#47 Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

In Summary

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a simple story of how seven different versions of Spider-Man (Spider-Men?) are brought together through the opening of an inter-dimensional portal. Only three of the Spider-men are Peter Parker, with the other four being Gwen Stacy (or, Spider-Woman), a robot piloted by a Japanese schoolgirl, a pig, and Miles Morales, who is the film's protagonist.

The film is part an origin story for the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man and part a meta take on the often confusing world of competing and conflicting versions of superheroes. Through working with these other Spider-Men (Spider-People? Spider-Beings?) Morales learns how to harness his powers and what it means to be a hero.

Given the recent cinematic history of Spider-Man, it was the perfect superhero to do this kind of story with. The Sam Raimi trilogy between 2002 and 2007 arguably kicked off the wave of comic-book movies over the past 20 years. There was then the failed reboot with Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man in 2012 and 2014 that came in the midst of the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There was then a second reboot of the franchise, under the eye of the MCU, with Tom Holland in the role, that kicked off in 2017.

The success of that most recent Spider-Man reboot demonstrated that audiences were capable of understanding there could be different interpretations of the same superhero, which Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse takes and multiplies by several factors.

It is a film that is a celebration of the character, gorgeously animated, well-versed in the lore and capable of poking fun at itself. It is really apparent that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a film that has been made with a great deal of care and affection.

A Memorable Quote

Jefferson Davis: With great ability comes great accountability.
Miles Morales: That's not how it goes.

Things You May Not Know

• This is Marvel Comics figurehead, Stan Lee's, final film appearance, he is also included in every single frame in the shots including a train.
• The film is intended to feel as if you are in a comic-book, with the animation mixing computer and hand-drawn techniques.
• There are a number of references to a slightly different world of pop culture in Miles Morales' universe. For example, there is a poster for a film called From Dusk Till Shaun, which was a proposed sequel to Shaun of the Dead, which was never made.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a seriously fun and engaging film to watch. This may be the kind of film that mainly appeals to people who like other comic-book films, but if you can get past some of the inherent oddness of the concept, it is a highly-enjoyable viewing experience for anyone.

Whether it is one of the greatest of all time might be a little much. It is certainly one of the better comic-book films, but not one of the best/ It's a well-made and intriguing film, it's not going to change your life, but you're going to have fun watching it.