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BROOKLYN — If you were anything like me when the first trailer for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” came out you were rolling your eyes and saying, “Really? Another Spider-Man?”
Then I saw the trailer and I was a little intrigued. Then I saw more trailers and actually started to get excited. Then I saw the movie and couldn’t wait to see it again.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is a late entry to the list of 2018 films and it’s one of my favorites. The film is fun, cool, original and just plain old good. Here are some of the reasons “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is a needed addition to the Spider-Man canon and just may be the best Spider-Man movie out there.
It's hilarious
Noticed I didn’t say “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is funny, I said it was hilarious. The movie had me laughing from start to finish and I’ve been quoting it ever since. The one-liners, the set-ups, the physical comedy, all of it was pitch perfect and had me rolling in the aisles.
The writing is strong
One of the writers for this movie is Phil Lord, a filmmaker whose name you may not recognize, but whose work you know. Lord is half of the creative minds behind “The Lego Movie,” “21 Jump Street” and maybe one-third of “Solo.” Lord is known for taking chances and finding fresh perspectives to familiar stories and he’s done more of the same here.
I know writing isn’t something everyone notices, but this story is told so well, the narrative is tight, the characters are developed and the humor is blended perfectly with the action and woven expertly with the emotional moments. Be aware, there are some emotional moments that will take hold of your heartstrings in the theater.
Lord and his writing partner on “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Rodney Rothman have made a fresh origin story and made what should be a standard for superhero movies.
The voice acting is phenomenal
The cast for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is not just strong — it seems to be perfect.
Shameik Moore encapsulates the immaturity and insecurity of Miles Morales and Jake Johnson plays the perfect older Peter Parker who is broken by years of pain but still has his personality intact. Hailee Steinfeld nails Gwen Stacy’s uncertainty and pain and I think John Mulaney was born to voice Peter Porker.
Also, who else besides Nicolas Cage could be Spider-Man Noir? And those are just the Spider-people; I haven’t even talked about Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin and Bryan Tyree Henry.
Voice acting is an art and it’s on full display in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
The animation is beautiful
The animation in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” takes a moment to get used to with certain things being out of focus and bright colors, but once you realize it is based off the comic book look you fall in love with it and start to question why all superhero movies aren’t made this way.
The animation is beautiful and unique and makes the experience that much more engrossing.
Conclusion
I loved “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” I’ve seen it twice already and I'm legitimately looking forward to seeing it again. It’s a different kind of superhero movie and if they were all like this the genre would probably be my favorite. The tone, the aesthetic and the story all fit what I envision a superhero movie being and I’m eagerly awaiting a sequel.
For a parent’s content review check out Dave Clyde’s article tomorrow on KSL.com.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is rated PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements and mild language.
