Anyone can be a hero. There, that’s how simple it is. The entire point of Spider-Man can be summed up in less than ten syllables. Which makes it especially confounding why it has taken such a long time to get a film version of the famous superhero that is true to the essence of the character. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse really is comic book come to life, not just in style and visuals but also emotionally and narratively. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and everything in between. It is inspiring, and it is life-affirming. If anyone has ever wondered why nerds, loners, and just general outcasts gravitate so strongly to comic books then they just need to see this movie. This is the story about feeling different, weird and misunderstood; but that it is okay to do so. It tells those who feel alone and without a voice that they too have a tribe that they can fit into. It tells that them even superheroes can sometimes feel defeated and dejected. That everything and everyone special has an ordinary beginning.
Now, I know that you may be thinking that I’m reading too much into a silly little cartoon movie. And I know that explaining the plot will not help in that regard, but just stay with me. The premise of the movie is simple. A super-villain, with the help of an evil scientist, has created a giant machine that alters the fabric of time-space continuum to merge together elements from parallel universes resulting in multiple iterations of Spider-people (and pig) coming together in a single dimension with the sole purpose of defeating the aforementioned super-villain and returning balance to the universe. As I said, simple. What makes Spider-verse stand apart from all the other world-ending superhero movies is the amazing writing by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman. The characters are so well rounded and fully realized that each of them, including the bad guys, has something that everyone can relate with. The motivations are crystal clear. The interactions feel genuine and the emotions feel earned. And as a tasty cherry on top, it is side-splittingly hilarious. There are broad physical gags which will make people of all ages laugh. There is witty dialogue geared more towards the adults. There are more subtle, blink and you miss them, visual jokes both in plain sight and hidden in the background. The movie also riffs on the comic book style and past big-screen interpretations of Spider-man, including an absolutely, must see post credit scene. There is also one of the best Stan Lee cameos, which pays perfect homage to the legacy of the great man and the characters that he helped create.
The voice cast if almost flawless. Shameik Moore as Miles Morales is charismatic, charming and demands empathy from the audience. Jake Johnson as Peter Parker is mostly fine but definitely does bring a comic timing that is not present in other versions of the character. Hailee Steinfield is great as Gwen Stacy. The rest of the cast is littered with a cornucopia of acting talent including Chris Pine, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, Lily Tomlin, Mahershala Ali and many more. But the real scene stealers are Nicholas Cage as Spider-Man Noir and John Mulaney as Spider-Ham. Both the men were inspired casting as they bring their signature and unmistakable style to the movie, elevating every scene that they are a part of.
If there is one tiny, itsy-bitsy little criticism is that some of the action sequences are too long and too wild which, after some time starts to feel exhausting. Every action scene feels like it has one too many beats and could have used a little restraint. The animation style, while being innovative and eye-catching, might be a little too disorienting for some viewers but that is a matter of personal taste.
Those small quibbles aside, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a fresh, exciting new take on the superhero genre. It is both tongue-in-cheek and earnest which is a balance few movies have ever pulled off, making it a unique cinematic experience that should be recommended to people of all ages, regardless of their level of comic book fandom.
