Spider-Man has always and will forever be my favorite superhero, so there is no use pretending like I — along with every other Spider-Man fan — hadn’t been anxiously awaiting the day that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was to open in theatres on December 14th. I can attest that the wait was well worth it. This film shined for a multitude of reasons, and here is why you need to go see it:
The Soundtrack
We can’t deny that the soundtrack has bop after bop. Artists such as Post Malone, Jaden Smith, XXXTentacion, DJ Khaled and Nicki Minaj are featured, along with many others, contributing to a banging soundtrack for all 13 songs.
The Actors
Talk about a film with a star-studded cast! Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse features Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker, Chris Pine as Peter Parker, John Mulaney as Spider-Ham, Lily Tomlin as Aunt May and Zoë Kravitz as Mary Jane Watson along with a handful of other talented actors.
The Animation
This film’s animation is unlike anything I have ever witnessed before on the big screen. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s New York City is embodied through vibrant colors, and every character feels like they were pulled straight out of a comic book, paying a nice homage to Spider-Man’s Marvel origin. The film is complete with thought bubbles and paneling, just like you would find in an actual comic book.
The Easter Eggs
If Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse wasn’t your first Spider-Man movie, then you probably still picked up on a few Easter eggs from previous films. My all-time favorite Easter egg was at the beginning of the film when the original Peter Parker (Chris Pine) was reciting his backstory and reenacts a scene from Spider-Man 3 when ‘dark’ Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) dances down the streets of New York City, showing off newly acquired confidence.
*For reference to the scenes mentioned above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVmXsBNfwHY, skip to 1:49 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ial4wrysG6M, skip to 0:21.
I can’t wait to go to the theatres and see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a second time. Every amazing movie deserves a second viewing, and I am thrilled to watch it again. If you’re a student here at UW there will be a free screening at Union South in the Marquee theater in the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye on the WUD film schedule! If you are curious and want to check it out, click on the movie trailer here.