Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, grab your superhero mask and discuss Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which premiered in the United States on Friday, December 14, 2018.
Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while we are all individuals, even mutual love of something (or hate) can come from different places: you may find everything from critique to fangirling to maybe even hate-watching.
Now, join J.L. Gribble as she talks about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. [Note: Spoiler-free!]
J.L.: Do you remember the Hulk movie? No, not the Edward Norton one. The one before that, by director Ang Lee with Eric Bana and Jennifer Connelly in 2003. (Don’t worry, no one else remembers it either.) But if you do remember it, you might recall how a lot of it was framed to look like a comic book in film form. It was awful and awkward. Film isn’t right for portraying comic books that way.
But it turns out that animation is PERFECT for portraying comic books that way. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a joy to watch, with stunning animation that literally felt like a graphic novel come to life. At the same time, it did things only film can do when it comes to narrative storytelling.
In short, this is the best “comic book” movie I’ve ever seen.
It’s also one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, with no adjectives like “Spider-Man” or “Marvel” or “superhero” needed. I’m a sucker for anything that involves multi-verse theory, and this movie was chock full of self-referential and meta humor that insinuated that this movie is definitely part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it stands completely on its own, and it was a delightfully fun ride, with moments of both humor and epic feels.
Multiple top actors loaned their voices to this movie, some obvious and others not so much. But the real credit goes to the animators for the seamless blend of multiple animation styles. This movie is a visual work of art. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s ever been a fan of Spider-Man, but I also recommend it to anyone interested in a film about family, friends, and growing up. Perfect for the upcoming holiday season.
Spider-Man: Homecoming finally gave me my Peter Parker. But Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is officially the only Miles Morales I’ll ever need.
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