Sony Pictures Animation takes an impressive stab at the webslinger, as directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, along with screenwriter Phil Lord, tackle the legacy of Spider-Man in Into the Spider-Verse.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is a typical teen from Brooklyn about to start at a new prep school. His parents have high expectations for him and his intellect, but he’d rather just go back to his old school, hang out, and get into a little trouble with his uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali). All of that changes after he’s bitten by a radioactive spider and starts exhibiting powers like Spider-Man (Chris Pines). While trying to figure it all out, Miles finds himself witness to a battle between Spidey and a group of his worst enemies led by the Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) in a supercollider built under the city. The two barely have time to make a connection before the hero is killed, leaving Miles with both the power and responsibility to stop Kingpin before he threatens the multiverse. Thankfully, Miles will get help, because the collider has brought a group of different spider heroes to his world, including: a middle-aged, down-on-his-luck Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), a Spider-Woman who is a teenaged Gwen Stacy who keeps people at a distance (Hailee Steinfeld), the black-and-white 30’s pulp hero Spider-Man Noir (Nicholas Cage), an anime-style girl named Peni Parker and her robot partner SP//dr (Kimiko Glenn) and a cartoon pig called Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). With their help, Miles will have to learn to find the hero inside of himself to have any chance to save his world and live up to Spider-Man’s legacy.
The plot is incredibly well-done. It’d be very easy for the film to feel crowded, but the focus stays firmly with Miles and his arc while allowing some of the other spider heroes to get their moments and development in (particular the aged Peter and Gwen). At no point does it feel too over-the-top in spite of the various larger-than-life multiverse elements. If anything, it manages to balance those elements with the genuine heart, which this film has tons of. It also helps that the humor is as good as the action, with the medium of animation allowing it to do things that no live-action film could do.
Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, and Hailee Steinfeld are the standouts here. Their interactions with each other helps the audience believe that they are these iconic characters, all dealing with their own personal issues when they meet. The other actors are also amazing; Liev Schreiber manages to give us a new take on Kingpin with his extremely New Yorker mobster take, Mahershala Ali is always great and really works in his role here as Miles’ uncle Aaron, balancing the love with just enough of a dark streak. Even the ones who come in later in the film are fun. I could watch Nicolas Cage and John Mulaney as Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Ham interact for hours.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous. It gives a sense of a CGI comic brought to life (with newsprint ink dots showing up), but then when the rest of the Spiders show up they stay in their own style, mixing anime, funny animal cartoons and pulp with the rest. When the action kicks in, it’s just beautiful. The climax of the film is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in a cinema, especially with the multiverse stuff. Add in an amazing soundtrack that always hits the mark, and Into the Spider-verse is simply spectacular.
Above all, the film is just… I keep saying amazing, but it fits. It has a personal story for Miles, it somehow balances the ensemble of its heroes and villains, and it’s more than just entertaining. It’s a love letter to the entire legacy of Spider-Man, with its diverse cast helping to hammer its most important lesson home: any of us can be Spider-Man, regardless of race, gender, age, or body type. I’m hard-pressed to think of any flaw. Some easter eggs may go over casual fans’ heads, but the film is meant for everyone, classic fans and newbies alike.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best-animated film I’ve seen all year, it’s one of the best superhero films of all time, and possibly may be the greatest Spider-Man movie to date.
Into the Spider-Verse is now in theaters. For more film reviews, check out every film tackled on Marooners’ Rock here.
