"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is an animated thrill ride that focuses on a franchise that had become stale with its last few incarnations. It's funny that Sony has been able to put out two films, in the same year, that focus on the Spider-Man "universe" that are so far on opposite ends of the quality spectrum.
The importance of Miles Morales being the lead "Spiderman" in the film cannot be understated. Black leads are rarely found in superhero movies, even animated ones, and it's important that representation is included more in the genre. Marvel's "Black Panther" brought African American representation in superhero films to light in early 2018, and it's exciting to see the trend continue.
With a name like "Spider-Verse" - an obvious allusion to the word "multi-verse" - it can be assumed that there are multiple incarnations of the titular character involved. The film combines the stories of several different heroes from different multi-verse versions of New York City in a way that is not overbearing. With superhero movies where many characters are involved, it can be easy for some to be left undeveloped, but this one is able to combine all of the individual storylines in a way that lets you care about all of them without their stories overpowering each other.
It's made in an animation style that is one of a kind. Most of the scenes feature several comic book style speech bubbles or context blocks, and because of this, there is a lot that goes on the screen at once. The clutter on the screen is something that may be unappealing to some, but I thought it added context when referring to earlier plot points and in reminding the viewer where the source material came from.
Although it's an animated movie, marketed mostly to children, it's a refreshing reboot for a character that is loved by many and will appeal to all ages.
