So Much More Than I Could Have Hoped

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2018)

I've waited 4 years to love Spider-Man this much. From comics to movies to video games, the last Spider-Man related story that I truly loved was the divisive Marc Webb movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. However, 2018 has really turned things around for my favorite Marvel superhero; from his groundbreaking video game for the PS4 to the brilliant Nick Spencer taking the reigns from the incompetent Dan Slott in the comics. Hell, even the MCU's depiction of Spider-Man (Which I despised in both Civil War and Homecoming) was surprisingly enjoyable in Infinity War, despite my thoughts on the rest of the film. The resurgence in quality Spider-Man stories continues with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; perhaps the best superhero film since 2004's Spider-Man 2.
The voice cast couldn't have been better. I've been saying how Shameik Moore would make a perfect Miles Morales ever since I saw him in Dope and he doesn't disappoint here. Much like Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn or J.K Simmons J.J Jameson, Shameik Moore IS Miles Morales as far as I'm concerned. He nails Morales ambition, his selflessness, his emotional vulnerability and his overall shyness in one of my favorite comic book movie performances ever. You could not have picked a better actor for this role.
Jake Johnson as an older, more broken (But still witty) Spider-Man who's lost his way was unexpected, but really interesting. Johnson is funny and charismatic, but has a real emotional pathos to him that takes his performance to the next level. He may actually be my favorite cinematic acting performance for Peter Parker He's a surprisingly complex character for a more family-targeted Spider-Man film and Johnson handles Parker's ascent from washed up has-been to the Spidey we all know and love wonderfully.
Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir is a joy to listen to whenever he's on screen. His deliciously hammy New York accent firing off witty 1930s one liners is something never knew I needed so badly. I found myself smiling pretty much every time he spoke. It's a smaller role, but by God, Cage absolutely does his thing and it benefits this wacky, incredibly imaginative movie wonderfully.
All of the characters here feel so real and human. Miles' strong sense of honor and commitment to the ideals of his role models make him such a likable and easy-to-root for lead. Long before Miles dons his iconic red & black hoodie costume from the comics, he fully embodies the selflessness, compassion and empathy that make Spider-Man such an inspirational and iconic character. I can totally understand why his kindness and capacity for good inspire Jake Johnson's Spider-Man to return to his heroic and altruistic ways he had long since abandoned. The film really does an excellent job of testing Miles' will power, the sincerity of his innate goodness, putting him through the ringer emotionally as he suffers insurmountable, but staggeringly human, losses. This is the kind of Spider-Man that I wanted to be when I grew up. The character journey that Peter Parker goes through here is easily the most nuanced and layered he's experienced in a movie. From the deadbeat loser we see in the first act, to the hopeless martyr of the second to our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man we witness in the third, the sheer depth (And natural pace) of Spider-Man's development here is something I honestly never thought the screenwriting duo of Lord & Rothman were capable of. Even with villains and minor characters like Kingpin, Uncle Aaron and Miles' father Officer Davis are all characters whose hopes, dreams, fears and ambitions are all things I could easily describe.
Much like Suicide Squad, the film makes the wise decision of using its vast and diverse gallery of characters to bring in a wondrous array of different visual styles. We have the urban graffiti style of Miles Morales, the 60s Marvel style of Peter Benjamin Parker, the Marvel Now! style of Spider-Gwen, the Golden Age comics style of Spider-Man: Noir, the Acme style of Spider-Ham and the anime style of Peni Parker. It's no secret that the film's core message is that anyone with a big spine and a bigger heart can be Spider-Man, but what makes Into the Spider-Verse so impressive is that, like the best comic books, it conveys this all visually. Every one of these different styles gets their own spot in the sunlight and I feel that every viewer will find a style here that really touches them on a personal level, just as each viewer is likely to find a Spider-Man here who they can relate too and resonate with emotionally. Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse isn't merely a great comic book movie, it's a comic book brought to life.
I'll always have appreciation for soundtracks that really capture the musical tastes of a specific generation. They almost act as cultural time capsules of the time in which they were released. Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse very much fits this description, featuring some of the best and most atmospheric songs of Post Malone, Juice Wrld, Seezyn, XXTentacion, Swae Lee and Annuel AE's careers. I haven't loved a soundtrack to a comic book movie this much since Spawn. Just like that film, Into The Spider-Verse's soundtrack really captures the musical atmosphere of the late 2010s. It just set such an emotional tone for the film, one that's very much earned with this excellent and moving screenplay.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse is easily the best superhero film of 2018 and its place as the 2nd best Marvel film to date is unlikely to be unseated by anything else. It's a must see for anyone with even a remote love for the character and it completely makes up for the terrible depictions of Spider-Man in both Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. It's nice to see my faith (Or, relative faith over Marvel studios, at least) rewarded.