Going into this movie, I did not have many expectations because I have always found that DC’s animations tend to be superior while MARVEL’s movies were a lot better. Also, as far as an animation standpoint, I did not like how from the previews the movie was not quite as fluid as I am use to seeing compared to PIXAR. However, I went in with an open mind after my friend Rasean told me the movie was great, but I had to see for myself.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an animated movie which acts as an origin story for Miles Morales; the half-black, half-hispanic teen who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man. This animated origin story is quite different than the ones we have seen in MARVEL Comics (Ultimate Comics storyline) or from the Marvel’s Spider-Man game on Playstation 4, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
I found the way they were able to utilize the importance of Spider-Man to the main antagonist of the movie, I also found that they gave Miles a reason to pick up the mantle through the use of supporting characters. The entire plot was orchestrated in a way where things were at stake for everyone involved, this significance given to all sides of the equation made the movie sellable as what it means to be “Spider-Man”.
The story was done in a way to best show Miles roots as a minority, where Spider-Man from this timeline had a vastly different upbringing and was an entirely different person who went through a different experience. Bringing his origin to limelight in a way that is both relatable and sensible was beautifully done without seeming forced or unnatural. Miles Morales actually feels like a kid who was taken aback by being thrusted into a role he was not prepared for and doing his best to make the most of a bad situation.
The only problem I had with this entire movie is the pacing in some areas. Into the Spider-Verse felt rushed in some spots, it felt as though they were trying to hurry Miles into being Spider-Man instead of taking their time with his development. I feel as though the movie should have been 30 minutes to an hour longer to really give him the proper screen time and steady progress to make his transition believable. Going from not knowing how to control your powers and their limits to being nearly on par with the rest of the cast near instantaneously is a major put off for me. Yes, we all knew it was going to happen, but I figured that it was going to be something he slowly gained rather than having some weird epiphany where he unlocked everything with minimal effort over a extremely short period of time.
Overall the story was extremely well done and was handled with the utmost care. I hope that if MARVEL undertake more animated movies that they are done in a fashion similar to this one, I coul definitely get use to that level of storytelling.
The characters within this movie all had differing personalities, and I feel that this added to the overall feel of what “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is suppose to be about; different Spider-people coming together to do what they have always done by saving innocent lives. Showing the back stories of each and every Spider, giving insight into their personalities and shared experiences, as well as the understanding amongst themselves about the burden they carry gives a feeling of being apart of something bigger.
Miles himself developed from someone who was unsure of himself to someone who was confident enough to undertake what he believed needed to be done. The cast supported him in his growth and development, while no one else really stood out the way Miles did, they each had their own quirks that made them memorable in their own right. My personally favorite was Penny Parker, but from the fact this is an anime website, I believe you already knew that.
I feel they did a good job representing everyone that was highlighted, especially the Spider heroes. Sure, they probably could have delved a big deeper into the back stories surrounding some of them, but this was Miles story and they did a good job making synopsis that were informational without derailing the story too much. In fact, they made me curious about some of the other Spider heroes to the point I have actually began to look up more into their origin stories.
STRENGTHS — Multiple Spider heroes all had their own personality, Miles was made interesting as a character, Beautiful animation, and The plot was well thought out and came together beautiful to tell create a unique and deep experience.
WEAKNESSES — The pace of the movie felt rushed, this has the potential to ruin the ending of the movie by making it feel cheesy and undeserving.
Final Thoughts
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a movie that was well done, but I feel like it was trying to do a little too much too soon in some respects. The story was great and I feel the build up was okay, the characters were fantastic and the animation was well done. I feel like MARVEL got everything right going into this movie except the pacing, and I feel like that was a product of how long the movie was rather than not having the necessary storytelling ability make it happen.
Besides that one gripe I had about the movie that had to do with its pacing towards the end, it was absolutely wonderful in every other respect; voice acting, animation, characters, humor, seriousness…it had it all. For anyone who is on the fence about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or want to wait until later to see it, I absolutely URGE you to go see it now while it is playing on the big screen. It has a small flaw, like all movies do, but it does not stop it from being a movie that is definitely worth seeing within its opening weeks.
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