Day 349 of the challenge! Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best damn superhero movie of the year! If it doesn’t win best ANYTHING at the next Oscars, we riot. Agreed?
I might still be riding the high I brought home from the theater, but I can’t stress enough what a one of a kind experience Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is. I have a special place in my heart for the Sam Raimi trilogy (yes, even Spider-Man 3. Fight me.), and I love what the MCU is doing with the character, but I think we all have to admit that Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie yet. The art and animation style sets a new standard for the medium (it’s one of the most beautifully rendered films I have ever seen), the voice cast is perfect, and (most importantly) the story is powerful and bursting with heart. I dare you not to get misty eyed at least once watching this movie, specifically during an emotional moment that also happens to feature the late and great Stan Lee...
Apart from being an all around great film, Spider-Verse also acts as a love letter to the long and diverse history of Spider-Man, reminding you why you (probably) fell in love with the character in the first place. Nothing in Spider-History is off limits in this film, be it the original comics, all those dank Spider-Man memes floating around the internet, Tobey Maguire’s whack dance moves, or the limitless amount of merchandise the character has generated over the years. Spider-Verse pokes fun at all of it, but it’s all in good fun. As a result, the amount of easter eggs and references (both comic book and non comic book related) hidden throughout Spider-Verse gives Teen Titans Go to the Movies a run for it’s money. It’s a vast enough movie as it is, but the creatives behind the scenes make it work by actually incorporating it into the wonderful visual storytelling Spider-Verse is so good at. As random as something might feel, I assure you there’s a reason behind it.
Side note: I’m more interested than ever to watch Lord and Miller’s version of Solo after watching Spider-Verse. I know that’ll never happen, but a boy can dream, right?
Spider-Man has always had amazing insight into what it means to be a good person (thanks Stan Lee and Steve Ditko), and that insight isn’t lost in Spider-Verse. Anyone can wear the mask, i.e., be a good person (a big point in the marketing), but the film takes that message a step further by emphasizing that you should be a good person in your own way. As long as you have faith in yourself and those you love, there is no wrong way to be good. That’s beautiful yo!
I can easily keep gushing all over Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse till I’m blue in the face, but I’ll wrap it up with a final plea for you to please experience it on the biggest screen you can possibly find. Take some close friends and family with you too. Share some popcorn. Just have a good time.
Extra observation: Can’t help but love how animated superhero films (The Lego Batman Movie for example) are the films that tend to really get to the core of what makes these characters and stories so great and timeless. I really do hope Spider-Verse paves the way for more big budget animated comic book movies, and I’m not just talking about the inevitable Spider-Verse sequels and spin-offs that are no doubt heading our way. Bring it on!