I heard about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) some time ago. I remember being struck by the original-looking animation. But, given that it was being produced by Sony, I figured that it would either be a direct-to-DVD charmer or absolutely botched.
But then clips and trailers started dropping.
And the enormity of the film's ambition started to sink in. This was no simple "cartoon." This was Sony placing all of its bets on a last-ditch effort to make a shared universe film. It looked bold, and funny, and seemed to have a very high pedigree of talent swirling around it.
I knew, pretty soon, that I was going to HAVE to see this one in theaters.
So. Is it any good?
I. What is It?
This is the story of Miles Morales. When a hole in interdimensional space flings Spider People from multiple realities into his world, Miles realizes that he's one of the few people in the world that can help them. Miles needs to figure out who he is, what he wants, and why he wears the mask. And in a hurry.
II. Absolutely Stunning
This movie is unlike anything you've ever seen. The animation is fresh, and gorgeous, and often resembles a comic book come to life, with animated panels and halftone dots. Some frames have been taken out, which lends a bit of a choppy feel to the animation, but that is meant to make it look more like a series of static images, like a comic book.
This movie was directed by three people, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsay, and Rodney Rothman. But it feels like a singular vision. The visuals are stunning, the tone is consistent throughout, and the pacing is damn good for a movie that clocks in at just under two hours (117 minutes).
There is so much happening onscreen, that I imagine multiple viewings would be rewarding.
This movie is gorgeous. And it's probably a shoe-in for an Academy Award.
This movie was directed by three people, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsay, and Rodney Rothman. But it feels like a singular vision. The visuals are stunning, the tone is consistent throughout, and the pacing is damn good for a movie that clocks in at just under two hours (117 minutes).
There is so much happening onscreen, that I imagine multiple viewings would be rewarding.
This movie is gorgeous. And it's probably a shoe-in for an Academy Award.
III. Jokes With Layers
Great comedy is dependent on two things, usually: great writing and great performance. If the writing sucks, the performer will need to do double duty to make the jokes work. Vice versa: if the writing is brilliant, but the performer lacks the timing or the panache to pull it off, the hokes will fall flat.
Not only does Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sport an incredible voice cast, it also has a slick script from Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman.
But the jokes aren't limited to scripting and performance. This film features visual gags, audio gags, and context gags. When you swirl all those things together, and this film does en force, you get wonderfully complex jokes that hit on multiple levels.
Case in point: Miles is taught the Shoulder Grab technique by his uncle. This is a technique where a guy puts his hand on a girl's shoulder and says, "Hey," in a suggestive manner. It's supposed to work "like magic." The writing of the scene is solid. The vocal performances, as Miles attempts to forge his uncle's suave bass is nuanced and hilarious. The facial animations of both uncle and nephew are great, as each successive attempt at "hey" becomes more and more labored. But the joke doesn't end there. Later in the movie, Miles actually gets a chance to use this technique on Gwen. But he's just acquired his Spider Powers, and his hands are sticky, so, of course he grabs Gwen's shoulder and is immediately engaged in a wonderful slapstick routine. This joke works because of the voice acting, the animation, the writing, AND because it was set up properly earlier. It has context and build. Which makes its execution all the more powerful.
And the movie is stuffed to the gills with clever bits like this.
You will laugh. I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time.
Not only does Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sport an incredible voice cast, it also has a slick script from Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman.
But the jokes aren't limited to scripting and performance. This film features visual gags, audio gags, and context gags. When you swirl all those things together, and this film does en force, you get wonderfully complex jokes that hit on multiple levels.
Case in point: Miles is taught the Shoulder Grab technique by his uncle. This is a technique where a guy puts his hand on a girl's shoulder and says, "Hey," in a suggestive manner. It's supposed to work "like magic." The writing of the scene is solid. The vocal performances, as Miles attempts to forge his uncle's suave bass is nuanced and hilarious. The facial animations of both uncle and nephew are great, as each successive attempt at "hey" becomes more and more labored. But the joke doesn't end there. Later in the movie, Miles actually gets a chance to use this technique on Gwen. But he's just acquired his Spider Powers, and his hands are sticky, so, of course he grabs Gwen's shoulder and is immediately engaged in a wonderful slapstick routine. This joke works because of the voice acting, the animation, the writing, AND because it was set up properly earlier. It has context and build. Which makes its execution all the more powerful.
And the movie is stuffed to the gills with clever bits like this.
You will laugh. I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time.
IV. Balance
The jokes and silliness work, in part, because they are balanced with actual pathos. This movie is not afraid to go to dark places. I won't spoil anything for you, but rest assured: the stakes are real and heart felt. Miles has a real arc; Kingpin has a real reason for doing what he's doing. Everyone involved has stakes that push the story forward.
That the movie manages to keep all of these balls in the air without going overlong (or over-short) is a feat in and of itself.
That the movie manages to keep all of these balls in the air without going overlong (or over-short) is a feat in and of itself.
V. Music
It's rare for a film has a great soundtrack and an amazing score. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has both.
Daniel Pemberton's score is nimble, mixing jazz, latin influences, and hip hop into a dynamic, exciting underscore. The theme for Prowler, in particular, is a stunning piece of music that, in the context of the film, is thrilling and wonderful to listen to.
The licensed soundtrack is also a lot of fun. You will not be able to get "Sunflower," by Post Malone and Swae Lee, out of your head. It is genuinely a pleasant pop tune, but the soundtrack lives and breathes like a single work, much like the Black Panther (2018) soundtrack. This is one I actually want to purchase.
This film's voice cast is stuffed to the gills with A-listers who bring the story to life.
Daniel Pemberton's score is nimble, mixing jazz, latin influences, and hip hop into a dynamic, exciting underscore. The theme for Prowler, in particular, is a stunning piece of music that, in the context of the film, is thrilling and wonderful to listen to.
The licensed soundtrack is also a lot of fun. You will not be able to get "Sunflower," by Post Malone and Swae Lee, out of your head. It is genuinely a pleasant pop tune, but the soundtrack lives and breathes like a single work, much like the Black Panther (2018) soundtrack. This is one I actually want to purchase.
VI. Pitch Perfect Voice Acting
Shameik Moore is wonderful as Miles, capturing his spirit and carrying the weight of the film. Jake Johnson is a sheer delight as an older Peter Parker, thrust into Miles' dimension. Hailee Steinfeld is feisty and soulful as Gwen Stacy. John Mulaney and Nic Cage show up as alternate dimension Spider People and each get ample opportunity to entertain.This film's voice cast is stuffed to the gills with A-listers who bring the story to life.
VII. An Origin Story That Feels Fresh
VIII. Should You See It?
Absolutely. It is big and bombastic and funny and touching. It is every reason you pay top dollar to go to the movies. SEE THIS MOVIE.
Miscellany
- Stan Lee's recorded a cameo appearance for this movie before his death,- The film is dedicated to Steve Ditko, who co-created Spider-Man, and who passed away during this film was wrapping production.
- This film required the largest crew of animators, 140, ever assembled by Sony for an animated film.
- This movie is rated PG. It doesn't pull any of its punches, though.
- Oscar Isaac appears as Spider-Man 2099 in the post-credits stinger. It's a treat.
- The contacts in Miles' phone is full with references: eagle-eyed viewers will see references to Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, who created Miles Morales, as well as a reference to Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko.
- It took the production team over a year to develop the animation style that would eventually be used throughout the film. The style is a blend of digital and hand-drawn animation. Sony is so keen on it, they are trying to patent the process.
- The development of this film was spoiled in the 2014 Sony hack.
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