
By Andrew Caldarera
In recent years, animation studios that were once known for groundbreaking stories and heartfelt messages have fallen short when releasing franchise sequels and spin-offs. For example, the Disney-Pixar movie “Finding Dory,” released in 2016, did not live up to the expectations set by its predecessor, “Finding Nemo.” It was slower, less emotionally resonant and featured new characters that weren’t as developed as similar characters in the first film. Another example is “Cars 3,” which rivals “Finding Dory” in being a lackluster sequel. The film essentially shelved the main character of the series, Lightning McQueen, to pursue a new character that was not present in the first two films in the “Cars” franchise. This decision wasn’t necessarily the downfall of the movie, but little character development paired with short appearances, if any, from beloved characters such as Chick Hicks and Tow Mater led to the derailment of the Cars franchise, and Lightning McQueen’s story as we know it.
There are plenty more recent animated movies that fall short of attaining the same emotional depth and captivating visual effects as the original in the franchise. There are also films that match or surpass their predecessors. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is one of these films.
“Into the Spider-Verse” includes action-packed sequences with incredible comic-book-style visuals, satisfying and believable character development, an outstanding original soundtrack/score and a substantive, well-paced plot with applicable underlying lessons.
The film was released on Dec. 18, 2018, following eight live-action “Spider-man” iterations. The film is co-directed by Peter Ramsey, who became the first African-American to direct a major animated film; Rodney Rothman, best known for his work on the “Jump Street” franchise; and Bob Persichetti, who is best known for his work with Dreamworks. Ramsey’s direction does not go unnoticed, as I can tell he wanted to bring his cultural influence to the film while also staying true to Spider-man as a hero. The film received a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature all while grossing $384.3 million worldwide on a $90 million budget.
The film follows protagonist Miles Morales as he navigates perilous situations such as costly fights with the film’s villains Kingpin and Doc Ock on his journey to becoming Spider-man. Over the course of the film, Miles meets different Spider-men from across the multiverse such as Peter B. Parker and Gwen Stacy, who are both proficient in being Spider-man, so they act as mentors to Miles. The film also focuses on Miles as a person, and many of the inner struggles one faces during one’s teenage years. Miles’s parents also play a major role in motivating and uplifting him during times of need.
“Into the Spider-Verse” succeeds on many fronts, one of which is plot. First, the film includes the multiverse, which can be a very complicated subject to those unfamiliar, and makes it make sense, while also using it to drive the story. For example, the fan-favorite antagonist Kingpin’s main motive in this movie is to resurrect his deceased wife and son using an unsafe technological weapon known as the supercollider. Although this could have simply been used as a Magnum Opus for Kingpin, the film uses it as the reason for other Spidermen appearing in Miles’s universe too, and a means for them to return home.
The film also successfully incorporates values such as family, sacrifice and legacy through each and every scene. Towards the climax of the film, Miles gets tied up by his fellow Spider-men because they believe he isn’t ready to hone his powers and use them efficiently. Miles’s father and Police Captain Jefferson Davis comes to his door and tells him exactly what he needs to hear. Throughout the film, there is a clear disconnect between what Jefferson wants for his son and Miles’s true calling as Spider-man. In this moment, Jefferson realizes what’s best for his son and tells him that he will love and support him no matter what. This is exactly what Miles needed to hear, as it leads to one of the best cultivations of character development that I have ever seen.
Character development is another major point of success for “Into the Spider-Verse.” Before I get to Miles’s development, I must touch on both Peter B. Parker and Gwen Stacy. Both of these characters are broken from their past, which seemingly did irreversible damage to their minds and souls. Peter lost his wife after disagreeing on having a child, which makes him both depressed and unmotivated, while Gwen lost her best friend after failing to save him in combat, which makes her scared to ever make friends again. After meeting Miles and sharing a journey with him, they both progress significantly in their own ways. Gwen learns how to trust and love again, and Peter witnesses firsthand what it’s like to be a father and teach someone.
Now to Miles’s development. Miles begins the film as an insecure teenager struggling to find his place in the world. After gaining his spider powers, he feels extremely overwhelmed with the pressure and responsibilities that are placed upon him. However, through leadership from the other Spider-men and the loss of people and relationships he loves, he learns that life isn’t about perfection but doing your best and trusting yourself. From this, Miles is able to overcome his fear and take the leap of faith, which is said by other Spider-men to be the only way to becoming Spider-man. This leads me to a scene that encapsulates both the best character development and beautiful visuals that Into the Spider-Verse has to offer.
The film uniquely combines 2D and 3D animation style to capture a comic-book feel. Using techniques that are used when drawing comic book such as bold outlines, halftone dots and visual sound effects that are integrated on-screen, the film never has a dull moment, as the screen is almost always filled to the brim with vibrant color and fluid movement that reflects the unique vibe of each scene.
The “leap of faith” scene before the climactic final battle is quite possibly the most emotionally triumphant and visually stunning scene I have ever seen. Miles, now wearing his own custom suit to signify that he has finally found himself, jumps head-first from the side of a bright blue, glass- covered New York City skyscraper, bringing glass with him as he jumps. As he’s falling, the camera flips upside down to reveal Miles not falling, but rising through the frame. Moments before Miles hits the ground, he catches himself by slinging webs through the city on the way to help his new friends. This scene pairs the best music, visuals and power that the film has to offer, and we know from the script that authorial intent was for Miles to be rising through the frame, not falling, which I believe speaks to the overall effort and meaning the directors intentionally placed through the movie.
After many lackluster, cash-grab sequels and underwhelming animated movies from companies like Disney-Pixar, “Into the Spider-Verse” is a breath of fresh air that combines amazing storytelling and character development with action-packed scenes that are easy on the eyes to create one of if not the greatest animated movie of all time that paved the way for modern animation.