Film: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse
Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Liev Schreiber, Kimiko Glenn and Lily Tomlin
Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman
Review: Klep Napier
Rating: 4X's out of 5X's
Did you know that for a while now Marvel has always had more than one version of the hero you know as Spider-Man? Well today boys and girls, and on December 14th, you will learn his name. Miles Morales was introduced to fans in the comic Ultimate Fallout #4 which follows the death of Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. Miles, a half black and puerto rican 15 year old kid from Brooklyn, swings into his first big screen debut where he finds himself troubled with not quite understanding his position in his youthful life. After being transferred from city school to a private school by his parents, Miles feels like an outcast back home and amongst his new peers. His only connection in life is with his uncle Aaron. That of course all changes after a random bite on the hand by a radioactive spider changes the course of Mile's life forever!
I'm just going to stop right there because anything else would just spoil the ride. Spider-verse is the perfect introduction to a new kind of hero that kids today need. Seeing other ethnicities represented in this already diverse comicbook culture, but on a more commercial scale is a recipe for success. But let's talk about the film itself. From the minds that brought you "The Lego movie" and "Lego Batman." Enough Said right? The comedic timing is perfect in this film with with that children and parents can follow along to. Actor #ShameikMoore is a natural as the voice of Miles, while the chemistry between him and his co-stars from beyond the spider-verse do not go unnoticed. 'Atlanta' star #BrianTyreHenry is hilarious as Miles' dad. The two bounce well off one another shining light on that father son dynamic which is the heart of the film. What really shines is the art work tho, you literally feel like you're watching a live action comicbook so I wouldn't think twice about attending an IMAX 3D experience for this film. What works is the visuals and pace overall. Old and new fans will appreciate the efforts of Sony introducing this new fresh story about an older more established character! Sore spots about the film would more likely be towards fans of Miles who will notice a few changes in his origin story. But overall this film works and this film rocks! The perfect movie for the holidays with the family.