If there exist infinite dimensions, this would still be cool in all of them

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2019)

The triple, yes, triple directed (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman) "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" runs like a comic-book from the year 3019, a mostly stop-motion animation style executed to a revolutionary level, but also mixing noir, anime and freaking Looney Tunes-inspired cartoons. It's one of the best films ever when it comes strictly to animation, every frame filled with clever pop culture references of which I probably missed most.
Albeit, this is a very stylized film, even for an animation. Young, chic and cool as hell, this is a blast to watch from start to finish and, thankfully, the style does not get too much in the way of substance. But this film does not go too deep in the feel department, although for something that looks this cool and restless I was mostly satisfied with the treatment for its characters. They all lost someone or something, including the villain here, which is Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) even though the film does not treat him with the same sympathy as the heroes. You must argue that this is normal, and it would be, but by the end I felt for the big guy.
But indulge me as I get back to the animation. Its quality resides not only in its ans-amble look, but also in the design of its characters. I am still amazed by Kingpin's gargantuan look, spawning a black suit and tie with a white shirt and his imposing bald head stuck in the middle looking asymptotically close to a parody, yet it wasn't. This extreme design creates an intensity and pace that never really stops, not even in the film's quieter moments.
Between the "you can do this" and "believe in yourself" teenage angst there are many fourth wall moments, most notably the way it parodies previous Spider-Man materiel, especially a certain dance in the street. There is a lot of fan service here as this film's ultimate point is to symbolize Spider-Man as an ideal rather than a person. But Spider-Man is not worthy of something like this. He is too stylish and not morally complicated enough, but the effort was visible and admirable.
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is a hip, creative teenager with big dreams and it does not have enough patience to involve itself emotionally too much. But it pays you back with every single frame. If you are a fan of animation, this is a must-see.