SPIDERMAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
US, 2018, 117 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala, Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Linda Lauren Velez, Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn, Leiv Schreiber, Chris Pine.
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman.
There are all kinds of multi-verses in the Marvel Universe. But, audiences in 2018 were not quite expecting a Spider-verse. But, here it is – and quite some acclaim from the Spiderman fans.
This is an animated version from Sony Studios, bright and vivid colours, clearly delineated characters, and plenty of action sequences. There is a musical score, with songs that the various characters might have listened to. And there is an excellent voice cast, quite wide-ranging and some significant names (who would have suspected Lily Tomlin to be the new Aunt May!). Creator Stan Lee died at 95, just before the release of the film but, fortunately, his voice is there in an animated character who looks exactly like Stanley!
And plenty of repeats that with great power comes great responsibility!
Yes, Peter Parker is here (voiced by Jake Johnson) and quite some heroics, the admiration of the city, Spiderman costumes for sale. One is bought by a young student, African- American father, Hispanic- American mother. His name is Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore). He is not going to be the only Spiderman – but, audiences will like him and Peter Parker is perhaps in danger of moving to 2nd place!
Miles lives at home with his policeman father, Brian Tyree Henry, his nurse mother, Linda Lauren Velez, but his ambitious father has booked him into an uppercrust boarding school where he has to spend the week. He is very reluctant to go. And is embarrassed on the first morning at the gate when his father, sitting in the police car, calls out to him for his son to declare out loud “I Love you�. Difficulties in the school, and classes, though he meets a nice young woman, Gwanda. He also escapes to visit his Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali), the black sheep of the family. In an underpass, Miles is bitten by a spider and strange things begin to happen (illustrated by animated diagrams).
While there is a whole lot of action, there is a powerful scientist working on an accelerator which can move people into various universes. He is voiced by Leiv Schreiber, with his insistent associate voiced by Kathryn Hahn. However, the scientist is also the arch-villain, a bloated character with a small head, Kingpin.
There are various tangles with Peter Parker, a USB stick that Miles has to mind but which is broken, a visit with Peter Parker to his Aunt May (a very tough-vocal Lily Tomlin), the visit to a basement with the variety of Spiderman costumes.
But, the effect of the accelerator is to move Miles into different universes, discovering all kinds of Spidermen, an older Peter Parker (voiced by Chris Pine) older, disillusioned, separated from Mary Jane (Zoe Kravitz). There is also a pig, Peter Porker, a Japanese variation Peni Parker, a machine Spiderman and, a black silhouetted figure from the 1930s, trenchcoat and reading, voiced by Nicolas Cage.
Needless to say, plenty of action ensues, the confrontation with Kingpin, a revelation about Uncle Aaron, Miles’ father still annoyed with all the Spiderman interventions.
And one of those Marvel universe trailers at the end, portending Spider-verse extensions.
1. The popularity of this film? Acclaimed by fans? The popularity of Peter Parker? The new popularity of Miles Morales? The tradition of the movies? The statement about power and responsibility? The filmmakers relying on the responses from the fans?
2. The animation style, vivid and colourful? New York City, the buildings, homes, schools, laboratories? The spider-verse? Comparisons with the actual world, differences? The musical score – corresponding to the listening habits of the characters?
3. The voice cast, varied and talented?
4. The variety of characters in the spider-verse? Male and female, ethnic differences, Peter Parker younger and older, Peter Porker, Peni Parker? Spiderman Noir? The machine? The audience delight in the range of characters and their adventures?
5. Miles as the main Spiderman character? At home, his relationship with his father, the policeman, delivering him to school, wanting the declaration of love? Miles’ embarrassment? His love for his mother, Spanish-speaking? African- American and Hispanic- American? Going to boarding school, his not liking it, the reception, classes, teachers, students, the friendship with Gwanda? His going away, meeting his uncle Aaron, his reputation, clashes with Miles’s father? The underpass, the spider, being bitten, the consequences, his feet sticking, his return to find the spider, its effect?
6. Miles and his admiration for Spiderman? Spiderman and his exploits? Seeing him in action, the public admiring? Selling of the Spiderman suits? Miles buying one, putting it on, the comments?
7. The laboratory, Wilson Fisk, his assistant doctor, their work? The machine, accelerator? Peter Parker and his getting help? Giving Miles the USB stick? Miles, protecting it, its being damaged, his embarrassment? Later using it?
8. The villains, Wilson Fisk as Kingpin, the doctor? The mission? And using uncle Aaron as their weapon? His pursuit of the new Spiderman, discovering it was his nephew?
9. The interactions with Peter Parker, the Museum of the various Spiderman characters, discussions about wearing the cape not? Later, the cape issue?
10. The parallel universe, the role of the accelerator, Miles and the USB stick? The role of Kingpin? The range of the Spider characters – Peter Porker and the jokes about his being a pig, the machine Spiderman and activities, the discovery of the older Peter Parker, his sad story, his separation from Mary Jane? The Japanese Peni Parker? And the Spiderman from the 1930s, from the Nazi era, reading the books, black shadow dress?
11. Peter Parker, taking Miles to visit aunt May, her tough stances, the basement, the equipment?
12. The buildup to the confrontation with Kingpin, his enormous appearance, small head and face? His ability and villainy? Henchmen? His being defeated?
13. Miles as the new Spiderman – and the joke for further developments in the post-credit sequence?
