Smashology’s review published on Letterboxd:
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING SPIDER-MAN
I'm amazed at how quickly this movie has become overrated, result of only coming out at the most convenient moment (or appropriate, depending on how you want to see it). But before revealing its defects, it's necessary to list its virtues. Sony understands that superheroes work better as a cartoon, allowing for its format an approach and structuring more in line with the characters' capacities and worlds. We must also take into account the way in which it uses the frame rate as a narrative tool and an animation style that tries to blend street art with that of comics.
The characters are varied and charismatic in their own way, with Miles, Peter B. Parker and Gwen Stacy appealing to every audience, both those asking for something new and fresh and the traditionalists who refuse to let Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield go. The interaction between so many versions of the same character is fluid and agile, to the point of encompassing everything that characterizes the arachnid as the main idea of the story, recalling at times the charisma of the great 90's series and all helping Miles in his growth as a person and as a hero. The use of alternate universes as a plot device humiliates the Avengers and their pathetic game of dimensional planes, and alongside the post-credits scene, makes the viewer want more.
All that said, it's time to list its flaws: comedy is very hit-or-miss (the self-tease is cool and funny, but the rest of the jokes feel simple or under-worked), it has a lot of fanservice (especially with Spider-Noir, Peni Parker and Spider-Ham, who contribute to the main idea of the story, but their lack of participation is notable), the climax is repetitive because of how endemic it is to these films (crowding the screen with action, movement and visual effects does not make a climax exciting) and the story, no matter how well done it is, doesn't add something not seen before in this class of stories (there's an episode of Ben 10 that's literally this movie: same plot, same characters, same dialogues, same conflict with the same machine that merges dimensions, same climax packed with action). Finally, do you think it would've received every nomination and award if it weren't for the fact that it came out a month after Stan Lee died?
Although all the reasons for being overrated are mostly due to the over-exploitation of the character (with 3 versions of Spider-man in less than 15 years, the character really needs a well-deserved break), it's still entertaining and possesses a great heart on the part of its directors and screenwriters. While we'll debate whether this is an apology from Sony for making The Emoji Movie (meaning a rebirth for the company) or a mere lucky shot (considering the mediocrity of their animated productions), I hope the companies realize that here's the secret for all their live-action cartoons to become justifiable and entirely enjoyable, without pretension or the foolishness of wanting to be taken seriously.
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