With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

The new Spider-Man is animated, and is really good.

One of my goals over winter break was to see the newest Spider-Man movie. I was successful, as on my last day of break, I went to see it, and boy, was it worth it.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse is not your conventional superhero movie, as it’s animated, and involves alternate universes. It is also not technically “canon” within the Marvel universe, which is a shame. The movie follows Miles Morales, a kid who admires Spider-Man, all while trying to survive his new, elite boarding school, and living up to the expectations of his parents. Miles also has a passion for graffiti, and is encouraged to pursue this by his Uncle Aaron. His Uncle takes him to a secret spot under the subway, where he can create a big mural of one of his pieces. While painting, he is bit by a radioactive spider. After this, his Uncle has to leave, and Miles stumbles across an underground laboratory belonging to none other than, Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin. This lab contains a particle accelerator that Fisk has built to access parallel universes so he can contact his dead wife and son. While Miles sees this, a fight has already broken out between Green Goblin, Prowler and Spider-Man. As Miles is watching this, he is flung into the fight, where he meets this world’s Spider-Man. Before Spider-Man tells Miles to hide, he gives him a USB drive, that can stop the particle accelerator. However, the fight does not go well for Spider-Man, and he ends up getting killed by Kingpin. Miles runs out of there, and back home. During this, the particle accelerator starts up, and starts messing up the real world. Miles starts noticing weird things about himself, for example, his hands start sticking to things, and he can’t make it stop. He needs to find someone to help him. That’s when weird things start happening…

The first weird encounter Miles has is with Peter B. Parker, a Spider-Man, and a Peter Parker, from a different universe. This Peter Parker has let himself go in his world. He and Mary Jane are divorced, and doesn’t really like being Spider-Man anymore. He meets Miles, and Miles thinks he’s the perfect teacher to teach him how to be Spider-Man. Peter does not like that idea, and doesn’t want anything to do with Miles. He later changes his mind, and has Miles tag along to Kingpins office headquarters. They sneak around, to grab the computer of the head scientist, and run into some trouble when she comes back. Miles discovers he can turn invisible, and is able to almost sneak away with the computer, to repair the USB drive he broke earlier. The scientist and Peter start to fight, and she reveals herself to be Doc Oc. After Miles and Peter escape the building, the fight is taken outside. Peter teaches Miles on how to use his web to swing on trees. When all looks lost, someone else appears out of the sky…

Spider Gwen slings in at the perfect time, to help Miles and Peter escape the fight. Spider Gwen is Gwen Stacy, from a different dimension. Gwen takes Miles and Peter to see Aunt May, the aunt of late Peter Parker, of Miles dimension. Aunt May gets emotional when she sees the other dimension Peter, and leads them to the backyard, where Spider-Man had a secret lair (almost like a Batcave). In the lair, there are computers, and many different kinds of suits. Not only that, but there are many different Spider-People from different dimensions. The biggest ones being Spider-Noir, Spider-Ham and Penny Parker and SP//dr, her robot sidekick. They team up together, to fight Kingpin, and end his plans once and for all. However, Miles is not sure of his abilities. Peter Parker then finds Miles in his room after he leaves. He confronts him, and strings web around him, to keep him in his room. Miles dad then comes, and apologizes thru the door, and also lets Miles know that something happened to his Uncle (I won’t spoil it here, as it’s a pretty big reveal). Miles then uses all his powers, and is able to break himself out of the web. He runs back to Aunt May’s place, and takes a Spider-Man suit from the hideout, but makes it his own. As he’s going to find the team, he further develops his powers, and is able to find out more about himself, and what his powers can do. He then finds the rest of the team at Kingpins lab, trying to stop the accelerator, and send everyone home. There’s a fight with Kingpins thugs, but everyone eventually is returned. Miles then returns to his “semi-normal” life, but he now knows he’s not alone in the world with these powers. Each of the team members go on with their lives as well, in their appropriate universes, and are always there is Miles needs them. The post credits scene reveals another Spider-Man within the Spider verse.

Normally, I’m not really into Spider-Man. There’s too many of them, and he’s one of my least favorite superheroes. However, after hearing about this movie, I just had to go see it, and I’m glad I did. The main Spider-Man in this movie isn’t a conventional white kid, but is instead, a black Latino kid. It’s refreshing seeing a new face on TV, instead of the same faces all the time. The movie also reassures people that “anyone can be Spider-Man”, which is true. Not only is the story good, but the animation is beautiful. It’s different from regular animation, and has a comic book feel to it. The colors, and everything about it flows beautifully together. The soundtrack also accompanies the movie well.

The movie makes you feel hopeful, all while delivering a powerful story, that many can relate to as well. The movie, while a different type of Spider-Man, keeps all those great elements that Spider-Man has always had, an awkward kid, a kid who is unsure of himself, him helping people, and eventually finding and believing in himself. Each character also has their own story, as show in the movie, and adds more depth to the movie. It gives more opportunities for people to relate to a story like this. It takes these elements, and adds more to it, to create a great Spider-Man, and a great movie, that anyone will enjoy. This is my favorite Spider-Man by far, and I can’t wait for the sequel!

If you haven’t checked out Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse yet, I highly recommend you do, especially before it leaves theaters! It will make you feel good inside!

And as Peter Parker says “all it is, is a leap of faith”.

(A super cool piece of fan art i found online of the gang!)

Rating: 9/10

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