The story of Spider-Man has been told and retold many times over. There comes a point where people go “yeah yeah yeah” and start to grow wearisome of it. So, writer Phil Lord and trio of directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman had their work cut out when developing the latest entry into the Spider-Man franchise. I suppose it could be worse, they could have been tasked with doing ANOTHER Batman film… Anyway, the buzz has been too loud to ignore coming off of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It’s time to find out what all of the fuss is about and to see if it’s truly as amazing as early reports are saying.
Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) is a high school kid that’s looking for something more. His dad (voiced by Brian Tyree Henry), a police officer, is trying to keep him focused on his studies and out of trouble. Whereas his uncle (voiced by Mahershala Ali) is more about unlocking his creative and artistic potential. In another place far, far away Peter B. Parker (voiced by Jake Johnson), aka Spider-Man, is in the mist of a showdown with the villainous Wilson Fisk (voiced by Liev Schreiber) that will lead to a convergence of dimensions. As a result of this scientific tinkering, this city is about to become infested with Spider-People.
The only way to keep the universe from collapsing in on itself is for the displaced heroes to work together to overcome some familiar faces as the battle of good versus evil wages on. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse goes at about two hours and gives audiences a lot to marvel at and even more to think about as fun roller coaster ride takes off. Your eyes and ears are in for a very special treat. And your brain will be just as thrilled since the plot is very engaging and reveals little by little as it reaches its apex.
In addition to the voice talents already mentioned earlier, maybe you’ll also recognize Hailee Steinfeld, Lily Tomlin, Zoë Kravitz, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn or Chris Pratt as they also donated their vocal chords to this far-reaching project. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is so much more than just an animated feature. Simply put, it’s beautiful to look at and seeing it on the big screen is the only way to truly do it justice.
The CGI animation for the film blends several artistic techniques giving something unique to audiences like they’ve never experienced before. This movie is the definition of eye candy in its purest of forms. 142 animators contributed to this project, making for the largest animation crew that Sony Pictures Imageworks has ever used. There’s no doubt that is was worth it once you see the final work.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse gives audiences something fresh and new to latch onto this holiday season. Even seasoned fans of the franchise will enjoy this fun animated ride. Don’t get me wrong, I love the way Marvel has been going with their epic arc-lines. But, being given a plot that is both compelling and fun while not rehashing old story lines is a welcome relief. Phil Lord continues his mastery of the animated world and has built a solid reputation as such. The balance between laughs, classic characters and amazing animations makes this a must-see of December movies, really it’s one of the best overall movies of the year in terms of fun. Place this one high on your lists and thank me later.
