Spiderman: Into the spiderverse

Dir. Bob Perichetti, Peter Ramsey, & Rodney Rothman
14 December 2018
PG
117 minutes

My film-loving students left me with one request for the winter break: go see Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. I had seen the trailer and was intrigued, so this was not a huge ask.

The question now is: will I only see it once?

From its opening credits, this film’s complexity was articulated with detail and humor. The 3D work is well worth making that choice, and the animation is beautiful, though really unlike anything I might compare it to. The film relies heavily on comic book framing, but the animation - while using the stylized pointilism of a comic book - goes beyond that in artistry. The storyline is quintessential “origin story,” but the fact that the central character Miles (voiced brilliantly by Shameik Moore) interacts with so many other Spider-Folk takes that origin story out of its usual parameters by providing inside support and mentorship. Much of the comedy is provided by moments that tip the hat to comic tropes while, simultaneously, violating them. There are plenty of self-aware meta moments. I did not find them too  plentiful, but I kinda love that stuff. Additionally, there are a number of twists, turns, and surprises as Miles tries out his new skills with mixed results.

Basically, every element of this film clicks into place as a result of specific choices by a brilliant creative team and voice performances the quality of which is no shock when you see names like Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, and Kimiko Glenn. It was a ride I didn’t want to end, so sticking around for the post-credits scene was a given.

Here’s hoping Marvel sees the potential of this angle, though breaking even in the US would certainly help...so GO SEE IT!