REVIEW BY JOHN CARTER JR
Spiderman Into The Spider-Verse was one of the greatest films of 2018 and furthermore reestablished the standard for quality animation in the modern era. Winning a Golden Globe and having an Oscar Nomination does not nearly represent the level of delicious value this film has. From the vibrant colors to the musical score that sets the air of the environment makes this film the animated work of the year. Yes, that is even over the excellent Wes Anderson film Isle of Dogs.
For starters, the character design was at the height of relatability and intrigue. Miles Morales voiced by Shameik Moore, is an awkward young teen who loves his uncle and has a typical relationship with his father. He gets bit by a spider and you know the rest of the story. From the beginning of the film we recognize his ability to interact with friends, but like many youths stumbles when it comes to potential romantic interests and (while talented) remains put off by the school. This changes upon meeting “Gwanda” who we would eventually find out is Spider-Gwen.
Gwen, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, at first is apprehensive to interacting with Miles but after learning his identity she is willing to work with him. Gwen’s design seems to be based on the typical atypical high school girl trope. She like Miles allow this air of youth and uniqueness to shine through the film, yet they happen to be the least out there in terms of characters. From a badass Aunt May to a woman version of Doc Ock this film pushes yet has cohesive character design, Not to mention all the different Spider People variants:
Music in this film adds to the overall aesthetic of the world and the characters who live in it (or worlds in this case). The film’s composer is Daniel Pemberton and this choice would not disappoint. Pemberton has worked on popular pieces like Black Mirror, Oceans 8, and Steve Jobs. Miles half singing Post Malone and Swae Lee’s Sunflower is adorable and relatable, I don’t know how many times I would start listening to a song and sing in between the lyrics I knew and the ones that I didn’t. The Soundtrack was released by Republic Records on December 14th 2018. Other Artists featured on the soundtrack include Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, XXXTentacion, and others. This perfect amalgamation of an excellent score and character design don’t even compare to the art style of this masterwork.
Based on various comic art styles, Into the Spider-Verse’s aesthetic is truly unique and is a spectacle to watch. The color scheme is bright, powerful, and through the use of vibrant green, red, and purple colors the film pops off the screen. That along with the incorporation of big graphic font to deliver that classic comic book Onomatopoeias along with the graffiti font style sets the tone and theme of the film.
Spiderman Into the Spider-Verse is one of the last great films of 2018, It truly does redefine animation. Character design, music, and world building are all areas in which this film excels. I don’t know whether or not I can say I want a sequel given the bar this film raised. Although if the post credits scene is any indication we might see another Spider-Verse film with Spider-Man Miguel O’Hara.
I give the film 10/10 radioactive spiders for impressive art, fitting music, and (simply put) sick character design.