QR Film Review: Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse
Sophie Price
One of the most conceptually daring and unique films of 2018, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse is a refreshing, new approach to the superhero genre, taking a well-loved Marvel hero and adding a new, interesting twist. Directed in a joint effort by Bob Persichetti, Rodney Rothman and Peter Ramsey, the plot of the film centres around the collision of six dimensions, resulting in six ‘spider-people’ teaming up to defeat the primary villain, Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) and return to their own dimensions.
Visually this film is stunning. Straying away from the typical style of Disney and Illumination animation, every frame is meticulously designed, and it really feels like the pages of a comic book come to life. The opening credits alone are incredible, and this film really showcases the potential for more superhero films created in this style. Each of the characters is well-developed, interesting and instantly likeable, and has their own unique style, however the plot does focus on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) more than anyone else. There are also fresh takes on well known Spiderman villains, yet the scene stealers are Kingpin (who quite literally steals the scene with his huge figure taking up the entirety of the frame in some cases) and Prowler (Mahershala Ali), who I personally loved for his design and the soundtrack that followed him.
As with all superhero films, there is an overarching moral theme within the film. Ultimately, this is a film about friendship, sacrifice and self-belief. Miles Morales struggles with his new-found powers as Spiderman and finds it difficult to keep up with the other, more experienced characters. His moment of awakening and gaining control of his powers is a joy to watch, and is a scene that will undoubtably take your breath away. The characters also remain relatable, with each of them experiencing loss and disappointment, and the overall theme of “anyone can wear the mask” is an inspiring concept. There is also a beautiful tribute to the late, great Stan Lee around this theme, both in his cameo and during the credits, which packs an emotional punch to any seasoned viewer of Marvel films.
The film boasts wonderful voice acting talents from an impressive cast, but personally my favourites are John Mulaney and Nicolas Cage, whose characters of Spiderham and Spiderman Noir I believe could have had some more screen time and development.
Overall, this is fantastic film. From it’s visually stunning animation style, the likeable and relatable characters, the genuinely hilarious jokes and one-liners, to the story itself, this is, in my opinion, one of the best films of the year, and is definitely a front-runner for Best Animated Feature Film at this years Academy Awards.
Rating: 5 Stars