Did not see many new movies in 2018 for all the same reasons that “going out” seems to be, for mid 30 something olds, an impossible dream. A resolution for 2019 is trying to actually consume more media as I often just pass out on the couch scrolling through Twitter.
I did see Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse and what a film! By the time you read this I would have seen it 3 times in the theater. The last time i saw a movie multiple times in the theater was the first Michael Bay Transformers (more because by coincidence friends wanted to see it and it was not that bad) and before that The Phantom Menace because I loved Star Wars and thought, “Here we go 1999! This is my Star Wars on the big screen!” I think every watching was trying to trick myself into that it
was good.
But not Spider-Verse.
It's amazing. An honest joy to watch and hear. It is hackneyed to say super hero movies are hackneyed but I would counter these movies (Infinity War, Aquaman, etc) are action adventure movies. There are heroes but I dont get a ton of whiz-bang or hope. I don't want to jump in and help Thor and Groot and Rocket Racoon fight when they blast into Wakanda. It's cool! It kicks ass. I like it, I do! The elevator scene in Captain America: Winter Soldier is porn to me.
But saving people and wanting to lose 20 lbs and squeeze into tights? Wanting to flex in that bathroom mirror and be “Hey,maybe?” Those don't do it. Spiderverse did. If you have not seen it (AND YOU SHOULD!) then maybe you saw Wonder Woman and remember when she gets out of the trench and is taking all that fire and she is “Fuck, lets go!” Yeah, felt like that. Real swashbuckling, cape and cowl stuff.
I will avoid major spoilers but some may come up so be warned!
I likes how we went back to an actual teenage Spiderman with Miles Morales. He has been in comics for nearly a decade but I will admit to not reading his books. I actually have not read many Spiderman books. My main intro was the 90s Saturday morning cartoon on Fox Kids which was pretty cool with it's serialized format and very wonky early cgi. Add to this we also get an older (I would guess he is mid to late 30s since in thr film Peter B Parker says he has done it for 22 years) Peter Parker who is a bit more war weary yet no less wise cracking or capable. I felt Peter B Parker but the response to Miles is exhilarating. An Afro Latino Spiderman? Very nice for a modern take and why he came into the fold and was popular for all those years in the comics. Representation matters even if for me it means i see myself more as Peter B Parker than Miles. But the kids where I work? Oh, it's amazing they will have someone that looks like them. And Miles’ bag has a tiny PR flag sticker on it. And while I am mostly immune to much of the hollow PR nationalism that follows any, however small, outside recognition, I am still human and thought it a nice touch.
And the movie has a theme of anyone can be a hero. "The costume always fits...eventually," says an animated Stan Lee in what is likely one of his final cameos. This feels very refreshing and affirmative especially in light of how angry some Internet folks become when anything changes. They will call us social justice warriors (As if this is an insult. You guys can't call us something like pussies or wusses?) but its a story about how anyone can step up and learn. Which makes sense for a comic book property considering there are hundreds of comic variants and alternative story lines for even minor characters.
The movies feels like a comic book. In the visual touches (And this is something that you have never seen until you seen it. The look is static yet in motion. Rotoscope and Ben Day dots and computers and asides make this wonderful amalgam of a picture. Its a big over the top tiki drink of a movie with tons of little touches of the rarest ingredients that all work. This movie, if you look at it on paper, should have failed.
Animated Spiderman? Um...Ok. Didn't we just have the 3rd reboot a year ago. And animated...that's for kids
A new Spiderman? Who is a minority? Um...look those alt right guys buried James Gunn and we have rent we need to pay.
Sony Pictures Animation? These guys made Storks and The Emoji Movie.
Experimental animation that the studio actually patented the process? Um...can we make another Shrek. People love that Smash Mouth song!
We are going to try humor and heart but action and asides and then an ensemble cast. Um...there is a formula and it works. Look...we made money on Emoji.
But it does. It does in a high flying stupendous and fun style. It feels very familiar but is quite bold what with new characters, the death of favorite ones, and re-interpretation of villains. The intro of the new Doctor Octopus is quite jarringly pleasant. But it also plays with those tropes. Everyone's uncle seems to be dead! The Spider-Verse is a hard place to be an uncle. These seem to be the only throw away characters as even the villiams get a bit of a moment where we sympathize with them. The movie is pure fun and I think we forget movies are supposed to be that. Miles is having fun being Spiderman and wouldn't we?
Here are some quick things that tickled me:
I love Miles and Gwen's platonic relationship. I saw on Twitter a fair piece of steal your girl jokes and...well...read a comic book (or glance Wikipedia) guys
I love Nicholas Cage (!!!) as Spider-Noir. "Sometimes I burn matches down to their ends and my fingertips so I can feel something." YES! YES!
I love the look of King Pin and how, literally, massive he is. Liev Schreiber gives the right mix of terror and schmaltzy villain. Its a big step from Storm King in the MLP movie where it was all just shcmatlz.
The sound track! Its a mix tape made for dancing and maybe taking the next curb just a little closer. Yes, you need to take some salt with it. There is a line where the guy goes "I go hard like the shell of a lobster" and...OK. But its all lovely hip hop
The Miles "rise" scene. It is every day dream I have ever had. There is an earlier post where I scribble a similar scene with my own hero and wow...I can't think of anything but that scene and that song. This below has been on repeat on my phone since December 14, 2018:
There is a line in the final battle where Miles shows up and surprises all the Spider folks to start kicking ass. After a movie long development of apprehension from Miles. After being told he can't do the final mission. He rises and swings in and Peter B Parker says "I love you. I am so proud of you." God, damn that slayed me. When is the last time you heard that in some non-hackneyed fashion. Because you would think its a kid doing well at the damn science fair or some throw away character clutching pearls before the hero leaves. And here it feels so organic and earned. It then is followed up where Gwen and Miles team up to beat Doc Ock and Peter B Parker responds "That was adorable, team!" How many super hero films are one person going it alone? How many messiahs do we need? These are not bad tropes but they are a bit too stepped so this sweet and still punchy teamup is just wonderful. Its Ok for new heroes to come and embrace the past without being crippled by it.
The movie just makes me happy and I am not a happy go lucky guy. It really is the best thing I have seen in the last 10 years of my life.
As of this writing, It has made just a bit over 100 million US and 100 million international (with coming openings in Japan and Latin America) so while it won't make crazy blockbuster money (albeit it should) it should make enough money to allow the studio to green light a sequel. And I hope against hope they can recreate this.
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