Smart, Hip, Playful and Visually Dazzling - I Needed Something Like This

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2019)

Alternate Spider-Men from various dimensions are brought together by a selfish scheme, confusedly interact, share a few puns, trade tips and race to beat the bad guy before their respective home worlds are annihilated.
Given the steamroll of positive word-of-mouth, I had concerns about this one living up to my expectations. Instead, it smashed them to pieces. It surprises, delights, amuses and entertains right from the opening gun. A sharp, witty script manages to nail the goofy essence of the character (seen through a kaleidoscope of different lenses) without feeling forced, hokey or dated. It's effortlessly hip and tuned-in, a tale that understands what's fresh and spotlights that without exploiting it. The plot remains light-hearted and smooth, but not without trials or consequences.
And I don't think I can say nearly enough about the dynamic, electrifying visuals. They're a shot of adrenaline, consistently vibrant and dazzling, a vivid showpiece that leaps straight from page to screen without sacrificing any of the clever little quirks and format-conscious tricks that always seemed so inseparable from the printed medium. Into the Spider-Verse is the first time a big comic book adaptation has really worn those funnybook roots as a badge of honor, something to be respected and embraced, rather than an embarrassing blemish. It understands what makes a good comic tick, values those singular traits and uses them to improve the entire production. I didn't realize how much I needed something like this.