Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Picture: Sony Entertainment
Searching for new ideas on old themes has always been part of the Hollywood movie machine, and it takes courageous people to mess with a proven formula and create surprises.
This is exactly what Sony Picture Animation has done.
Using a trio of directors – Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an often bizarre, but hilarious, reworking of the Spider-Man universe. It’s a visual and aural extravaganza.
The hectic production carves new ground not only in storytelling, but in the world of animation. It expounds everything one should want from superhero movies and animated films.
Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Picture: Sony Entertainment
Miles Morales is the “new” Spider-Man to enter this universe. His character was created by writer Brian Bendis in 2011, to take over the mantle of Spider-Man after Peter Parker died.
The filmmakers balance the Morales origin story with a clever rip-in-the-space/time continuum plot, which brings other comic book Spider-people into the action. An aged pot-bellied Parker is a cynical mentor.
The production offers loads of emotional moments and strong personal interactions, sometimes placed in the middle of the numerous action scenes.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Cast: Voices of Shameik Moore, Mahershala Ali, Hailee Steinfeld and Lily Tomlin.
Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman
Classification: PG
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