How on God's green Earth did this work so well???

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2018)

The worlds of superhero movies and superhero comics are not as similar as they seem on the surface. Currently, film studios are all about the "extended universe", seeing how many different titles and characters they can shove into one franchise (Avengers, X-Men, Justice League), making for an easy way to squeeze a few extra bucks out of their lesser known properties. Comics have this as well, of course. However, they also have something modern movies haven't really tapped into yet: story one-offs, a chance for a storyteller to create a unique tale and not be constrained by the implications on or from the larger universe. Spider-Verse gets to do just that, while playfully taking on the fun (if convoluted) absurdity of extended superhero universes.
Listen, I hear you. "How could we possibly need another Spider-Man movie?" Spider-Verse understands that question and has a take on it. Yes, Peter Parker is here. In fact, there are two Peter Parkers. There's also a Spider-Woman, a Noir Spider-Man, an anime Spider-Girl/Robot, and a Spider-Pig. At the center though is Miles Morales, an Afro-Hispanic Brooklyn teen who must help these other Spider-People get back to their own planes of existence. He fights with his cop dad, he adores his shady uncle, hates being simply the smartest kid in the room, and just wants to do something that matters. Being Spider-Man wasn't his idea, but hey, when a radioactive spider gives you powers, what choice do you have?
Look, I don't have any sort of hot take on this movie. It looks great, the humor pops with surprises, the voice casting is beyond perfect. It's simply a stylishly exciting and refreshingly unique take on the superhero genre, and sometimes that's more than enough.