Originally Posted to Letterboxd on July 22nd, 2021
"It's a Leap of Faith"
When it comes to the realm of comic book characters, I think there is no other character (besides Batman) that is more iconic and more beloved than the good friendly neighbor Spider Man. This character has gone through many interpretations. From movies, to tv shows, to video games, to comic books, etc, Spider Man has been a household name for almost 60 years and has a character that has inspired millions of people across different generations (including me). However, there is rarely something out there that reminds why we loved the character and what he stood for, and how can anyone be a hero in our own kind. This is where Into the Spider-verse comes to picture and shows to the world how that love letter is handled perfectly. As well being the best Spider Man film we gotten since Rami’s Spider Man 2.
The thing that’s most notable about Spider-verse is that feels like a comic book come to life. And I don’t mean like “oh wow, there’s comic book characters in this film”, I mean it’s like a living breathing comic book come to life. Every detail from the comic panels, to the tiny details of the text bubbles, to the the designs of the characters, to the movement of the animation in general. It all feels like a comic book brought to life for the big screen and it’s demonstrated so flawlessly through the animation styles, excellent color choices, and graceful movements that gives each action sequence, web swinging, and internal thoughts of the characters so much life and excitement as much as reading like a comic book and seeing the visuals pop out as beautifully and as organically as they are. Not to mention that every detail is moving on a constant speed that not a single moment felt wasted or such. It’s reading a page from a comic and see that translated beautifully with slick perfection. Films like this are reasons why animation is such an amazing art form and stories like this wouldn’t nearly work as well if it’s in live action.
But as we all know, the visual presentation can only get you so far if the substance is equally as spectacular, and thankfully the substance is just as equally as amazing as the visual presentation. What Directors Bob Persichetti, Rodney Rothman, and Peter Ramsey (along with producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller) did with this story is something remarkable. Rather than making this a Peter Parker story, they decided to shift the focus on Miles Morales and while his story lines close to what Peter started off (with him being bitten by a radioactive spider), his journey of discovering who he is and finding that potential he has as a Spider Man deeply personal and relatable. On top his arc being extremely incredible, his connection with the other spider verse people like Peter B. Parker, Spider Gwen, Spider Man Nior, Peni Parker, and Spider Pig also connects with Miles’s connection and struggle with him dealing with Spider Man on an emotional level and it’s not only interesting to see the different types of Spider Man appear on screen, but it strives home on the theme that anyone can wear the mask and take the leap of faith in doing right in the world with the powers you have without coming off as annoyingly preachy.
It’s also a film that isn’t ashamed of being a comic book film. Like I mention before, it’s rooted into the comic book lore based on not only with the details, but on the overall vibes and how it embraces the story and nature that’s inline with how Stan Lee and Steve Ditko always had in mind with writing the character in the first place while also bring more of its own style and flavor to make it work for the modern area. As we are changing and evolving over time both in art and in real life, we grow into different people and we want to feel like we’re seen in the world. Spiderverse shows that no matter who we are or where we come, we can put on the mask and show the world we can be Spider Man in our set in minds.
I could go on and on about how this film is incredible in every sight, but you probably heard enough about amazing this film is, so I won’t dabble on it too long. Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse is a perfect lover to Spider Man and comic books as a whole, and truly an amazing film that everyone can enjoy and find something amazing in it. Whatever it’s the amazing visual flare that feels like a comic coming to life, or the personal rooted characters and themes it wants to explore, this film has it all and I don’t think we’ll ever get a film like this for a very long time, especially in the state of comic book films today are. It’s a one of a kind film that I’m truly happy it exists.
Rating: 10/10
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