Review: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Synopsis: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.

Review: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse deserves the Oscar for Best Animated Feature! It’s as close to perfection as a human endeavor can be. I actually cried at various points, because this movie was crafted with absolute love and commitment by everyone involved. The cameo by Stan Lee (Excelsior!) and the end credits scene accentuated an immersive comic book tribute.

The movie works, because the unabashed deconstruction doesn’t detract from the source material. The deconstruction enhances the source material and vice versa. The back story montages and training sequences are just two examples. Throughout, the superb combination of 2-D and 3-D animation conveys a world that is grounded and psychedelic simultaneously — proving that animation really is moving art.

The entire cast is top notch, but I have to give special kudos to Chris Pine, as Classic Peter Parker. Without his wonderful base-line performance, the other actors’ efforts wouldn’t have been as meaningful. I also have to highlight Shameik Moore, who makes the audience believe every nanosecond of Miles Morales’ Hero’s Journey. An Extremely Honorable Mention goes to Nicolas Cage, who is an absolute treat as Spider-Man Noir. You’ll never see a Rubik’s Cube the same way again. Finally, I adore Lily Tomlin as the best iteration of Aunt May yet.

In short, see this movie immediately. It will put a wide grin on your face and happy tears in your eyes.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and V.O.D. now.

Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Writers: Phil Lord, Rodney Rothman

Cast: Chris Pine, Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Nicolas Cage, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, Zoë Kravitz, Luna Lauren Velez, and Stan Lee