In the span of just two years, Sam Raimi and Tobey McGuire have been knocked off the top spot of Spideys by actual teenage Peter Parker, washed Peter Parker (see below), Spider-Gwen, an anime Parker, Gone in Con Air Spidey, Spider Pig (not Homer’s), and Miles Morales. Who is Andrew Garfield again?
In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales becomes the new Spider-Man in his universe after stumbling across a nefarious plot that brings five other Spideys from alternate dimensions into his own.
Upon hearing that there is yet ANOTHER Spider-Man movie coming out (let alone an animated one), one may pass out from Peter Parker fatigue. But this iteration is an adrenaline shot that will make you never want to miss the inevitable decades-worth of Spider-Verse spin-offs and sequels. Into the Spider-Verse is deservedly being talked about as the best Spider-Man ever, best Marvel (MCU included) movie ever, and best movie of 2018.
Into the Spider-Verse is something we have never seen on the big screen before (no this is not the cliché you hear in most reviews). You can feel the texture of the comic book pages as the animation fluently moves across the screen. Every panel, pop of color, and “pow”-inspired onomatopoeia mixes perfectly with a score that creates an energy unmatched by any film of 2018. Your heart will explode with the gamut of “feels” this film takes you through within the span of 5-minutes: you’ll laugh, you’ll cry (that Stan Lee cameo though…RIP), you’ll sweat, then you’ll laugh again. After 2 hours, you will want go right back into an IMAX theater to experience this film again.
The heartwarming story and amazing performances makes this more than an empty visual feast (unlike another Superhero movie that will remain unnamed). Allusions to previous real-life Spidey films makes the film more self-aware and the outlandish more believable. The star-studded casts voice acting is spot on, and their characters are created to feel as if the actors were playing versions of themselves in the Spider-Verse. The relationship between Miles (Shameik Moore), his dad (Brian Tyree Henry), and his Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali) is simultaneously uplifting, emotional, and one of the most layered family dynamic of the year. Jake Johnson is perfect (still playing Nick from New Girl) as the washed version of Peter Parker. Every Spider-Person (or animal), Supervillain, and side character of the Spidey-lore enriches the script no matter how big or small the role. Nic Cage as Spider-Man Noir and Lily Tomlin as Aunt May are stand-outs in a myriad of stand-out performances.
After a year that saw two of the best Superhero movies of all time (critically and at the box office), I was not expecting anything to knock the Feige-train from its mantle. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a glorious feat of visual, audio, and emotional storytelling that will connect to viewers of all ages. I am giving it 9.5/10 Lebron James Miami Heat Press Conference Speeches describing how many places Toby is getting knocked down the Spider-Man Rankings.