“I Can’t Let You Open a Portal to Another Dimension. Brooklyn Isn’t Zoned for That.”
I didn’t pay too much attention when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse came out several years ago. It was only after it had been out for a while and I started hearing lots of people praising it that I decided I should watch it. Since my to watch list is as long as my to be read pile, I didn’t get to it until this last weekend, but I quickly saw why everyone loved it.
The movie tells the story of Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore). He’s struggling with being the new kid at school and dealing with a father who is stricter than Miles appreciates, especially when it comes to Miles’s passion of being a graffiti artist.
While his uncle is helping him with a painting in the sewers one night, Miles is bit by a spider. He thinks nothing of it until the next day, when things seem different. Since there is already a Spider-Man in the city, Miles quickly figures out what is happening to him. But a trip back to the sewer to confirm his theory gets him involved in a fight with the city’s future, not to mention all of reality, on the line. And with help coming from some surprising places, can Miles figure out his new powers to save the day?
I’ll admit, I was beginning to wonder exactly where the movie was going early on. I know it had to introduce us to Miles and his world before we could really get into the story, but it seemed a bit slow to me. But that is a minor complaint overall.
Not being super familiar with the comics, I don’t know how the characters here fit into any comic books, but I don’t care. This is fun, and what is presented here makes sense even if you are coming in cold.
Once the movie really got going, it was an all-out roller-coaster ride to the end. It was hard to look away for a second as there was always something going on. The story moved forward quickly. Yes, some aspects of it were still predictable, but this is definitely a case where I didn’t mind because I was having fun.
There are lots of great one liners that provide laughs. Some of them are pretty meta, and others are witty. I laughed numerous times and smiled plenty of others.
Yet the movie also does a good job of giving us characters moments. We truly do come to care for Miles and some of the other characters, so some of the events in the third act really hit home.
The voice cast is filled with names I recognized. But they never outshine their characters. I got lost in the story, never listening for voices I recognized instead enjoying their performances. And this movie also has Stan Lee’s final Marvel cameo in it.
The animation is very stylized. It’s designed to mimic a comic book. I’ll admit, it took a bit to get used to it, but it was worth it.
I know the sequel has just opened. While I doubt I’ll go see it in the theater, I have definitely added it to my to watch list. If you have missed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, you’ll be happy you made it a priority to watch it.
I also am not a comic book person, per se, and didn't know much about Spiderman, but when I saw the first Spider-Verse movie I was totally into it. I'm looking forward to seeing the second/new installment.
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