When Miles Morales was first introduced back in 2011, he was sadly met with a lot of hatred and skepticism. Thankfully, Miles Morales slowly but surely started to become a fan favorite among the comic book community. His character touched on a different kind of teen experience that spoke to the younger crowd. It was only a matter of time before Hollywood noticed the rising popularity of Miles Morales. Now, his time has finally come. But is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a worthy introduction to Miles Morales?
Who knew that in a year when both Disney and Pixar released quality films that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse would beat them both to become the best animated film of 2018. One can even say that Into the Spider-Verse might be one of the best films of the year, period.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales, a Puerto Rican/African-American teenager who gets bitten by a radioactive spider. When the Kingpin unleashes a portal to other universes, he realizes that he isn’t the only Spider-Man in this universe anymore.
Despite being released in the same year as The Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet, it’s surprising that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has more comedy, heart, and emotion than either of those films. A lot of that has to do with Phil Lord and Chris Miller. A lot of their style is in this film. In other words, Into the Spider-Verse contains a lot of inside humor and pop culture jokes. But these gags cater to both the hardcore and the casual fans—especially those familiar with the Spider-Man memes out there. Yes, the film does reference a few Spider-Man memes in the film.
But the real draw of the film is in the animation itself. Into the Spider-Verse aggregates so many different animation styles and blends them together perfectly. These include cel-shading, 2D, and 3D animation. These stylistic choices make Into the Spider-Verse one of the most visually stunning films of the year.
As funny and visually stunning as the film is, the film does go off on a lot of tangents. Fortunately, it does so in a hilarious way. Not to mention, the storyline features a lot of characters in the film as well. Although there are a ton of heroes in this film, this is still Miles’ film. The film loosely follows his origin story while still keeping his core personality intact. This’ll definitely please all of the comic book fans.
Unsurprisingly, Peter Parker gets the most love out of the other heroes in the film. Sure, the other heroes do get their time to shine in the film but the mentor/mentee relationship between Peter and Miles is a highlight in the film. Their relationship is both a sweet and hilarious one. Needless to say, seeing a fat and indifferent Peter Parker teaching Miles the ways of being Spider-Man is really entertaining to watch.
In addition, there are quite a number of villains in this film as well. Unfortunately, Kingpin is the only villain with any depth and substance. The other Spider-Man villains are simply just cameos. It’s amazing considering that Kingpin doesn’t appear a lot in the film either. Regardless, the film does a great job making him a sympathetic villain in such a short amount of time.
Shameik Moore brings a kind-heartedness and naivety to Miles Morales. His voice performance is irresistible which is why we root for his character’s success. Similarly, Jake Johnson brings his typically charming and comical self to this film. He gives us such a different kind of Peter Parker. It’s a performance that seems to fit extremely well to this version.
Overall, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is easily one of the best animated films of the year. Not only that but it might be one of the best films of the year. Even after six Spider-Man films, Into the Spider-Verse gives us something fresh and new. This film will finally show general audiences just how spectacular Miles Morales is.
Rating: 5/5 atoms
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