We Are Movie Geeks All things movies… as noted by geeks.

With just 16 days left in 2018, many filmgoers (let’s not call them “haters”, but rather “grumblers”) might think they’ve seen the last of the Marvel movie heroes for this year, especially since Warner Brothers and the “Distinguished Competition” (a phrase coined by the much-missed Stan Lee, which replaced the deriding “Brand Echh”) are clearing the multiplex waters for AQUAMAN. Mind you, this has been a stellar year for Marvel Studios which had three films in the box office top ten, with BLACK PANTHER and the latest Avengers at the top two spots, but now it looks that there’ll be one more hit by the drop of the Times Square glitter-ball. But technically it’s not from that studio. Sony has had a lock on the Marvel mascot, Spider-Man, for all of the new century, but after the disastrous reboot flicks in 2012 and 2014, they wisely joined forces with Marvel Studios for last year’s smash SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (which allowed him to mix it up alongside their franchise stars, with Iron Man as a mentor). Now Sony said they’d continue making their own spin-offs with secondary characters and villains. They had a good-sized success with a solo VENOM flick a couple of months ago (#10 in this year’s B.O. stats). Now comes another one, swinging out from Sony…Animation! Yes, the folks behind last year’s Razzie fave, THE EMOJI MOVIE. Will the webbed wonder escape that fate? The answer lies with SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE.

The story doesn’t start with a guy named Pete, which most would assume. No, this story is set in a world a lot like ours (the police cruisers are marked “P.D.N.Y.”, so that’s a hint), where we encounter a very smart (street and book) pre-teen guy named Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore). He’s a bit anxious on this day because his policeman pop Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry) and nurse mom Rio (Luna Lauren Velez) are sending him off to a prestigious private school (all on a scholarship) where he’ll stay in a dorm room during the week. And maybe the recent tremors are making Miles jumpy. Either way, he has a tough time on his first day. So tough in fact, that he sneaks out of his dorm that evening to visit his favorite uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali). He decides to take his nephew to a secluded spot just off the subway line, where they can indulge their passion for “street art”. But they’re joined by a most unwelcome guest: a genetically engineered spider. Which, you guessed it, bites young Miles. When he wakes up the next morning he notices that he’s undergone some “changes”, and not the “voice deepening” kind. That night Miles revisits the “secret spot” to locate that spider. Unfortunately, a wall collapses and he finds himself a very scared witness to a pitched battle between the city’s “friendly neighborhood” Spider-Man and some super-powered goons employed by the Kingpin AKA Wilson Fisk (Liev Schreiber). Before the fighting ends tragically, Spider gives Miles a tiny flash drive (later called a “goober”) to shut down Fisk’s big machine (which is causing the tremors and brief blackouts). Luckily Miles escapes before one of those goons, the high tech killer known as The Prowler, captures him. The next day, Miles is stunned to encounter his hero once more. But he’s different, older, a bit flabby, and going by Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson). He explains to Miles that Fisk has built a giant super magnet that opens a portal that brings back objects (including people) from alternate Earths. And unfortunately, Pete’s losing his molecular stability and will cease to exist unless he can get back to the device. The old pro super-hero teams up with the novice as they eventually encounter more “travelers’, other beings with similar powers. There’s Gwen Stacey AKA Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), hard-boiled 30’s P.I., Spider-Noir (Nicolas Cage), teenager Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), who works with a massive spider-controlled robot, and anthropomorphic hero, Peter Porker, the Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). Can Miles refine his abilities, send his new friends home, and stop the Kingpin’s destructive weapon before it erases the heroes of the spider-verse?

A most impressive roster of actors make these animated characters…well, even more animated. Moore makes Morales a most endearing young hero, full of enthusiasm while constantly fretting over his “cool factor’ amongst his new classmates. Of course, all his concerns feel multiplied after receiving a dose of super-spider powers. Moore conveys his fears and heartbreak while balancing it with Miles’s compassion. He cares about everyone: his family, his old and new friends, and especially the scruffy wiseguy who becomes his reluctant mentor. As the Spidey we’ve followed through several decades (and eight live-action features) Johnson is the ultimate everyman hero, greyed, paunchy, but always ready with a plan in a pinch. But Johnson also gives us a guy that’s been kicked around by life, who wonders if all this dimension skipping is worth it. Fortunately, he still has that snarky sense of humor, and Johnson delivers the taunts with skill and precision. As for the “spider squad”, Steinfeld is confident but a bit closed off, cautious about getting to close anyone, especially Miles. Cage voices a great homage to film noir tough guys, tossing out hilarious forgotten 30’s slang, while Mulaney makes the Spider-Ham a lovable loopy cartoon cut-up. Prior to the bug bite, Miles has two strong male role models. Henry is great as his gruff, loving but stern policeman papa, while Ali is ultra smooth and slick as the super cool uncle. As for those bad guys, Schrieber makes Fisk a most formidable foe. But it’s a different take than we saw from Michael Clark Duncan in the 2003 DAREDEVIL film or Vincent D’Onofrio in the current Netflix DD series. He’s not the oversized, but cultured mastermind. Despite his suit and tie, this Kingpin is a powerhouse palooka, still fresh from the mean streets, who Schrieber makes even more fearsome with his guttural growls (“Kill dat’ guy!!”). Kudos also to comic actresses Kathryn Hahn for a fresh take on a well-established Spidey villain, and Lily Tomlin who offers a tough, smart take on Aunt May.

It’s no wonder that it took three tremendously talented artists to direct this work that could definitely be referred to as a game changer, much like the first TOY STORY, in future annals of animation history. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman unite to breathe fresh new life into the super-hero genre, so much a part of the new century, while showing us that animation need not be a “cinema sitter”, that it can work for action stories as well as it has for funny animal fables. And all while affectionately acknowledging their source material, making the finished film seem like a graphic novel (okay, “comic book”) come to vibrant, noisy life. We hear Miles’s thoughts via voice-overs, while also seeing the boxed captions pop up all about him. Sound effects appear (not as garish as the classic 60’s Batman TV show though), as the force of impact ( a punch or a kick) splinter and shatter the screen in electric hues. The colors overlap and mesh much like the old four-color printing of the books. The tones almost glow and pop, reflecting hip-hop inspired ‘street art’. Then there are the eclectic character designs, mixing the molded-shading of CGI figures coupled with dark, delineating outlines, sharpening the edges much as a comic inker would enhance and accentuate a jawline or the curve of a nose. Particularly impressive is the look of the Kingpin who appears to be two tons of dark granite on two legs, his angry bald head is almost floating in a sea of black. Of course, that heft doesn’t get in the way of his deadly speed with those massive meaty fists crushing anything in their path. Yes, the flick is dazzling, but it’s also really clever and funny thanks to the script from Phil Lord meshing the creations of many wonderful comics artists. The dialogue deftly deflates countless action movie cliches without careening into derisive “camp” cavorting. Somehow it’s equal parts sweet and silly while making us care about this swooping, web-slinging “spandex squad”. Things sometimes get a bit “grim and gritty”, but Lord doesn’t neglect the fun aspect of bouncing and twirling high above the streets. Actually fun is the main word to describe the wondrous entertainment machine that is SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. It’s the best holiday gift you could give the kid inside you.

5 Out of 5