Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review
*A quick note of warning, this Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review contains some mild spoilers. We try and pick them out, and they will only really be spoilers if you haven’t watched the trailers. We try and keep this as spoiler-free as we can*
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has been a long time in the making – as is fairly common with animated features.
From the first teaser trailer I have been interested, but wary. The visual style leaps off the screen like Spider-man leaps off buildings.
But what if all that visual spectacle was just covering up the same old origin story we have already seen played out on the big screen by Toby McGuire and Andrew Garfield.
Well… fear not.
This Spider-Man story has heart, is new-yet-familiar, it’s funny, and is told in a dynamic and interesting visual way that will keep kids and adults glued to the screen.
Yes. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the Ultimate, Amazing, Spectacular Spider-Man you’ve been waiting for.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review – Story
The one thing that both scared and delighted me, from the original trailer, was that the story centred around Miles Morales as opposed to Peter Parker. I think we have had enough of the origin stories of Peter Parker, so that kind of made sense, but there’s also the part of me that has a hard time letting go of the past, and the Spider-Man that I grew up with.
But those fears were completely unjustified, as Peter Parker does make an appearance and a pretty big one at that.
The thing is, the trailers told us that *SPOILERS* Peter Parker dies! But this is the Spider-Verse, and we are dealing with multiple-dimensions, with multiple Spider-Mans and women.
The Actual Story
Wison Fisk AKA King Pin, with the help of his army of scientists, is working on a device that can bridge dimensions. This dangerous undertaking could spell disaster for this dimension, perhaps even the destruction of New York, or the world. But the risk to Fisk is worth it.
When the current Spider-Man dies during a battle to stop that happening, it falls to the newly-created Miles Morales Spider-Man to take up the mantle and stop Fisk from destroying our dimension by continuing his experiments.
Before long, it comes to light, that this multi-dimensional experiment has not only created a bridge between dimensions but allowed a few Spider-Mans/Spider-Gewns/Spider-Hams/Girls & Robots to come through. They are now stuck in Miles Morales’ dimension.
Miles meets Peter Parker, and in fact the Peter Parker that we all know an love, the older, brown-haired version.
Now we learn that Peter has been having relationship troubles with Mary Jane, and they broke up because Peter didn’t think he was ready for kids.
It’s time to team up, learn the ropes and try and save all the dimensions.
But not before a hilarious and heartwarming story unfolds.
The screenplay for Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse is by the people behind the Lego Movie, and you can kinda tell. It has moments of meta and fourth-wall-breaking that would make Deadpool blush.
This movie is self-aware and happy to have Miles stumble on a Spider-Man comic during his first realisation that he has powers, he then continues to read the comic, seeing his experience played out on the page.
In this universe Spider-Man exists, Spider-man comics exist, Spider-Man has a Christmas album, and you can buy Spider-Man costumes from Stan Lee cameos. And it just works.
Even the bad guys, such as King Pin, have a real emotional core and belief in what they are doing, they aren’t just trying to make more money, or destroy a city for no reason. This multi-dimensional portal creator might destroy the city, but the risk, for Fisk, is worth it (I won’t tell you why though).
And Black-Panther showed us, that a good bad-guy can really make a film. If they are bad but relatable, then it is all the scarier.
Review Conclusion
I have seen the film, and I also took my eight-year-old nephew to see it, as he is a huge spider-man fan. We both loved it. That really is all there is to it.
This film will have you tearing up a bit, laughing out loud, buying Spider-Gwen comics and reading up on Miles Morales on Wikipedia. It has dynamic action that is still only possible in animation, and you will leave the cinema wanting more.
I hope we get more.
So go see it now!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Merchandise
IF you haven’t seen it already, you should check out the Miles Morales Spider-Man statue by Sideshow, it is a work of art, and possibly my favourite of the Sideshow Spider-Man statues.
Spider-Man Facts
Phil Lord – Screenplay (IMDB) – This guy wrote the screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for the Lego Movie (1&2), and CLoudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Peter Ramsey – Director (IMDB) – Directed Rise of the Guardians
Bob Persichetti – Director (IMDB) – First-time director, but long-time animation department.
Fact – Completing the animation for the film required up to 140 animators, the largest crew ever used by Sony Pictures Animation for a film.
