“Remember, what makes you different is what makes you Spider-Man.” 

It is crazy to me that we’re in a year where Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War came out and this Sony animated film is the best superhero movie I’ve seen in 2018. It’s difficult to collect my rambling thoughts about how much I loved this film so this review won’t be very analytical. 

Everything about this movie was so fresh, beautiful, and fun. The story was suprisingly mature for a movie with a younger demographic, the animation style was so ambitious and one that I hope to see more of in the future, and the characters were so well developed and fun to watch. 

Every single cast member did an amazing job. Peter and Miles’ dynamic was heartfelt, Gwen was a cool character who I can’t wait to see more of, and Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Ham, and Peni Parker were really fun and had great designs. I don’t think I’ve ever related more to a movie character than the depressed Peter Parker who came from another dimension.  Miles’ dad is a conflicted man with a huge heart and a stubborn head and his relationship with Miles feels real and tangible, the scenes with them are very emotionally charged and showcase the difficulties in raising a child who you begin to lose a connection with. 

The villains were pretty fantastic too, with a fantastic take on The Prowler from Mahershala Ali and Liev Schrieber’s brutal but ultimately sympathetic Kingpin. Doc Oc, Scorpion, and other tertiary antagonists were well designed, well acted, and fun to watch. 

The Stan Lee cameo made me tear up a little bit. And the end credits sequence is wonderful. The music was great, with a tense and powerful score and a catchy soundtrack. The film is funny and so sharply written, which isn’t surprising considering Phil Lord’s hand in the screenplay. 

I loved the world of the movie, how the universe was familiar but slightly different. The scenes in Times Square emphasized this so well with minor changes from our world like Chance the Rapper’s hat on a billboard having a number 4 instead of a number 3 on it. 

The animation style is the star of this film without a doubt, it’s so refreshing and cool. I’ve never seen a two dimensional style like what you’d see in a comic book realized so wonderfully in three dimensions. Every frame was gorgeous and full of color and style. I will be highly disappointed if it isn’t Best Animated Feature this year at the Oscar’s 

This movie is one of the best I’ve seen all year, and honestly one of the best superhero films I’ve ever see. Please go see it so we can get many more of these.

Thank you Stan Lee. Thank you Steve Ditko. Your work has made a huge impact and it’s inspired fans, filmmakers, actors, comic book artists, authors, and so many more.