PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF THE FIRST EPISODE. I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY MAJOR PLOT POINTS FROM THE MOVIE.
At times it is amazing to marvel at the enduring popularity of Spiderman. Every since Lee and Ditko created the character in 1962 he has captured the hearts and imagination of generations of readers. He is definitely one of the most recognisable superhero characters in the world as well as being Marvel’s official mascot.
That makes the introduction on a new Spiderman even more bold from Marvel. While Peter Parker had experienced his fair share of ups and downs over the years (the clone saga anyone) the character’s appeal remained strong and sales were healthy (in relation to the industry as whole). So what do Marvel do? Create a new younger Spiderman to recapture the imagination and appeal to new younger readers. And boy did that strategy payoff big. The popularity of Miles Morales cannot be understated, with calls for him to appear in either the MCU or a Sony film ongoing. However, due to the nature of the cinematic rights, Sony cannot produce another live action Spiderman movie, while the character is being used in the MCU (that’s why Venom had no mention of Spidey). However, that did not stop Sony forging ahead with a potentially genre busting animated version.
With all the hoopla surrounding Venom dissipated ($800 million+ worldwide box office will do that), the scene is perfectly set to introduce audiences to a “new” Spiderman. Venom’s success has silenced all the doubters who stated Sony is clueless as to what to do with the rights to Spiderman (both times they tried to get a Spider franchise up and running the drove it into the ground prematurely).
Into the Spiderverse represents a second big gamble on the part of Sony. Venom was successful, but will audiences flock to see a big screen animated version of Spiderman not starring Peter Parker in the lead? Will the tangled web of the story and comic framing be an asset or a hindrance? And will they truly accept Spider-ham?
THE STORYMixed raced Miles Morales (in true Spiderman fashion) must juggles high school life with his status as a superhero, especially when he is introduced to the “Spider-verse” where there can be more than just one Spider-man.
OVERALL OPINION
Well, what do you know? Sony have done it again. They have managed to make a f*cking fantastic Spiderman money, and have done it in such a way that is fresh, new, visually compelling, emotional and intriguing, paying homage to multiple incarnations of the character without stepping on the toes of the MCU.
I read that some critics are calling this the best comic book movie of the year. I’m not sure I would go that far. To me that title goes to Infinity War. However, this is a very very close second. I shouldn’t be surprised, however, because as it currently stands, Sony has currently made more good Spidey movies than bad (4-2 not counting this one). Sony’s problem has never been knowing how to make a great Spiderman movie. Their problem stemmed from wanting to create a Spidey franchise to rival the MCU, rushing things and then ending up with a mess at the end. However, with this movie, it looks like they might, at long last, have finally cracked the code for a Spider franchise.
Spiderverse is also REALLY funny. Like Thor Ragnarok levels of funny (it’s a very different sense of humour but I laughed as much with this movie as I did with Ragnarok). The choice of Spider-people was amazing, especially the voice actor for one in particular, and yet, these multiple incarnations do not overshadow the central story of Miles Morales. I think fans of the character will be extremely happy and for those of us who aren’t too familiar with the character, they will find masses of enjoyment spending time with this different version of Spiderman.
Some people may say the villains could have had a bit more screen time. I’ll let you decide for yourself, but when they were around they were suitably menacing, with some of the reveals being totally unexpected in the best ways possible.
All in all, a good time was had in the cinema and thanks to some amazing visuals, this is definitely a movie that needs to be enjoyed on the big screen.
THE PERFORMANCESShameik Moore - Miles MoralesFresh from his appearance in the last Jurassic Park movie, Shameik Moore voices Miles and gives him equal sense of teenage cringeworthy moments (we’ve all been there), humour, emotion and morals to do the right thing. Perfect casting.
Hailee Steinfeld - Gwen StacyShe’s been impressing audiences and critics with her live action work and she brings all her considerable talents here. This is the best version of Gwen Stacy we have had on screen.
Jake Johnson - Peter ParkerSome people were (initially) a little underwhlemed by this casting choice. However, Johnson is the perfect choice for this incarnation of Peter Parker. He’s not the Peter we know from the 616 universe. Some stuff has happened to him to alter his personality a smidge, but thanks to Johnson’s casting, you still like him.
Mahershala Ali - Aaron DavisThe oscar winning actor who also played Cottonmouth in Luke Cage season 1 is perfect for the role of Aaron Davis, the uncle of Miles Morales, who may not be all that he seems.
Brian Tyree Henry - Jefferson DavisProbably best known for his role in hit show Atlanta, here Henry fully embodies the role of a dad who wants to do the right thing by his son, and doesn’t care how embarrassing that may be to Miles. Some genuine heartfelt moments too.
Liev Schreiber - Wilson FiskTotally unrecognisable as Fisk. This is a very different version (in some ways) to the excellent Netflix version. Even if you try to directly compare the two, you will still love this version.
Lily Tomlin - May ParkerThe legendary actress only has a small role here, but is great with what she has.
OTHER STUFFThe AnimationThis movie will leave or die by the animation style, which (from the trailer) had some people switching off. It’s not as smooth as a Pixar movie or as creative as stop motion. Personally I loved it. It really help sell that this story was taking part in another dimension/parallel Earth. The thought bubbles and occasionally comic book framing all worked seamlessly. In the same way as the animation worked in the Lego movie, this animation worked just as well here. Sony really seem to pushing the boundaries with what can be done with animation and succeeded in (what I assume) was their mission to bring a comic book to life.
The CinematographyIt’s seems strange to talk about cinematography in an animated movie. However, from the early days of Manga, Japanese animators showed that animation can be presented on screen much in the same way live action, be that from camera angles or deep of focus shots. If you have seen the trailer then you will have been exposed to some of the amazing visuals and this style of animation only helped the cinematography.
The ActionSome amazing set pieces that really utilised animation style and the power set of the characters. So much fun. And yet there was real weight behind the punches and kicks.
The PacingPerfectly paced. It tantalised the reveal of what’s happening without making it boring or easy to guess.
The MusicNot a traditional score in many places, but the soundtrack is sick.
Other stuffTwo very unexpected voice acting cameos, one of which is GENUIS!!! There is also an post-credit scene that will get you excited and ends with something that is totally hilarious.
FINAL VERDICTThere are some movies you watch and when they end you are left with a sense of “yeah, that was okay”. And if they never made a follow up you would be all good. And then there are those movies where you cannot wait for the next instalment to come out. This movie is definitely the latter. As previously mentioned, this is the second best comic book movie of the year (only a smidge behind Infinity War) and is definitely the best animated movie of the year. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see other studios start producing animated movies for some comic book properties.
Sony have made something that honours the character of Spiderman and at the same time explores (and in a couple of instances makes fun) all of the possibilities that can be done with the character, as per the pages of certain comic runs. In many aspects, it shows the same love for the character and his history as the Lego Batman movie.
Sony have also proven, once again, that they can make a good Spiderman movie without the Earth-616 Peter Parker. With the MCU ruling all, this is a win-win for the fans, as we get Tom Holland in live action and Miles Morales in animation. Excelsior.
Rotten Tomatoes score (at time of writing) - 99%
My Score: 9.6/10 MY MOVIE RATING SYSTEM
10- Citizen F*%king Kane (A+)
9- Bloody Great (A)
8- Really rather good (A-)
7- Pretty decent (B+)
6- Definitely above average (B)
5- Middle of the road average (C)
4- Mediocre (D)
3- Meh (E)
2- Crap (F)
1- Why the hell did I waste my time and money on this abomination (Unrated)
