Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse review by Bobby Blakey
Spider-man has had a wild ride since his inception spawning live action films including the most recent Spider-Man: Homecoming that brought him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe after his appearance in Captain America: Civil War. Additionally he has had numerous animated incarnations and now they are taking it to the big screen with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse featuring the voice talents of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Nicholas Cage, Liev Schreiber, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, and Zoe Kravitz. Can this latest entry into the world of the famed wall crawler bring something that stands out to the world or will it run out of web fluid?
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse follows Miles Morales who comes across the long-dead Peter Parker, but this Parker is not from his world though; he's from somewhere else in the multiverse. With Parker's guidance, Miles will become Spider-Man: and through that he will become part of the ever-expanding 'Spider-Verse'. There has been a lot of talk about this possibly being one of the best incarnations of Spider-Man yet and they are spot on. Right out of the gate this film sets a tone all its own and manages to cram so much of the Spider-Man universe in one film without ever feeling bloated in a way that feels fresh and new.
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I was worried the animation style might wear thin after a bit, but it is pure brilliance and a feast for the senses. Some might find the confusing nature of its look to be off putting but they have managed to create a look that is CG but looks like it has been merged with comic art and news print from the classic comics. There are a lot of blurry elements that I can only assume were meant to be like the printing mistakes or color merges of old as well and I thought added a cool touch to the final product.
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While this film features the variety of other Spider Universe characters who all get
some great screen time this makes sure to be Miles Morales movie all the way. I was so happy to see them push this character to the forefront in the way they did for this take as it not only allows them to continue with so much more in the future, but also leave the world of Parker alone for the most part. The voice cast all do a great job, but it was Nicholas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir that stole it for me. Both Shameik Moore and Jake Johnson have great chemistry in their respective roles and offered the perfect casting to bring them both to life here.
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I loved every element of the story. It was packed with action, fun, humor and way more emotional impact than I expected. The entire film alone stands on its own as not just a great Spider-Man film, but great superhero film period, but it was the tributes to Stan Lee that were so perfectly placed that it elevated the emotional impact and the importance of the film all the more. I hope this is only the first chapter of adventures with Miles Morales and with the fun after credit sequences there is sure to be more stories to tell.
In addition to the film this release features a ton of bonus features including music videos, featurettes, a tribute to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and an all-new Original Short “Spider-Ham: Caught In a Ham” that you can take a peek at here below. Step into an animated film like you’ve never seen and grab your copy of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse available now on digital, 4K Ultra, Blu-ray and DVD from Sony Home Entertainment.