Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

So I finally got around to seeing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse last week and it definitely impressed me. Going in, I really didn’t know what to expect. All I had heard were good things concerning the movie, so I had relatively high expectations, but at the same time I didn’t know a whole lot about the movie, so I didn’t really know what to expect.

The movie that I saw really blew me away for a handful of very different reasons. The first thing that I’ll discuss is the story and the accompanying themes.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales as he works with five other Spider-Men to defeat Kingpin and return the other Spider-Men back to the dimensions that they call home. The movie also serves as an origin story for Miles Morales and explains how he received his powers and learned to control them.

However, the biggest thing that impressed me about the movie was the themes. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy watching superhero movies, but the vast majority of them don’t really have themes. Yes there can be character development, but the majority of the time the entire conflict boils down to good versus evil. I will say this though, I do feel that superhero movies, specifically those in the Marvel cinematic universe, are beginning to explore more complex characters, as well as themes, but they still have a ways to go. Into the Spider-Verse tackles a variety of themes from forgiveness to self-acceptance to bravery and courage, and it all works in part due to the cast of characters. It’s a little difficult relating to a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist or a literal god, but it’s easy to relate to an awkward high school student.

Miles Morales was a normal high school student, so he’s not used to fighting supervillains and running for his life, and the audience is right there experiencing everything with him. However, the movie takes its sweet time getting into all of this. First, the movie introduces Miles, his family, and explores the family dynamic. The movie takes its time letting the audience get to know the main protagonist, and I’m glad that it does. I think that if Into the Spider-Verse just jumped right into the action, the action wouldn’t be as important or impactful.

Throughout the movie, the audience has seen Miles grow and develop as a character as the other Spider-Men help him control his powers and help him cope with the death of his Uncle Aaron, who also happened to be one of the supervillains trying to kill him earlier. And let me say this, that was a good twist that had nice foreshadowing earlier but at the same time wasn’t too obvious or completely came out of nowhere. The final interaction between the two, when the Prowler (Uncle Aaron) is about to kill Miles but stops as Miles takes off his mask is truly a great scene because of what it reveals about the two characters. I feel like I could go on forever looking at all of the different characters and their different characteristics, but I don’t have the time.

SPOILERS END

The other major thing that really blew me away was the animation used for Into the Spider-Verse. One of my good friends said that he loved how the movie looked like a comic book and I couldn’t agree more. Into the Spider-Verse is not ashamed to emulate its source material and even reference it in-universe. In all honesty, it was a bold move that I don’t think any other movie would really have been able to accomplish. I really loved the little comic book motifs, like a “THUD” plastered on the screen next to a fist as it made impact with a wall or text boxes placed on the screen to mimic narration while a character actually said the words, that were peppered into the movie. It was all of the little things that really elevated the movie beyond a normal animated movie or cartoon.

The other aspect of animation that I thoroughly enjoyed was the combination of animation styles. The movie did an absolutely spectacular job of combining completely different animation styles, like semi-realistic 3D animation and Looney Tunesesque 2D animation. And again, this only works in the movie’s favor. I think that the reason Into the Spider-Verse is able to accomplish this is simply due to the fact that it had fun and only takes itself seriously when it should. The movie is full of genuinely funny and lighthearted moments, but there are also quite a few dark and sad moments spread throughout. But the movie never forgets that it’s based on superhero comics.

Finally, I would like to talk about the actions sequences, specifically the climactic final battle, and explain what it does well. Like the rest of the movie, it’s a wonderful blend of animation styles and is so visually different from any other movie or fight scene that you can’t help but be engrossed by it. The final battle is a spectacle, and that is a good thing. The movie has been building towards this. This is the final battle, so it should be intense, crazy, and a ton of fun. However, it still doesn’t get lost in the spectacle. Instead, the movie continues to develop characters, specifically Miles, as well as the themes of love, forgiveness, and acceptance. This final battle is the perfect example of how a climactic showdown can still indulge the viewer in spectacle while not losing sight of the important themes and ideas.

In all honestly, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was probably one of the best animated movies that I have ever seen. This movie genuinely deserves the praise that it is getting. I would highly recommend this movie. I really hope that other superhero movies and TV shows, especially the animated ones, look to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as a paragon of what a superhero movie should be.