Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewas a surprise to many when it debuted on the big screen. No one expected this incredible film that took everything we knew about superheroes and Spider-Man, and gave it a new vision, style, tone, and soul that made the movie special. It made us feel like we were kids again, fascinated by what animation can do, but also, made us laugh, empathize with the characters, and showed the many ways the new hero, Miles Morales, is as good as a character as Peter Parker. The movie won the Academy Award for the Best Animated Movie, and it’s already producing a sequel we can’t wait to see. It makes total sense that we believeSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseis the best superhero film ever made, and here’s why:
Great Characters and Cast
We’ve seen many stories about Peter Parker. We love the character, but the first thing that makes this movie different is the change of lead, asthe protagonist is Miles Morales. This movie is his origin story. It shows how he was bitten by the spider and got his powers, but also how he’s reluctant to become a superhero and the learning process behind it. He has help from Spider-People from other dimensions, who help him realize his full potential: Peter B. Parker, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir, and Peni Parker (and her robot). Not only are the characters great, but so are the people who voice them, as the voice cast is absolutely stacked: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfield, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Zoë Kravitz, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kathryn Hahn (who makes every movie she appears in better), Nicolas Cage, John Mulaney, Liev Schreiber… and all give great performances. EspeciallyJake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, an older and more jaded version of Spider-Man, who becomes Miles’s mentor almost by accident, andBrian Tyree Henry as Miles’s dad, who steals every scene he has with Miles, as the disconnect happens between father and teenage son and also between cop and vigilante.
This is Miles’s story, but it also allows for redemption for other characters, as Peter B. Parker’s character arc is as solid as Miles' story. We also see and understand that trauma is always part of the Spider-Man mythos and character, even in other universes, where the protagonist is a pig or a black-and-white noir Spidey.
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Lord and Miller’s Originality and Humor
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are geniuses who have made a career of subverting expectations. They have created many projects that, at first sight, looked like bad ideas and made them great films. Movies like21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie,orCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.They always find the heart (and jokes) of their stories, making us fall in love with their characters and have a blast with their movies. Be it as writers, directors, or producers, Lord and Miller have an eye for good, surprising, and unique stories (the idea forClone Highis so deranged it should’ve never worked, and now they’re making more seasons of it).
All those qualities were used perfectly inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with the charactercreated in part by Michael Bendis, as they (again) subverted expectations of what a Spider-Man movie should be, creating a masterpiece, while giving an important message.Miller told Nerdistabout their mission statement for this movie: “We want to inspire young people, and anyone to become heroes. To inspire grownups to help young people become heroes. And to remind us all you don’t need to be bit by a radioactive spider to be a hero. We want everyone leaving the theater to know this fact: You are powerful, and we are counting on you.” It’s a strong message. Surrounded by great jokes and spectacular animation that makes us sit on the edge of our seats during action sequences. More importantly, it makes us feel and get emotional with Miles’s character arc as he embraces his best self, becoming more self-confident and brave in life and in his superhero journey.
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Inventive Unique Animation
The characters, the story, and the voice acting are all great. But it would’ve probably fallen flat if the animation wasn’t as revolutionary and as unique as it is in this movie. The animators broke the rules of animation by making a moving comic book. They looked at comics, illustrations, and 2D animation and mixed everything into an incredible animation cocktail. They even created new technology to get where they wanted, breaking most animation rules in the process. This unique animation opens the door to the character’s (and our) imagination and the different worlds out there. Each Spider-Man has a unique look and texture, one normal in his/her universe, that in Miles’s world isn’t.
It’s not just the animation style that helps the movie. The fact that it’s not real-life (and gravity) brings freedom for creating unique stunts, thrilling action sequences, and breathtaking images; making us feel what it would be like to be able to swing through the roofs and buildings of New York City. The film has its own colors, its own lines, and its own rhythm.VFX supervisor Danny Dimian told Vulture:“The whole movie is grounded with what we call stepped animation. That means the animation doesn’t change every single frame; characters will be held up for one frame, two frames, or three frames so that their motion looks jittery. (…) We were going through styles and ideas looking for something that felt right, and found that the traditional rendering techniques just weren’t working for us”
Some superhero movies have great action sequences without a soul; others have great characters with stories we’ve already seen.Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versehas soul, grit, jokes, action, love, redemption, a great script, game-changing animation, and great voice performances; that’s why it’s the best superhero film ever made.
