‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ brings superhero cinema to new, masterful heights

Everyone’s favorite webhead comes to the big screen in animated form for the first time and with fan favorite Miles Morales heading the ambitious project. Our story follows the young African American/hispanic teen as he gains powers from a radioactive spider bite that appear to resemble those of Spider-Man. Before he knows it, Miles, along with a team of other Spider people including his mentor Peter Parker, must swing into action when a dastardly plan is concocted that brings together the universes of multiple spider people that could spell disaster for many. 

Not since “The Dark Knight” back in 2008 has a superhero film broken the mold of what can be done in the genre, but “Spiderverse” does just that, being what is easily the best Spider-Man story told on the screen yet. Nothing is held back in terms of letting this world leap off the screen and every frame oozes with an infectious level of energy thanks to several elements. 

On a technical side alone, there is truly no film that has ever pulled off what “Spiderverse” has succeeded in doing. While many superhero movies have tried to go for a comic book style in both their direction and content, this is the first that achieves at fully immersing its audience into such an environment. From the textures on the characters and environments to the clever use of captions and word bubbles to the vibrant color palette, you can practically hear the pages flipping while watching this. The variety of animation styles on the characters perfectly compliments their creative designs, from the more stoic movements of Spider-Man Noir or Kingpin to the swift anime-inspired Peni Parker to the hilariously cartoony postures of Spider-Ham. This is also one of the most superbly shot animated films in terms of cinematography. The camera work effortlessly switches between playful actions, both subtlety and during action sequences, to expertly emulating real life cinematography during certain heavier scenes that succeed at pushing the emotions. 

Despite the film’s visual achievements, what may ultimately be the its strongest element is how much it makes you fall in love with the characters and world they inhabit. The screenplay is chock full of beautifully poignant dialogue that carried a sense of believability for Miles’ urban environment while blending in loads of hilarious back and forth for him and the other spider people to share. These elements work together to create a magnificently paced journey that moved swiftly and but knows just how long to hold on jokes and emotional moments.

There are many characters to list here (and mentioning some of them, particularly the villains, would go into spoiler territory), but each and every one is handled perfectly. Thanks to the exceptionally crafted screenplay, Miles Morales is given the chance to feel like a highly believable teen in both his fun-loving personality and the complicated dynamic he shares between himself, his father and his uncle. His naive mannerisms are instantly recognizable and we root for him all the way through.

Peter Parker is depicted quite differently than other movie incarnations of the famous webhead, as a more crude and slobby character, but his involvement in the plot and arc make him likable as ever. Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Ham, Peni Parker and Spider Gwen are all given their time to shine, with the latter having the most substantial role, and feel necessary in their own right, helping further push the movie’s touching message. 

That message being-anyone can be Spider-Man. No matter the background, the environment,  the gender, the race or even the species, the ability to do good with the powers possessed by you are in your hands and yours alone. This is a film that asks us to look into the zany world it creates and find a piece of ourselves somewhere within it. To find that spark that motivates you to do whatever you can to leave the world better than you found it. 

“Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” has no business being as wonderful as it is. It attempts to set up yet another cinematic universe and do so by dropping in a buttload of characters, plotlines and villians that, in most hands, would fail miserably. But thanks to its rich set of characters, compelling world building, masterful pacing, jaw dropping visuals and plenty of heart “Spiderverse” transcends the genre to become a groundbreaking masterpiece. This is the pure definition of a once in a lifetime cinematic landmark that brings the medium to places it has never seen before and is an absolute must see for anyone.