The newest addition to the long line of Spiderman movies that have been released over the years is an action-packed visual feast. Sony released “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, in theaters on December 14, 2018. It scored an impressive 97% on rotten tomatoes after hundreds of reviews.
The story of the film focuses on a Brooklyn teen name Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore). Viewers follow him through a journey of being bitten by the notorious radioactive spider, gaining spider powers of his own, and meeting multiple heroes through different dimensions. The film’s storyline is complicated and fast-paced, but at its core, it’s a tender coming-of-age story that is relevant and hard not to love.
The movie incorporates colorful comic-animation style setting it apart from any other animated film that has ever been released. It is full of bold graphics and bright colors, and overall has a very “trippy” look to it that gives it its appeal and freshness. The film’s VFX supervisor Danny Dimian and his team were successful in creating this entirely new brand of animation that has never been seen before, using the technological advances we have today to create a twist on the vintage comic-book aesthetic.
Dimian has worked on some other popular animated films such as “Hotel Transylvania”, and “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”, but obviously the animation in these films are very different from that of the “Spider-Verse”. The team strived to make the animation new and fresh without letting the craziness of it take away from the actual story of the film.
The movie required up to 140 animators, which is the largest crew that Sony Pictures has ever used, and plans for the film were officially announced in April of 2015. The different dimensional aspects of the storyline gave the creators even more freedom with the colors, textures, and effects they could use. This lends tremendously to the stunning visuals and makes it stand out against the usual Marvel superhero films. Another interesting aspect of this film is that the animation changes slightly with each spider-hero that is introduced. Each one has their own “aura” of sorts with the way they are rendered, so that each individual has a different texture and look that is all their own. These characters and their unique depictions reflect the many beloved twists on the Spiderman story that popular culture has invented over the decades.
The soundtrack of the film was also a huge part of its success, alongside the stunning animation. With appearances from big-name artists such as Post Malone, Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj, the soundtrack shines just as brightly as the film itself. The leading song “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee is heard throughout the film, and gave critics reason to love it even more. The film grossed over $307 million worldwide and was a spinning success.