Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
It’s almost the end of the calendar year, readers! S and I have been thrilled at how this year for AvidBards has turned out. To celebrate a wonderful 2018, our next few posts will review our favourites from this year.
Today, the film of choice is the new animated Spider-Man film, subtitled Into the Spider-Verse. This movie was a delight to watch, and that reflects in its critiques and movie scores online (it’s a 97% on RottenTomatoes, wow!)
I’ve found in the last two years that some of the best releases come out at the end of the year. The reason I love this is because if the movie really reaches me in a profound way, I’m left with great vibes and useful lessons that I can bring into the New Year. Last year, it was Call Me by Your Name that did it for me. This year, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was, and I can honestly say that it reached me in ways I never would have expected of yet another Spider-Man film.
Now, this was somewhat of a fateful occurrence, because we just wrote a post about giving remakes, reboots and sequels a chance. However, this film was technically none of those. While it does present its own Spider-Man world, the very concept of a multi-verse gives the creators leeway to do whatever they want, while never getting in the way of the previous films. As well, you’ll realize upon watching the first few minutes that the Peter Parker history we know from all the films (Toby Macguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland’s) is actually referenced. Ever self-aware and meta, the history of the three Peters is tied together as the one Peter Parker’s history in the film. This was a wonderful way to acknowledge its predecessors while still being able to go in a completely new direction.
The new direction is certainly the best and most refreshing part of this film: Peter Parker is actually not the focus. Instead, we get an entirely new character in the forefront – Miles Morales. Voiced by the dynamic Shameik Moore, Miles is refreshing in so many ways, the first being that he is a PoC main character. Half Puerto-Rican and half African-American, it is absolutely wonderful to see a PoC character in a role that has, until this point, always been non-PoC in previous film adaptations. We’ve also commented in the past about how few PoC characters there are in the superhero movies we’ve seen, so this diversity is incredible. Miles is sweet, altruistic, humble, talented, hilarious, a little awkward, and completely badass – he embodies everything Spider-Man stands for, while still maintaining his own unique characteristics. He is young, he is unbreakably genuine, and he is heartbreakingly good.
The soundtrack is also comprised of songs that are performed predominantly by PoC musicians, which hearkens me back to Black Panther and its amazing soundtrack. Since watching Spider-Man, I’ve had this soundtrack on repeat. It’s truly a well-curated one, with songs that fit the theme of the movie perfectly. (You can find the soundtrack here on Spotify).
Aside from the dynamic loveliness that is Miles, the addition of Spider-People from different universes is nothing short of delightful. Jake Johnson did a surprisingly vibrant job in voicing Peter B. Parker – an older, much more jaded Spider-Man who becomes Miles’ reluctant mentor. Hailee Steinfeld voices Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy). The ever-hilarious John Mulaney lends his voice for Spider-Ham. Nicolas Cage is stellar as Spider-Man Noir, and Kimiko Glenn is the anime-style Peni Parker. We also have major stars like Mahershala Ali, who voices Miles’ uncle Aaron, Liev Schreiber as the terrifying Wilson Fisk, and Lily Tomlin who plays Peter’s Aunt May.
While the story focuses on Miles as he works through his newfound powers, there is another moral: that you can achieve anything in life, so long as you surround yourself with the right people. Peter B. Parker tells Miles at one point that he needs to take a “leap of faith”, rather than being held back by the fear of failure – and these are indeed words to live by.
The animation is gorgeous, perfectly mixing realism with pure imaginative artistry. It felt as if I was immersed in the saturated, colourful world of Miles Morales. The film was witty and self-aware; it was uplifting and heart-rending. It continued to surprise me, make me laugh, make me cry, and instill excitement within me. Every element of the movie harmonized perfectly, creating a rich tale that spoke to the child in me while also maintaining a delightfully adult tone.
I can honestly say that, even though I haven’t gone out and seen all the new releases I’ve wanted to yet, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is going to stay one of my favourite new releases of 2018.
As you can see, I learned a lot from this movie that goes above and beyond a good story. My love for animation was once again reinvigorated, reminding me that animated media can be underestimated for being too “childlike” – when really, being “childlike” should not be seen as a negative. The lens of endless possibilities that Miles sees through reminded me that we could all benefit from embracing the kid in us sometimes. I learned that I need to be less scared to achieve the goals I want, and take more risks. It made me realize what an amazing support network I have, and how I only want to continue to cultivate those relationships.
Again, you never know when you’ll be surprised. When a piece of artwork – be it film, art, television, books, or music – touches you in a way you’ve never expected, embrace it. I challenge us all, including myself, to be more open-minded this coming year. We should always push yourself to explore things that we might not be immediately attracted to. Positivity, child-like curiosity, and open-mindedness are the three things that I will actively try to pursue in the New Year – and it’s something I suggest everyone do. I’m so happy that a film like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is out in the world, impacting youths and adults alike to live their lives happily, freely, and boldly.
Have a safe New Years Eve, readers.
~ Z ~
