Stylish and energised; Spider-Man gets a new spin

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2018)

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are known for their penchant for irreverent comedy; 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie immediately pop to mind with a grin. Here the talented pair, along with Avi Arad and Peter Ramsey, turn their hand to a beloved Marvel item who is no stranger to a reboot; Spider-Man. But, this time we're not being subjected to yet another Uncle Ben death scene; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse tells the origin story of another Spidey, plucky teen, Miles Morales (an energetic Shameik Moore) as he grapples with the infamous Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), helped by a number of inter-dimensional "Spider-people"... including a washed-up, cynical Peter Parker (voiced with a nonchalant drawl by Jake Johnson). We watch as Miles grapples with finding his feet after an unfortunate interaction with a radioactive arachnid, in a hearty and humorous adventure, that feels distinctly Lord and Miller.
Into the Spider-Verse is a noticeably different adaptation of the friendly neighbourhood superhero; from the outset, the film cheekily satirises the incessant rebooting of its character (a flashback to a certain Spider-Man 3 moment gives perhaps the biggest laugh). Plenty of fun is poked out of comic-book movie tropes too; this doesn't change the fact however that, plot-wise, Into the Spider-Verse has little to offer in terms of originality, its narrative as predictable as a Saturday morning TV cartoon.
The film almost makes this redundant, however, through a stylish and confident execution, that feels fresh. Lord and Rodney Rothman's script is full of wry humour, quick-witted, yet full of heart and honesty. Miles Morales is also a more fleshed out lead than we are used to from Marvel (despite a slightly easy resolution to his arc) and his band of misfits, whilst largely one-note, are fun enough to carry the film with ease. Brian Tyree Henry and Mahershala Ali are unfeigned as Miles' father and uncle respectively and Jake Johnson is simply brilliant in an incarnation of Peter Parker hitherto undreamt of. An antagonist in the form of Kingpin is more disappointing, a forced motivation leaving him uninteresting and decidedly by-the-numbers. The movie leaves us little time to think on its faults though; it takes a relentless, yet natural, pace through riveting action sequences and comedic montages, with the ease of a web swing.
Into the Spider-Verse's greatest strength, however, is its design. The animation is unique and aesthetic, delightfully reminiscent of an old-school comic strip. The film feels like a very real homage to its source material, the comic in comic book movie always coming first. Into the Spider-Verse won't be remembered for breaking ground in plot and character, but its design alone is enough to make you want to go back for more.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have assembled a fun and frenetic film which, whilst standard on paper, is executed with artistry and flair. An incarnation of the world's favourite superhero surely to be remembered.