Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Review #1172: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Cast: 
Shameik Moore (Miles Morales / Spider-Man), Jake Johnson (Peter B. Parker / Spider-Man), Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen Stacy / Spider-Gwen), Mahershala Ali (Aaron Davis / Prowler), Brian Tyree Henry (Jefferson Davis), Lily Tomlin (May Parker), Luna Lauren Velez (Rio Morales), Zoë Kravitz (Mary Jane Watson), John Mulaney (Peter Porker / Spider-Ham), Kimiko Glenn (Peni Parker), Nicolas Cage (Spider-Man Noir), Kathryn Hahn (Olivia Octavius / Doctor Octopus), Liev Schreiber (Wilson Fisk / Kingpin), and Chris Pine (Peter Parker / Spider-Man) Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey (#378 - Rise of the Guardians), and Rodney Rothman.

Review: 
February 25, 2019 update: Congratulations goes out to this film, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature last night, which is certainly well deserved. 

With the amount of superhero movies that have been released in this century (or more specifically, in the past decade), one would wonder how far these films can go before the feeling of burnout and over-saturation sits in, particularly with the structure and look of said films, particularly with this being the seventh theatrical film with Spider-Man in the main role. With that said, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a vibrant and entertaining movie that has plenty of style and exuberance to go around, being an amusing film with a story (done by Phil Lord while having a screenplay by him and Rothman) that holds itself together without tiring the eyes or senses throughout its 117 minute run-time. Moore proves charming and up to task for the role, sticking out well among the group of heroes, being relatable and easy to follow along with. Johnson takes his role and plays it with a good sense of humor and charm while being an interesting take on the hero while not having a too familiar feel for the mentor type that he plays. The rest of the heroes (Steinfeld, Mulaney, Glenn, and Cage) are also enjoyable, having just enough moments of charm and humor to go around that make the film feel fairly whole without feeling too closed in or distracted. The other members of the cast are also fine in giving the film some emotional depth, such as Ali or Henry, who help make sure the film doesn't get lost between juggling an origin story that resonates without an ounce of staleness. The villains in the film are fairly entertaining for their time on screen, with Hahn being amusing while Schreiber conveys some menace alongside recklessness. It cannot be understated how mesmerizing the animation is, as it has a look that tries to emulate a comic book that took at least a year to even get just a few seconds of good footage, with the amount of animators of over 140 being the most for a film by Sony Pictures Animation. It takes a bit of time for the eyes to get used to how active the film is, with plenty of color to go around, but it always seem to feel and look right. The music is also fairly interesting to listen to. The film is an entertaining adventure, balancing humor and action with enough sense to not indulge in one category too much while having some neat moments with its characters. The climax is executed fairly well, rewarding its audience while inviting the possibility for more films with its main hero that I would be just fine with, particularly with the possibilities that can happen with a superhero film such as this. On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie for its interesting animation, a finely built story alongside useful characters and plenty of entertainment value to go around that I recommend wholeheartedly. It definitely ranks as one of of my favorites film experiences for the year, and it sure is worth at least one watch.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.