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| All the different identities of Spider-Man gathered together: Peni Parker (voiced by Kimiko Glenn), Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Ham (voiced by John Mulaney), Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), Peter B. Parker, (voiced by Jake Johnson) and Spider-Man Noir (voiced by Nicolas Cage). Photo courtesy of gizmodo.com |
With tremendous humor, enrapturing action sequences, a heartfelt story, talented cast selection, and a passionate hip hop soundtrack, Sony and Marvel's Spider-Man Into the Spider Verse was a delightful cinematic debut of one of the newest Spider-Men, Miles Morales. It's great to see a powerful animated film that's not Warner Bros., Universal, or Pixar for a change. Given each actors' delivery in the film, I think "The Man" Stan Lee would be proud of them all.
This film is both a recreation and an update of prior “Spider-Man” films, as Afro-Latino teenager Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) is bitten by a radioactive spider and given superhuman abilities. The difference is Miles is drawn into a conflict with sinister crime lord Wilson Fisk (voiced by Liev Schreiber), who wishes to destroy Spider-Man once and for all through access to parallel universes. There to assist Miles into becoming a true hero are Spider-Men from alternative dimensions (voiced by Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Kimiko Glenn, John Mulaney, and Nicolas Cage).
Even though it is familiar, the story of Miles was very moving. It was deepening to watch him try to
find his place in the world in between appeasing his police officer father (voiced by Brian Tyree Henry) and being as mellow as his criminal uncle Aaron (voiced by Mahershala Ali). He constantly struggles to be normal and make a better life for himself, while also learning to stay on the fine line between overcoming loss of loved ones and taking revenge against villains like Kingpin. That’s what allowed him to become as brave as all the other spider-themed heroes.
The majority of the humor came from the relationship between Moore and Johnson’s characters. Johnson’s character of an older, washed-up Peter B. Parker, had hysterical moments of comic relief as he was trying to mentor Miles and return to an effective hero role. The last time I saw Johnson being that funny in film was probably “Jurassic World”. And Moore’s character was humorous during his struggles to be an efficient web-slinger and impressing Spider-Woman. In the end, it was astonishing to see them work together to combat a female Doctor Octopus (voiced by Kathryn Hahn) and Kingpin.
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| Peter B. Parker and Miles Morales pondering about how to combat Kingpin. Photo courtesy of imdb.com |
Another cut of the humor came from the gathering of the other Spider people. Their differing backstories and doubts about Miles were comical. It was great to see that they helped Miles grow as the newest Spider-Man. While their characters views may have clashed, I appreciated Henry and Ali's performances as Miles' father and uncle. It was heartwarming that they both believed Miles had strong potential to do great things for the world, and that they really love him.
The animation was phenomenal during sequences of the particle accelerator reshaping reality and the ultimate battle of the Spider team versus Kingpin. It was remarkable how the other Spiders understood Miles’ struggles to satisfy his family’s wishes and show the world the best person he can be. Songs such as “What’s Up Danger” and “Scared of the Dark” were a great accompaniment in the soundtrack, as they emphasized how fearless Miles truly is and his readiness to overthrow evil, all while looking good in a new costume while flying through the city.
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| Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) in a brand new Spider-Man costume, ready for action. Photo courtesy of imdb.com |
Having finally watched this film, I see it deserved the 2019 Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. Through bold messages about family and heroism, diversity in cast, and an abundance of comedy and action, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse” is one for the books. Some might see a rehash of old superhero movies, but because it’s told in a heartfelt manner, it’s worth watching. If you want to see how there’s not just one Spider-Man to save the world, I absolutely recommend “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”.
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