though, it becomes clear that Olivia is more like a firecracker waiting to explode. Kathryn Kahn did a brilliant job portraying Octavius in both her scientist and villain modes, and Olivia herself wasn't without development.
Likewise, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin was marvelously portrayed and characterized as the film's main antagonist. Granted, he may not have had as much screen time compared to other characters, but all the times he did appear helped him to emit a strong presence. His intentions behind why he wanted to use the collider, which was to bring his family back, also helped the character to not be your average supervillain, and his backstory and development made him someone who's three-dimensional and full of depth. The fact that he wasn't wanting to accept that his family was gone forever or admit to his wrongdoings make the Kingpin a genuine depiction of someone who wouldn't let go of his sinful nature, that's for sure. Liev Schreiber did an amazing job voicing the character, and the way he portrayed the Kingpin with theatricality and humor while mixing it all with emotion was an astounding thing to see.
In conclusion, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is without a doubt one of the most groundbreaking and unique animated films in years, as well as a welcoming addition to the superhero genre. Everything about it is just so amazing! Considering how popular and impactful Into the Spider-Verse continues to be, and its influence on other projects, I'm surprised that the Library of Congress hasn't inducted the movie into the National Film Registry. At least, not yet.
So, I rate "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" a solid five out of five stars.
To Phil Lord & Christopher Miller: Whether this would be too much to ask is something I don't know, but...I would love to see Spider-Man Noir in particular have his own movie at some point. And to see Kingpin and Olivia Octavius return in a future installment or more.
Before I conclude this post, I'd like to share with you guys a couple of new original art pieces I created a while back:
So, what do you guys think? Of this review? And my paintings?
I think one of my favorite things about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the art style. Since to me, it helps the movie to stand out.
Yeah, the animation was a little too wonky for me
5725281
How come?
5725293
I didn’t like all of the comic book style and all the wonky like abstract stuff
that stuff just doesn’t sit with me
5725296
Oh.
I'll need to watch it personally to make my own evaluation.
5725306
make no mistake, it WAS a decent movie, but the animation is just a little too trippy for me to like it enough.
5725345
I can understand that. Its style certainly isn’t like what people are used to seeing, so it can be hard for some to get used to. I think I felt a similar way once, but I became more accustomed to the visual style as I saw it more.