Smiles from home.

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2018)

Glorious. There simply is no other word for "Into The Spider-verse" a fun, thrilling, funny, self-referential trip through the history of Spider-man, in both film and comics. It's one of the best films I've seen this year and one of the best animated films I've ever seen.
The Kingpin (Leiv Schreiber) is conducting dangerous experiments under the streets of Brooklyn, opening wormholes to alternate dimensions. Aside from bringing through a radioactive spider, which bites young Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), the wormhole also drags through various versions of Spiderman from across the multiverse, who must team up to put an end to the Kingpins plans and save the multiverse.
The animation style of "Spiderverse" is top notch. A beautiful blend of 3D computer animation and 2D elements. Occasionally aspects are ripped directly from the pages of the comics too, with sound effects written on screen or occasionally splitting the image in to panels. It's a unique and dynamic experience. That would be for naught though if the script and story wasn't up to much, so fortunately the film excels here too. The story finds a legitimate excuse to drag the various Spidys together and actually gives them something to do. It's funny too, self-referential to the universe, to the medium and to the film itself. The highlight of the humour is probably "Spiderman Noir" a 1930's detective version of the web slinger, whose whole world is monochromatic and is voiced with laconic style by Nicolas Cage.
It does have some darker moments though, a couple of deaths that would be a bit much for some of the younger children in the audience. Stan Lee's cameo too, though nothing specific about the cameo is sad, it still pretty emotional for his first one since he passed (if you ignore "Ralph Breaks The Internet"). Also, at least in the screening I saw, occasionally the image seemed to .... Duplicate somewhat ... as if you were watching a 3D film without glasses on.
But those minor detractions won't take away from a magnificent film that I'd really like to see more of.