"What makes you different, is what makes you Spider-Man."
Within the 21st century we have seen an abundance
of Spider-Man. The big screen alone has seen three different incarnations of Marvel’s
famed web head in less than two decades, and that is before we even delve into
the TV series, video games and single musical (yeah, that was a thing that
happened). But almost all of these iterations return to Peter Parker’s tenure
as the wall crawler, which is interesting considering that wide array of
figures who have donned the identity in the various comics over the years. That
is just way in which ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ distinguishes itself.
Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn
teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him
into the one and only Spider-Man. Except he soon discovers that far from being
the one and only, Miles exists among an array of people who share his unique
abilities, and when an interdimensional collision brings them all together,
they must unite to stop a madman and save the city, as well as themselves.
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a movie that is so
adoringly in love with its own medium as much as ‘Spider-Man: Into the
Spider-Verse’. This movie is a love letter to the comics on which it is based
and the history of animation that has come before it. But most of all it adulates
Spider-Man, not just as a character but as a universal concept that explains
why the creation has blend such an enduring impact. It is fitting that this is
the first film based on the imagination of Stan Lee to be released after the
iconic storyteller’s passing. It embodies the core ideas and resonant themes
that Lee, Steve Ditko and a generations of writers who succeeded them have
bestowed onto Spider-Man. It celebrates his presence within our social consciousness
as both an individual and an idea. On the big screen Spider-Man has never been
more varied, nor more singularly distilled.
It stands a testament to the thematic weight of ‘Into the
Spider-Verse’ that I chose to mention its resonance first rather than the
animation. To say that the film looks stunning or is visually stimulating is a
frankly criminal understatement. I am genuinely lost for words at what to
mention first. There’s the simple fact that every solitary frame within this
film looks completely in tune with the visual aesthetics of a comic book. There’s
the gorgeous blending of art styles and animation techniques and how they all
blend seamlessly together. There’s the way these contrasting styles are so
often placed within the same shot and never look at conflict with one another.
There’s the way the film is unafraid to veer into the abstract and psychedelic for
its more otherworldly set pieces whilst still retaining this grounded clarity
to give added weight to its more emotionally nuanced character moments.
But these are the big visual gestures that anyone could
notice from a surface glance. When you look closer at ‘Into the Spider-Verse’
you will notice more masterful techniques such as how the grained texture that
makes it resemble a printed comic book panel, or the varying frame rates that
emphasise specific actions, or the defined outlines that make each character
feel so distinct, or the subtle uses of colour and shading that just make the
immersion within its vision that little bit more complete. There’s a phrase
within animation called “banging the lamp”, named after a scene in ‘Who Framed
Roger Rabbit’ to describe creative details that are not inherently essential to
the film but exist regardless due to the sheer passion and effort the animators
put into crafting a fully realised vision. ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ is “banging
the lamp” from its very first frame to its last.
The same care and effort has clearly been put into conveying
the story of the film as well as its technique. The screenplay by Phil Lord and
Rodney Rothman is a masterclass in ambitious storytelling mixed with intimate
settings. Amid the array of characters, no one feels lost or short changed.
While the core development of the story rests with three central characters,
everyone is given a means to contribute to the plot development or thematic arc
of the film in some way. Comedic characters are given beautifully rich moments
of insight, seemingly one note villains are allowed to reveal surprising
amounts of conflict and every secondary character whom Miles encounters along
the way has something meaningful to add to his journey.
How ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ effortlessly introduces its
various characters and their conflicts is astounding and does so much to help
the story move forward at a terrific pace. It revels in and explores the
essence of its characters and themes enough to not feel rushed, but never stalls
in terms of moving the plot forward at all times. Structurally, it winds each
escalating set piece together with superb clarity, starting in the grounded and
deeply personal mechanics of Miles home life only to end with a mind-blowing
finale that builds upon the action beats of everything that came before it and
concludes them in a masterstroke of storytelling.
I have to also shower praise on the voice cast that would honestly
be identical to simply listing the cast as they appeared. Shameik Moore
effortlessly conveys the shifting conflicts and identity struggle of Miles
Moralis throughout the movie. Jake Johnson and Hailee Steinfeld make for uniquely
interesting and brilliantly charismatic versions of the iconic web head.
Mahershala Ali and Brian Tyree Henry work as empathetically grounded mentors in
Miles’ life, whilst Nick Cage, Kimiko Glenn and John Mulaney all bring some
wonderful eccentricity to the array. I would also be remised if I didn’t mention
the menacing villainy Liev Schreiber evokes in his role as Kingpin.
As I said at the start of this review, what I found most
affecting about ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ was its ability to understand the
universal appeal of Spider-Man, the reason why Stan Lee struck such a profound
nerve with readers when he and Ditko conceived the character. It understands
that anyone can empathise with the figure, with the ideas. It evokes the notion
that a hero can exist within anyone and that beyond the ability to crawl up walls,
what distinguishes a hero are their own personal struggles. If Spider-Man has
ever appealed to anyone on any level, it was because of these core ideas which
the character personified, and there is not a single moment in which ‘Into the
Spider-Verse’ forgets that.
A towering achievement of animation, emotionally resonant
storytelling and richly drawn characters. Amazing.
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