Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will go down as definitive proof of what can be achieved in a film when you listen to the fans. In the comics, this version of Spider-Man existed in an Afro-Hispanic family and true to form, we have an Afro-Hispanic Spider-Man who wears hoodies, rocks high-top Nikes, and listens to Vincent Staples.
As much fun as I guarantee you’ll have with the movie, I can assure you the soundtrack is even better. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is animated awesomeness set to the sounds of Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Wayne, Jaden Smith, and a surprise insertion of XXXTentacion.
When I say this movie is fun, even the opening to the film was shifted into sensory overload just seconds after it began. The only way to describe it is if you mix visual elements of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Dick Tracy, and V for Vendetta and infused bright colors and technological glitches. I know it sounds crazy but it’s something that needs to be seen. But I digress…
The story takes place in Brooklyn where a young Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is in his room sketching and listening to music. It’s a vibe. That vibe is destroyed when his parents inform him he’s running late to school. Nothing like the P.S. (insert number) public schools we’re used to hearing. Instead, the recently crowned lottery winner is transported to his new private school where his relevant swag and quick-witted humor go underappreciated. It takes about a full day before he realizes that things are taking place in his life exactly how they happened to the real Spider-Man from the comics.
Now for those of you that aren’t familiar with how the story goes, let’s get into some simple physics, shall we? There’s a theory about a “multiverse” that proposes that there are other dimensions in existence (learn more Miles’ role in Ultimate Marvel) which would ultimately mean there are “others” like Spider-Man (web-slinging shawties to the rescue!). Too bad we soon realize this theory is actual fact once a certain villain ruptures the space-time continuum. This means if you weren’t a fan of Spider-Gwen cosplay before, you should, as it’s about to be the cosplay of 2019.
The good times roll as we’re introduced to six, yes six, spider people. The visual is something akin to if a United Nations of Spider-folks existed. We have Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and our boy Miles Morales. Then we add a noir version (Nicolas Cage), a Looney-Tunesish Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), everyone’s favorite cosplay, Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfield), and Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn). If any of you are familiar with the Marvel vs. Capcom series, imagine Tron Bonne with a helmet and that’s basically Peni Parker.
So if you take all the heroes from these different dimensions and add the villainy of Kingpin, Green Goblin, Scorpion and the like, you’ll understand why I couldn’t help like I was drowning in the sweet taste of representation about halfway through the film. Another layer of awesomeness was seeing a butt-kicking heroine (Gwen) and a forest-flattening villainess (Doc-Ock). I would be remiss to mention my guy Mahershala Ali voicing Miles’ Uncle Aaron, and did I mention Zoë Kravitz is voicing Mary Jane? We’re out here witnessing the term “colorful cast” getting hoisted to wondrous levels.
I give Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a 9.5 out of 10. The film is awesome. I really think everyone who sees this will enjoy it. As it stands now it’s still at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and I’m sure whoever brings it down any further will be trolled into the annals of history. It’s about two hours in runtime and as with all Marvel movies, stay for the credits!
-Jon J.