Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
ms. rei ayanami

Review by ms. rei ayanami Patron

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

2018
★★★

Watched 24 Dec 2020

"I get it. It ain't makin' me laugh, but I get it." - Meatwad, Aqua Teen Hunger Force

As gorgeously animated as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is, replicating the look of a comic book in a way few films have managed, I can't say that I concur with the immense adoration it has received. The movie is chockful of humor that simply falls flat for me. I must be completing my final transformation into an old fart, because the major Gen Z vibe permeating from the film is slightly off-putting. It's not that it is ever obnoxiously unfunny, I just wasn't laughing when I was clearly meant to be doing so. The meta conceit around which the entirety of Spider-Verse is based wears out its welcome, primarily because there are too many characters, resulting in an unfocused jumble where not even protagonist Miles Morales feels fully developed. Even the most compelling character, an alternate universe Gwen Stacy who has transformed into Spider-Gwen, is still narratively underbaked. As a result, the emotional beats do not land in a satisfying manner.

Spider-Verse is among the most diverse films in the genre thus far, and I would certainly never say that those who feel represented by it are wrong for loving it so much. On the contrary, it deserves extra credit for treating its characters who aren't white males in a very matter-of-fact way, refusing to pat itself on the back for doing what more superhero movies should be doing in terms of casting. The various spider-people are all likable, there just isn't enough weight to them because we do not get enough time to know them, except for perhaps the Jake Johnson-voiced sad sack Peter B. Parker. Despite being overlong at nearly two-hours, there still isn't enough time devoted to most of the characters. While I do not find the film to be a particular success overall due to the aforementioned flaws, it is nevertheless an easy watch due to the stunning visuals and its clear respect for the material. Next time, however, I would personally just like to see the creatives involved focus their efforts towards a Spider-Gwen solo flick in the same art style.

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