Spider-Man & The Spider-People

There are a lot of Spider-Man movies. In 2002, Sam Rami released Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire as the titular lead and supported by big names such as Willem Dafoe, J. K. Simmons, James Franco, and Kirsten Dunst. This version of the web-slinging avenger was given his stand-alone trilogy, starting off with a strong opening movie and ending in 2007 with an infamous dance sequence. After a five-year absence, Spider-Man swung his way back into the theatre with Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, this time Andrew Garfield donning the mask, followed by Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans. This updated version of the hero was only allowed 2 movies, ending in a muddled and confusing sequel that had big ideas but nothing to back them up.

With the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a lot of talk and rumours began to surface regarding a new Spider-Man movie, one which was part of the MCU and could be seen within the Avengers franchise. At the time Spider-Man was (and currently still is) owned by Sony, meaning that a collaboration seemed impossible, yet after a leak fanned the flames of rumour, on February 29th, 2015, it was officially announced that Spider-Man would be joining the Avengers. Played by Tom Holland, Spider-Man appeared in Captain America: Civil War alongside all the main characters of the MCU. Since then, Tom Holland has portrayed Peter Parker in 3 MCU movies, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home to be released later this year.

In 2018, Sony released their own stand-alone Spider-Man film titled Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, an animated feature film revolving around Miles Morales, a young African-American kid who took on the mantle after Peter Parker died in the Ultimate timeline of the Marvel comics. In Spider-Verse, Miles Morales lives in a weird knock-off universe where everything is the same apart from a few small changes, such as Coca-Cola being Koca-Soda and Peter Parker dying brutally before Morales's eyes. After gaining powers and witnessing the death of his hero, Morales is joined by 5 other Spider-Men, Women, and Pig from different dimensions to help train him, save New York City, and get back to their respective homes.

From Left to Right: Peni Parker, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Ham, Miles Morales, Peter Parker, Spider-Man Noir

Spider-Verse showcases Sony's true animation skills as we delve into the comic book world of these heroes. While 3D usually adds nothing to the cinematic experience of film, and sometimes diminishes it by making the picture muddy and dark, Spider-Verse's use of depth makes the film look stunning. The whole movie looks like a comic book that is being used as a flip-book, giving it a stunning aesthetic and style while never looking flat or weird. It allowed Sony to add comic-like effects such as mirror images, thought bubbles, and visual punch effects to not seem out of place. The characters movements also reflect the style, giving a similar feel to The Lego Movie, mimicking a smooth form of stop-motion that looks completely natural and never bothers the audience but draws them further in.

The soundtrack for Spider-Verse contains artists such as Jaden Smith, Vince Staples, Lil Wayne, and Denzel Curry. It feels like a standalone album that fits perfectly with the movie, sometimes furthering the narrative and enhancing the visual on-screen experiences. For example, when Morales finally becomes Spider-Man, What's Up Danger sucks you into the scene, making you feel weightless in its breaks as Miles is falling and gives you the sense of rushing wind while he is running on-top of cars and through buildings.

Miles's moment of bliss as he jumps off a building during "What's Up Danger"

The movie's narrative also excels in its writing, as it is able to have a powerful cast of characters while never feeling like there are too many. Instead of trying to give all 6 Spider-People equal amounts of screen time, it focuses on three: Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and an alternate universe Peter Parker. The dialogue takes what Marvel has learnt with their balance between comedy and drama and perfects it. The jokes aren't forced and don't take over the film yet bring a light-hearted feel to the movie, truly encapsulating the comic book Spider-Man. The movie also has heart-felt moments, moments that force you to empathise with Morales and his friends or exhilarate you as you feel their pride and joy after accomplishing things that every young kid dreamed of after watching Spider-Man on TV.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, is a master piece of animation. It beat Disney at their own game, winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and earned reviews such as 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 87% on Metacritic. It is a superhero film which stands separate from the others, bringing new and beautiful content to the cinema which, today, seems to be a rarity.