Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse review

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So, I went to the movies with my son and a friend of his (both six years old) and watched the new Spiderman movie. You know, the animated one. It got raving reviews, so I wanted to know whether it really is any good. And to take the major thing out of the way directly: oh boy yes, it's good. Like, really good. 

 

So let's start with it catering to different audiences and serving them all. My son is well-versed in Marvel things (for a six-year-old), so he can count as a child on the one hand and a reasonably involved viewer. He knows the rules of the genre, is what I'm saying. His friend didn't really, so I take him as a generic child. Take that. 

 

They both liked the movie very much. It has enough fun and action (especially when old Peter and Miles meet, which isn't a spoiler, it's all over the trailers) to please everyone in that regard, and it's well paced as well. So, full points here. 

 

I'm not a Marvel expert myself. Never read the comics, but I did watch all the movies (save Ant-Man and the Wasp) so far. So, I'm an adult (ok, at least I'm over 30) and counting for that demographic. I got a lot of jokes and story beats obviously aimed at adults (kids can't get those), which is a good sign in any animation movie. 

 

I was impressed by how all the thematic beats went together. Growing up, maturing, taking responsibility, challenging stereotypes - it all ties neatly together. 

 

Where I was really impressed though was with the intricate plotting. There are primary and secondary villains, and they're all tied together by believable and cleverly constructed to also tie back to Miles. That way, you always know why every villain does what he does, and why Miles, speficifally, wants to stop them. That's a feat not many stories manage. 

 

The six Peter Parkers are also neatly woven together, with the trio of Old Peter Parker, Gwen Stacey and Miles Morales getting the most spotlight and the best dynamic. Their strenghts and weaknesses combine well and are ALSO tied back to each of the villains. Peter Porker, Noir Spiderman and the Anime robot get the short thrift and are more there for comic relief and to show up the different animation styles (which is a treat in and of itself). 

 

Also great: the Spiderman mythos itself is deconstructed and reconstructed (!) on a meta-level, with Old Peter Parker commenting on the rules of the genre, all of which are upheld but subverted by twisting them in ways that (in hindsight) obviously connect to the characters, Gwen Stacey being a wise-ass and the most competent Spider-Man around but still also a teen so she has to work through her own issues and Miles is also building himself as a distinctly black superhero who's also a honorary member of the Latino community. And all of them are VERY much New Yorkers. 

 

I could ramble on, but this is a master piece. You should check it out. I kept light on plot details on purpose because some spoilers you really shouldn't get this time around for their full effect. When they come, you're like "ah, of course", but that pleasure I won't rob from you.