Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Review

Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) suddenly develops mysterious powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider, becoming the new Spider-Man. He must learn about his new abilities and powers while trying to juggle his topsy-turvy relationship with his father, settling into his new school and trying to stop the evil Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). But when Kingpin opens a portal to alternate realities, Miles quickly learns there’s more than one web-slinger.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Spider-Man's big-screen exploits have become nothing more than a repetitive and looping cycle. Since 2002, three actors have portrayed Peter Parker on the silver screen, and three sets of Peter Parkers have had to realise that "With great power comes great responsibility". It was an impossible task, but somehow, directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman managed to breathe fresh new air into the comic book movie era. Every year a handful of Marvel films are released. There has undoubtedly been no shortage of movies and shows starring Spider-Man as a lead character or as part of an assembled ensemble, another may seem excessive or, worse, a shameful cash grab. So, bravo to Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse for overcoming possible fan fatigue and doubling down on delivering an innovative and brilliant superhero story that shines through the rest of Marvel and DC films.

Within minutes of the film, this is a Spider-Man entirely unique in every possible way from previously seen live-action versions. Unlike previous adaptations, which sought to soften the silliness of the comics, here, the Marvel comics are brought to the silver screen and embraced like never before. The story is pretty simple: Your typical boy meets a girl, the boy gets superpowers, the boy discovers a supervillain looking to open a portal to multiple dimensions. There are endless possibilities with a story of infinite Spider-Men, but thankfully, the focus is on Miles Morales (Moore), the first non-white incarnation of the superhero, who debuted in the Ultimate line of comics. Miles is a different kind of outsider: he's as bright as Peter Parker, but he'd rather be spraying graffiti or listening to old-school R&B with his uncle than working hard at his prestigious academy school.

The decision to make the film in animated form was an inspired choice. It compliments Miles Morales' origin story perfectly. It is unbelievable that the animated format is not taken as seriously as live-action films, especially with the modern-day technology that can create a highly stylised 3D world given a 2D sheen, all primary colours and CMYK-printed bluntness. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is no poorly made cheap Saturday morning kids’ cartoon: It's a beautifully constructed alternate universe, brimming with inventiveness and fast-paced action that flies off the screen. Frankly, it's unlike anything cinema has ever seen.

It's extremely witty, packed with clever visual jokes and poking fun at superhero clichés in a modernist way. The fingerprints of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, creators of the reboot of 21 Jump Street (2012) and The Lego Movie (2014), are all over this film. The two filmmakers were essential in bringing the project to the big screen and it clearly shows. From a tubby, over-the-hill Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) to the peculiar cartoon pig known, amusingly, as Peter Porker (John Mulaney), there's a lot of giddy fun to be had with the multiple Spider-people. The film is very fun, but when the emotional scenes come then the tonal shift is perfected, mainly through the fantastic voice acting from the cast. The cast is full of big names and brilliant actors: Lily Tomlin as Aunt May, Mahershala Ali gives his voice to Morales' uncle and Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Noir. This may be one of the best casts for an animated film ever seen. With all these stars, it would be hard for any actor to be a real stand out in a film with just their voice acting, but somehow Jake Johnson manages to do that. Johnson's portrayal as the exhausted Spider-Man who's tired of being a hero is something audiences have never seen, and it's beautifully played by the former New Girl (2011-2018) star. Johnson is the master of bringing flawed characters to life. Johnson's tone and demeanour were a natural fit for the overweight, sweatpants-wearing mentor of Miles.

The scene that emphasises everything about the brilliance of the film is seen when Morales finally learns to take the "leap of faith" and truly become a member of the Spider-Man family. Everything about the scene is flawless, the visuals, the voice acting and especially the music that fits the character of Morales and his Spider-Man perfectly.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will go down as one of the best Spider-Man movies ever made, mainly because it's 100% about Spider-Man: the mythology, the multiple versions, and what it truly means to take on the role of being the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. A touching post-credits tribute to Stan Lee (who makes a poignant posthumous cameo) and Steve Ditko further adds to the hero's universal appeal.