Directed by: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman

Written by: Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman (screenplay); Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli (Miles Morales created by); Steve Ditko & Stan Les (Spider-Man created by); David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky (comic characters created by)

Starring: Shamiek Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Mahershala Ali, Liev Schreiber, and Bryan Tyree Henry

Studio: Sony/Columbia Pictures; Sony Pictures Animation; 2.35:1

After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.

2018 has been quite the year for Spider-Man and his fans. It started strong with the character finally becoming an Avenger in the MCU (although it wasn’t the best first day on the job); then the character got a great video game adaptation; and finally, as 2018 comes to an end, the character gets an animated feature along with various other spider-related heroes! Here, we follow the life of Miles Morales!

The film serves as an origin story for Miles as the character is introduced to the public on the big screen. That’s just half of it though, as it’s more of a bigger picture than it sounds. It goes more into being the simple origin story as other spider heroes come into Miles’ universe. With that, we get a fun ride filled with comedy, emotion, and action all in a beautiful looking animation style.

Writers Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman do a good job at having the film well structured, keeping the main focus on Miles Morales while still having the other spider heroes share the spotlight. Each character gets their origin told quick and much like a comic book as if you’re reading panel to panel. The storytelling also shares the comic book like narrative so it’s quick and smooth with the pacing.

The story comes with a lot of emotion. The writers did a great job at having a very compelling story to the character, making him very significant and memorable for years to come! Miles deals with family, responsibilities (obviously, he is Spider-Man), and friendship.

With the comic book like narrative, it also makes for some amazing animation details! Comic book pages in motion are the best way to describe it. The text box shown to be thoughts and time change like in comic books appearing here and there, the expression marks, the Spidey Sense, the sound of the web releasing, the list goes on! The animation is so fluid and colorful, it’s eye-popping! So many artists worked on it to make it look as wonderful as it did!

Shamiek Moore was an easy choice to lend his voice to Miles Morales. He’s got the charm, charisma, and the depth that brings Miles Morales to life. Moore gives a personality to this character that was needed. He got the part right, down to earth and caring for the ones that he loves. Jake Johnson as Peter Parker/Spider-Man was great. He’s a bit older so Johnson’s voice fit right in. He’s not an older person acting like a teenager but is an older person acting like an older Peter Parker. With that, he’s a bit out of touch being the web-slinger so it makes for good comedy and heartfelt moments. His connection with Miles is really strong and the film could’ve solely been on them two alone and nothing would change. These two were perfectly cast and given a good amount of background to be the main characters.

Along with those two is Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman. The casting could do no wrong as Steinfeld carried the strong traits that were needed for Gwen. Not the characters first time shown on the big screen but her first appearance as her heroine alter ego and it was perfected thanks to Steinfeld. Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir is fitting. Since he’s a darker take on the character, he’s no teenager or in any way plays it safe. Cage’s voice was only right for the character. John Mulaney as Spider-Ham is one of the best things. Mulaney’s voice fits right in as his take on the hero is very cartoony and his voice goes with it very well. Kimiko Glenn doesn’t have a whole lot of lines or role but with what was given, she did a good job. More of Peni Parker was needed.

Now for the supporting cast. Bryan Tyree Henry voices Miles’ father, PDNY officer Jefferson Davis. He is a strong character to the story as he is Miles’ uncle Ben, only he’s actually Miles’ father, but you understand what I mean to say. The scenes with him and Miles are heartfelt and emotional. Mahershala Ali plays Jefferson’s brother, Aaron Davis. Now to keep clear of spoilers, let’s just say Mahershala Ali is great with his character and adds more to Miles’ story.

The villain of this story is none other than Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. It’s been quite the year for Kingpin as well. It seemed nothing could have topped Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of the character — that is until Liev Schreiber arrived. Taking up the whole screen with his character’s model, Schreiber hits the right notes to give Kingpin the menacing traits. His deep voice gives a terrifying vibe to show he is not one to mess with. His motives are simple if you’re familiar with the character, nothing new, but it’s the depth that is put into him that makes him such a great, threatening villain.

The film doesn’t fault any technical issues. The pacing is done well, maybe even quicker than imagined. The colors are nice and vibrant, going well with the animation style of a comic book. As stated before, the animation is fluid and looks perfect on the big screen. The score was solid and the soundtrack fits right in, no shoehorned songs or any of that matter.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is very unique, stylish, and one of the best Spider-Man film. It’s a great film to sit down, have some laughs, shed a tear, and enjoy the superhero action it has to offer.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse doesn’t carry any problems other Spider-Man films have come across. It’s incredible, comedic, emotional, and filled with heart. The crew really outdid themselves with this one. It’s definitely one of the best-animated features this year both in animation wise and story wise. Great cast, fantastic story, and eye-popping animation! A wonderful watch from start to finish!

100/100