Top 25 Favourite Films: #12 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Dir. Peter Ramsey, Robert Persichetti Jr. & Rodney Rothman, 2018)
#12. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Directed by Peter Ramsey, Robert Persichetti Jr. & Rodney Rothman, 2018
How does one talk about the legacy of an artist who created so many beloved characters that are as close to those figures of Greek and Roman mythology as Western Culture has ever gotten? How does one talk about Stan Lee, and his indelible mark on the visual, cinematic and linguistic culture of post-World War II America, let alone the cultural touchstones that his characters and series have become in the last ten years with the nigh continental arrival of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? How the hell does one even begin to talk about the legacy of arguably the finest non-literary writer of the 20th Century?
Spider-Man. Spider-Man is how. Not only is he Lee's most famous creation, and certainly one of his most lucrative-the fact that Sony and Disney went to war this year over one character among thousands says everything you need to know about his value-but he is practically the best example of Lee as modern myth maker. As Lee's quote, which the film closes out with, states:
“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed, without a doubt, a real superhero". A hero does not need to be a musclebound Asgardian God of Thunder, nor a multi-billionare with a million-dollar suit, nor an irradiated genius. A hero simply has to be someone who helps.
The friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is the perfect example of this-over the last fifty years, and eight films, he has battled across his native New York and beyond, he has stood up for the "litttle guy", and matched his considerable powers with responsibility. Into the Spider-Verse gives us not one, but six Spider-People from across multiple dimensions torn open by a prototypal machine built by King-Pin and a refreshing twist on Doctor Octopus, ranging from a typical Spider-Man, the worn-out and over-the-hill Peter B Parker (an impressively down at heel Jake Johnson, whose backstory borders on the depressing), to the alternate-universe possibilty of Gwen Stacy, (Hailee Steinfeld), to the completely out-there, including Nic Cage voicing a noirish version of Spider-Man from a 1930s America, and John Mulaney's Looney-Tunes-esque Peter Porker.
In another film, these five would have been enough, a differing display of Spider-People, an odd quintet, with the addition of SP/DR, a anime styled character previously most famous for being the handiwork of Gerard Way, one-fourth of emo darlings My Chemical Romance, piloted by Penny Parker (Kimiko Glenn), in which the concept of Spider-Man is explored. The film does cock a snook at the...impressively samey backstories of almost every Spider-Man, with Noir, Porker and Penny introduced about halfway through the film, with simulaneously delivered backstories, whilst Gwen and Peter are essentially familar characters given perfect tweaks, and moved from protagonist to supportive mentors.
Spider-Verse's masterstroke is essentially using the familar trappings of Spider-Man, in all his forms, to tell a story that is at once an origin-tale for Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), the Spider-Man of this world, and his growth into the mantle, and a deconstruction and perfect encapsulation of what makes Spider-Man tick, what makes him work as a character, but given a unique, and impressively modern twist. This version of Spider-Man is an incredibly reluctant hero, given his powers by a man who promptly dies, a nervous and unsure figure who has issues with his powers. The beauty of this film is in its relationships between the Spider-Men, and in particular with the main supporting characters and Miles.
Peter, taking over his position from the deceased Peter Parker of this world, is not only a mentor who wants his best for the kid thrust under his wing that threatens to get in the way of his own attempts to get home, but a man who has essentially lost everything, and only through Miles finds purpose again, their friendship growing from their first encouter to, in the finale, a mutual respect. There are certainly a number of scenes, particularly when Peter comes face to face with this world's version of Aunt May, deceased in his world, that could have been mawkish, but are instead poignantly Gwen, meanwhile, grows from distrustful and almost dismissive of the younger hero, grows to care and suppport him, whilst adding an important drive to the group.
Along for the ride are the quirky trio of SP/DR and Penny, Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Ham, and it is to this fim's credit that, even if these characters are played for laughs, they are treated with the same care and attention of the main trio. John Mulaney completely steals the show at many points with his mix of fast one-liners and Warner Bros classic slapstick animation, whilst just to hear Nic Cage as a character he adores almost as much as his beloved Superman, even if it a homage to the Bogart esque hardboiled noirs of the period he hails from, is a treat, not to mention the differing and beautifully wrought animation styles that this duo and Penny are rendered in, that never feels jarring or mismatched.
And then there is Miles, who goes through the archetypal Spider-Man story, but done with a wit and a self-aware angle, from his relationship with both his father, a police officer, and his uncle, a slightly shadowy figure with whom Miles has a better relationship, to his eventual self-discovery, in one of perhaps the greatest single shots ever in super-hero cinema, as his quite literal leap of faith, in his own self-designed suit, finally sees his powers reach fruition, and his self-belief pay off in spectacular fashion. What Moore certainly adds to Miles, better than almost every version of Spider-Man, is that perfect mix of hormonal young man, unsure of himself, and the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, responsible and mature.
But what this film, via its pitch-perfect script from Lord and Miller, captures best is the very essence of Spider-Man, not only in these six representatives across the Spider-Man universe, not only in the script that features a bewildering number of references, from the three cinematic incarnations to the cheesy 1960s cartoon, and of course but in the very look and feel of this film, that is as close as cinema feels like it will ever get to perfectly capturing the atmosphere, sense, and visual sensibilities of the comic book in a film that flicks effortlessly between six distinct visual styles, from long-shadowed noir to manga to the impressive, oversatured and positively 80s-esque pallet and feel of Miles' own world-this film is a visual masterpiece.
But more than that, it is unquestionably a fitting tribute to the two men who created Spider-Man, and the universe of characters that they sparked into existence. Frankly, no incarnation of Spider-Man, no film featuring him, has captured this so perfectly, captured what Stan Lee always believed about his creation, captured...what makes Spider-Man...Spider-Man-not his powers, not his ability to spin a web any size, but in his heroism and his stand for the little guy. It is a pitch-perfect, nigh-flawless tribute, and one of the best superhero films ever made.
How does one talk about the legacy of an artist who created so many beloved characters that are as close to those figures of Greek and Roman mythology as Western Culture has ever gotten? How does one talk about Stan Lee, and his indelible mark on the visual, cinematic and linguistic culture of post-World War II America, let alone the cultural touchstones that his characters and series have become in the last ten years with the nigh continental arrival of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? How the hell does one even begin to talk about the legacy of arguably the finest non-literary writer of the 20th Century?
Spider-Man. Spider-Man is how. Not only is he Lee's most famous creation, and certainly one of his most lucrative-the fact that Sony and Disney went to war this year over one character among thousands says everything you need to know about his value-but he is practically the best example of Lee as modern myth maker. As Lee's quote, which the film closes out with, states:
“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed, without a doubt, a real superhero". A hero does not need to be a musclebound Asgardian God of Thunder, nor a multi-billionare with a million-dollar suit, nor an irradiated genius. A hero simply has to be someone who helps.
The friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is the perfect example of this-over the last fifty years, and eight films, he has battled across his native New York and beyond, he has stood up for the "litttle guy", and matched his considerable powers with responsibility. Into the Spider-Verse gives us not one, but six Spider-People from across multiple dimensions torn open by a prototypal machine built by King-Pin and a refreshing twist on Doctor Octopus, ranging from a typical Spider-Man, the worn-out and over-the-hill Peter B Parker (an impressively down at heel Jake Johnson, whose backstory borders on the depressing), to the alternate-universe possibilty of Gwen Stacy, (Hailee Steinfeld), to the completely out-there, including Nic Cage voicing a noirish version of Spider-Man from a 1930s America, and John Mulaney's Looney-Tunes-esque Peter Porker.
In another film, these five would have been enough, a differing display of Spider-People, an odd quintet, with the addition of SP/DR, a anime styled character previously most famous for being the handiwork of Gerard Way, one-fourth of emo darlings My Chemical Romance, piloted by Penny Parker (Kimiko Glenn), in which the concept of Spider-Man is explored. The film does cock a snook at the...impressively samey backstories of almost every Spider-Man, with Noir, Porker and Penny introduced about halfway through the film, with simulaneously delivered backstories, whilst Gwen and Peter are essentially familar characters given perfect tweaks, and moved from protagonist to supportive mentors.
Spider-Verse's masterstroke is essentially using the familar trappings of Spider-Man, in all his forms, to tell a story that is at once an origin-tale for Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), the Spider-Man of this world, and his growth into the mantle, and a deconstruction and perfect encapsulation of what makes Spider-Man tick, what makes him work as a character, but given a unique, and impressively modern twist. This version of Spider-Man is an incredibly reluctant hero, given his powers by a man who promptly dies, a nervous and unsure figure who has issues with his powers. The beauty of this film is in its relationships between the Spider-Men, and in particular with the main supporting characters and Miles.
Peter, taking over his position from the deceased Peter Parker of this world, is not only a mentor who wants his best for the kid thrust under his wing that threatens to get in the way of his own attempts to get home, but a man who has essentially lost everything, and only through Miles finds purpose again, their friendship growing from their first encouter to, in the finale, a mutual respect. There are certainly a number of scenes, particularly when Peter comes face to face with this world's version of Aunt May, deceased in his world, that could have been mawkish, but are instead poignantly Gwen, meanwhile, grows from distrustful and almost dismissive of the younger hero, grows to care and suppport him, whilst adding an important drive to the group.
Along for the ride are the quirky trio of SP/DR and Penny, Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Ham, and it is to this fim's credit that, even if these characters are played for laughs, they are treated with the same care and attention of the main trio. John Mulaney completely steals the show at many points with his mix of fast one-liners and Warner Bros classic slapstick animation, whilst just to hear Nic Cage as a character he adores almost as much as his beloved Superman, even if it a homage to the Bogart esque hardboiled noirs of the period he hails from, is a treat, not to mention the differing and beautifully wrought animation styles that this duo and Penny are rendered in, that never feels jarring or mismatched.
And then there is Miles, who goes through the archetypal Spider-Man story, but done with a wit and a self-aware angle, from his relationship with both his father, a police officer, and his uncle, a slightly shadowy figure with whom Miles has a better relationship, to his eventual self-discovery, in one of perhaps the greatest single shots ever in super-hero cinema, as his quite literal leap of faith, in his own self-designed suit, finally sees his powers reach fruition, and his self-belief pay off in spectacular fashion. What Moore certainly adds to Miles, better than almost every version of Spider-Man, is that perfect mix of hormonal young man, unsure of himself, and the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, responsible and mature.
But what this film, via its pitch-perfect script from Lord and Miller, captures best is the very essence of Spider-Man, not only in these six representatives across the Spider-Man universe, not only in the script that features a bewildering number of references, from the three cinematic incarnations to the cheesy 1960s cartoon, and of course but in the very look and feel of this film, that is as close as cinema feels like it will ever get to perfectly capturing the atmosphere, sense, and visual sensibilities of the comic book in a film that flicks effortlessly between six distinct visual styles, from long-shadowed noir to manga to the impressive, oversatured and positively 80s-esque pallet and feel of Miles' own world-this film is a visual masterpiece.
But more than that, it is unquestionably a fitting tribute to the two men who created Spider-Man, and the universe of characters that they sparked into existence. Frankly, no incarnation of Spider-Man, no film featuring him, has captured this so perfectly, captured what Stan Lee always believed about his creation, captured...what makes Spider-Man...Spider-Man-not his powers, not his ability to spin a web any size, but in his heroism and his stand for the little guy. It is a pitch-perfect, nigh-flawless tribute, and one of the best superhero films ever made.
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