Niko Ramses’s review published on Letterboxd:
When I first reviewed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse back in November of 2020, I made the claim that there would be no possibility of Spider-Man: No Way Home managing to top the effective and concise storytelling on display in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and nearly three years later, it’s safe to say that I was right.
Using the simple framing device that is the “let’s do this one more time” gag, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse explains the weirdness of the multiverse in a way that is articulated concisely for general audiences who may lack the fundamental knowledge of what the Spider-Verse is. Because of this, the multiverse presented to audiences in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse feels endlessly vast (with its stunning and industry altering animation) yet expertly narrowed to fit the scope of this narrative. It is restrained to satisfy the story, not the needs of a studio interested in capitalizing off of the concept of the multiverse. It's crazy to see that this film was the catalyst for the cameo craze of current superhero blockbusters that seek to capitalize off the success of the multiverse premise that this movie opened the doors to.
Above all else, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is carried by its themes. The film posits the idea that while any individual can put on the mask to become Spider-Man, it takes a truly altruistic and morally just individual to excel in the role. It not only champions the belief that anyone can be a hero regardless of their race, gender, creed, etc., but most importantly, that despite these transcendental powers, we are all fallible individuals in the end. Yet the defining separation between heroes and villains is the strife to do right by others so that they do not have to succumb to the same adversity that the heroes once did. One might argue that great power begets great responsibility if they feel so inclined.
The film only stumbles to articulate this once throughout its runtime and this occurs in the Kingpin's backstory. In the film, he loses Vanessa and his son when they flee their home after seeing Fisk fighting Spider-Man, which causes them to die in a car accident. While this forms the crux of Fisk's multiversal escapades, the film's themes would be better suited to have the pair accidentally killed in the apartment where the fight took place, thus adequately shifting the blame to Spider-Man as opposed to random circumstances (in turn better justifying Fisk’s resentment of Spider-Man in the film). Doing so would set-up the idea that all Spider-People are not only defined by tragedy but that they often birth their nemeses as a result of their own actions. However, unlike their villainous counterparts, their ability to rise above this tragedy and take accountability for their actions are what allows them to be truly heroic. For a film which outwardly adores its source material, it’s funny that one contrived scene manages to undermine the defining qualities of the titular character of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
