Swinging "Into The Spider-Verse"

Superheroes are flying, jumping and smashing their way across the big screen on a regular basis these days. We don't seem to have reached the saturation point with these films yet, and there are many more on the way. There have been ups (Black Panther, Wonder Woman) and downs (Justice League, Venom) in terms of quality, but one of the best superhero films of 2018 stars everyone's favorite web-slinger: Spider-Man. What's that you say? You've already seen several Spidey films in recent years, including two entries starring Andrew Garfield (a reboot of the series following the three films with Tobey Maguire) and then yet another reboot with Tom Holland, in Spider-Man: Homecoming? And now there's another one? I truly understand your trepidation, but the animated feature Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is one of the best Spider-Man movies ever made.

The film focuses on Miles Morales, a bright New York teenager, who has just started attending a new boarding school. He also indulges in his passion for creating graffiti artwork, much to the chagrin of his police office father. One night, when drawing some graffiti in an abandoned subway station, Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider, and develops superhuman abilities, similar to those of Spider-Man. When he tries to trace the spider back to its point of origin, he encounters Spider-Man himself, who's fighting the Green Goblin and The Prowler. It turns out that they're working for Wilson Fisk (aka the Kingpin), who's trying to open a doorway to an alternate reality. During the battle, Spider-Man (Peter Parker) is critically injured, and he asks Miles to stop Fisk, because the city will be destroyed if the Kingpin succeeds with his plans.

Miles begins an incredible journey, in which he encounters several spider-characters from other universes. One of these heroes, Peter B. Parker, is an older, embittered version of Spider-Man from an alternate universe, one where he is divorced from his wife, Mary Jane. This Peter Parker has essentially given up on his life as a superhero. Miles bonds with Peter, who becomes a reluctant mentor to him. The other Spider Verse characters, including Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Woman, band together with Peter and Miles to battle Fisk and his team of super-villains, which includes classic villains such as Doctor Octopus, the Scorpion, and Tombstone. But Miles begins to doubt his own abilities, and starts to question whether he wants to wear the mantle of Spider-Man. Will Miles find the hero within himself? Will Fisk succeed with his plans and ultimately destroy the city?

The movie is an energetic, well-crafted tale filled with action, thrills and humor. The writers have found clever ways for the characters to break the fourth wall and quickly relate their origins, so the film never collapses under the weight of too much backstory or exposition. The script features a surprising amount of emotional heft, as Miles embarks on a quest to find out what really makes someone a hero, and ultimately discovers that person within himself. This theme is very much in keeping with the essence of the original Stan Lee-Steve Ditko Spider-Man stories of the 1960s. The film stays true to the character's iconic background, yet still manages to find a fresh and unique spin on its story.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a loving valentine to the world of Spider-Man, featuring heroes, villains and supporting characters from throughout the web-slinger's long history. There are recent creations like the Gwen Stacy version of Spider-Woman, and more vintage variations such as the wall-crawling super pig, Spider-Ham, who debuted back in 1983. The animation is a brilliant mixture of computer-generated and hand drawn styles, which really gets the look of a comic book just right. There is a  true wealth of information in every frame. You're sure to want to see the film a second time in order to catch the wealth of Easter eggs and references you might have missed the first time around. The voice cast, which includes Shameik Moore as Miles, Lily Tomlin as Aunt May, Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir and Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, do an amazing job with their roles.

The excellent screenplay is by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, from a story by Lord. You might recognize Lord's name as one of the co-authors and directors of The Lego Movie, and this film has some of that successful movie's pop culture awareness and savvy humor. The movie is expertly directed by Lord, Rothman, and Bob Persichetti. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a fantastic adventure that pays homage to all the versions of Spider-Man that have appeared in printed and onscreen media since his 1962 debut. Longtime fans will not be disappointed, and newcomers to the Spider-Verse will have a grand time as well. Make sure to stay through the closing credits for the now obligatory post movie scene, which is well worth the wait. Here's a link to the trailer for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg52up16eq0.