Out of the comics and into the ‘Spider-Verse’
December 14, 2018
Over the past decade and a half, moviegoers have been exposed to six different Spider-Man movies featuring three different actors, six underdeveloped villains, four Uncle Ben death sequences, and two separate film studios. Suffice to say, everyone knows the Spider-Man story about as well as we know that with great power comes great responsibility—but in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s “Into The Spider-Verse,” we see the Spider-Man mythos from an entirely new perspective.
After being bitten by a certain radioactive spider, Brooklyn native Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is thrown head first into conflict with earth shattering consequences. Alongside an older Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), the punk rock as all heck Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), a talking pig (John Mulaney), a child piloting a spider themed Megazord (Kimiko Glenn), and what I can only describe as Spider-Nicholas Cage (shockingly, Nicholas Cage), Miles must stop The Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) from tearing the multiverse as we know it apart. Piece of cake for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Men. And women. And pig.
First off, the visuals in this movie are stunning. Rarely am I so blown away by the sheer beauty of an animated film, but “Into the Spider-Verse” pulls straight from the comics it’s inspired by to make an animation style that is both comforting in its accurate familiarity, but surreal in its thrilling use of color. This sets it miles apart from any previous Spider-flick.
Considering the movie is produced by the amazing team of Lord and Miller, “Spider-Verse” is without a doubt not only one of the funniest, but one of the most lovingly made movies of the year, paying tribute to every aspect of the Spider-Man mythos while also refreshing the universe we have seen time and time again. Without a doubt, “Into The Spider-Verse” is worth your time, and is hands-down the best animated movie you will see all year. With two sequels already in the works, we should all look forward to seeing what comes next from the Spider-Verse.
INTO THE SPIDER-VERSEDirected by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman. Voiced by Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, Nicolas Cage, and John Mulaney. At Boston Common, Fenway, and others. 117 minutes. PG.
–Dec. 14, 2018–
