So late to the cinema for 2018 I urge everyone to go out and see this one. This might just be my film of the year! A story introducing us to Miles Morales (played by Shameik Moore) who gains his powers and is soon introduced to other iterations of the amazing spider-man from different dimensions. Can Myles fill the shoes and become a hero? You’ll have to watch it to find out.
Visuals
A unique style that hasn’t been seen before (Sony are in the process of trying to copyright their visual technique). At first it’s a little jarring. The 60fps gamer in me struggled with the jerky frame skipping but it only takes a few minutes to adjust. It’s hard to describe but it’s 3D but hand drawn but jerky but also dripping with style and camera swoops. Yeah my description sucks…..you just have to see it for yourself. It is for me the most realistic depiction of a moving comic book. Filled with artistic flair, comic captions, movement lines and Ben-day dots you’ll be hard pushed to find anything more visually striking.
Style
This movie is brimming with confidence. It’s clear that the almost certainly huge team of animators are some of the most talented creators on the planet. The film drips with style and bravado and every scene is filled with vast amounts of detail. This film encourages multiple viewings with lots of Easter eggs and sight gags blistering by in the backgrounds.
Set Pieces & Pacing
One of the advantages of being an animated movie is that you can create anything on screen at a fraction of the cost of re-creating it for real. The action pieces on display here are phenomenal and fly along with breath taking pace. I don’t think this would be possible in real life. Also the pacing of this movie is absolutely perfect. Even the quiet moments will have you admiring the visuals and it never feels slow or stuck. The movie progresses perfectly and keeps you entertained throughout
Heart & Humor
This films biggest strengths are it’s emotional punches and it’s great sense of humor. It’s not afraid to poke fun at spider-man or it’s previous outings and actually turns the origin story into a joy to watch with a wink and a smile to how tired it can bee repeating stories. I love the gags and although spider-ham (played by John Mulaney) isn’t for everyone, I think it’s a credit to blend these art styles together in a cohesive way and don’t mind his appearance here at all. Also a quick mention to Nicolas Cage as Spider-man Noir, every line he speaks is gold and endlessly quotable.
The slogan ‘anyone can wear the mask’ speaks volumes to the diverse and complicated world we live in and makes Miles Morales a grounded hero we can all relate to. I loved watching his story arc and development and alongside a jaded Peter Parker (played by Jake Johnson), this movie offers the viewer some heavy emotional impact without bringing the whole movie down. It balances emotions, action, humor and character development to perfection.
Also a quick mention of Stan Lee’s cameo. This is the most poignant appearance of the late creator and will have even the most stoic viewer a little misty eyed when you hear his lines.
Conclusion
You may have guessed by now…..I loved this movie! It really is a movie for all the family as everyone will find it fun , engaging and memorable. This, in my opinion is the finest spider-man story we’ve seen on the big screen and arguably one of the best movies of this year (perhaps only beaten by Infinity War). I urge everyone to go see this for purely selfish reasons……I want them to make more!
What are your thoughts? Is this your first introduction to Miles Morales? Do you think Gwen should have her own movie? Is there something you didn’t like about the movie?
Let me know in the comments below
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