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'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse': Sony spins 2018’s last — and best — Marvel movie
Marvel Studios has its own Spider-Man in its interconnected film universe. Their Peter Parker — a well-meaning greenhorn who fawns over Iron Man — stands in stark (pun intended) contrast to Sony’s earlier takes on the wallcrawler, both of which had Spidey operating as New York’s lone superhero.
It’s not entirely clear how the deal between Marvel Studios and Sony works. Sony seems to have the live-action rights to most Spidey-related characters, save for the webslinger himself. This might explain why Sony greenlit a series of films featuring leads plucked from Spidey’s world, starting with the critically panned yet commercially successful "Venom."
Getting over the problem of building a live-action franchise around an absent main character, however, is an obstacle that may be too high for even Spidey himself to leap.
Unsurprisingly, with Marvel Studios’ "Spider-Man: Far from Home" and Sony’s "Morbius" on the way, it’ll probably be a while before we see another live-action Spidey tangling with Sony’s Spider-characters. Sony has a spectacular solution to its Spidey situation, though — one that, appropriately enough, is as comic-booky as it gets.
Enter "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," an animated feature that explores the concept of alternate realities. It asks a simple question: What if, across the multiverse, Peter Parker wasn’t the only nobody burdened with power and responsibility?
Looking at the films that came before it, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" faces an uphill climb. For starters, it follows a long series of well-received Marvel blockbusters (including "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Infinity War"). Then it's going head-to-head against DC's much-hyped ‘Aquaman,’ which will have its premiere in Manila. On the animation side, 2018’s ‘Isle of Dogs’, ‘Incredibles 2’, and "Teen Titans Go! To The Movies" are among the most refreshingly entertaining animated films in recent memory.
Oddly enough — perhaps, in true underdog fashion — "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" deftly climbs to the top of both genres, as if it had the proportionate speed and strength of a spider.
Half-Latino, half-black Miles Morales is the main star of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," a perfectly likable newbie to the web-slinging world. Peter Parker is still present, albeit in a different capacity: The Miyagi to Miles’ Daniel-san, this Peter is tired, troubled, and somewhat tubby.
As both characters go on their individual journeys together, they meet other interesting Spider-folks: a musically inclined loner, a child psionically bonded with a robot, a private eye from a black-and-white world, and a talking pig.
Rather than just relying on traditional animation styles or straightforward CGI, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" employs a dynamic mix of hand-drawn animation techniques, vibrant colors, and CG-rendered scenes. Each frame is a feast for the eyes; pause this film at any moment, and you’ll end up with an illustration seemingly pulled straight from a comic book.
Accompanying the breathtaking visuals is a youthfully upbeat soundtrack that sets the mood for each scene and immerses viewers into Miles’ world. You may even find yourself humming a few of the songs as you walk out of the theater. The voice actors are also on point, with Shameik Moore and Jake Johnson delivering particularly memorable performances as Miles and Peter, respectively.
Visuals and sounds are nothing, though, without a powerful narrative and fortunately,the film not only presents a compelling story, it tells it most creatively. From the innovative method of handling multiple origin stories to how each character is developed despite limited screen time, this film does a spectacular job of giving you a reason to be invested in its fairly straightforward (and at times predictable) plot.
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is an exhilarating emotional rollercoaster, blending high-stakes action, human drama, and meta-humor in carefully measured doses. While it pokes fun at comic book cliches, it doesn’t reach "Deadpool 2"-levels of self-referential silliness. And really, it doesn’t need to; after all, this IS a film with a personified porcine protagonist.
Many might be put off by the fact that it’s an animated feature. Some may even question its role in the Sony-Marvel relationship, given how today’s movie-going audience seems fixated on cross-film continuity. However, that’s precisely where the beauty and brilliance of the multiverse concept lies.
Everything that happens in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" counts as “real.” It's just as valid as "Venom," or even the Sam Raimi "Spider-Man" trilogy from over a decade ago (which the film cleverly pays homage to).
Meanwhile, just like any good superhero film, it rewards longtime fans and newcomers alike.
Easter eggs are all over "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" like stickiness on a spiderweb. Eagle-eyed fans of the character’s 56-year history will have a blast spotting costumes, artifacts, and other references to Spidey’s colorful crime-fighting career. And of course, a special cameo from a dearly departed Marvel legend may bring a tear or two to your eye.
Simultaneously, a new generation of fans will be introduced to a handful of the weird and wonderful denizens of the Spider-Verse, and may even find a Spider or two they can relate to.
Peter Parker is and will always be the main Spider-Man for countless fans and ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ definitely acknowledges that. If anything, the film adds welcome layers of depth to a character that, after three separate film incarnations, desperately needs a breath of fresh air.
In reality, it’s that same old old lesson on great power and great responsibility, updated to fit modern sensibilities: Anyone can be a hero, wherever and whenever. It’s also what makes "Spider-Verse" the movie that Marvel’s greatest character deserves.
Do yourself a favor and set aside whatever bias you may have against cartoons. If you’ve ever enjoyed a single superhero film or Spider-Man comic in your entire life, you owe it to yourself to watch this one.
Even the most hardcore comic book purist would agree: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" captures what makes Spider-Man so unique and so relatable. That’s more than enough to crown "Spider-Verse" as the best Spider-Man film ever made — and perhaps, this year’s best superhero film as well.
You should probably stop reading now, though, lest you feel the urge to go back to the beginning of this review, read the first letter of every paragraph down to this one, and spoil yourself on the post-credits surprise waiting for you at the end of ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’. Seriously, go see the film first, then go back to this review. You might find yourself pointing and laughing. — LA, GMA News
