There were so many reasons to keep expectations low for this film. With so many versions of Spider-Man in modern media, from the animated series to the Sam Rainey trilogy, the Amazing Spider-Man duology (what else would you call the failed trilogy?) and the MCU additions. Sony has had a pretty mix bag of Spider-Man releases. Some great, some good, some horrible. While Venom was in general enjoyed by the audience, from a film critic's standpoint, the movie left a lot to be desired; and that was Sony's latest attempt with the Spider-Man universe. Combine that with a rather glitchy looking first trailer, there were many reasons that one would not want to get their hopes up.
But without hopefully hyping it up too much, this is potentially the best Spider-Man movie released to date. With the focus on Miles Morales rather than Peter Parker, we are given a new story that we haven't heard a million times before and serves as a great introduction to Morales character for those that were unaware of his place in the Spider-Man universe.
Morales is a Black/Latino character who is introduced simply as a person in the universe. There are no ulterior motives, no "pushing the SJW movement" kind of thing. It is simply a well-written character who is relatable with (mostly) relatable problems, who just happens to not be white. There is no subjugation or vindication because of his ethnicity, he receives more flak for having to say "I love you" to his dad in front of other kids at his school. Morales receives his spider powers but isn't instantly a pro; the majority of the movie is him actually trying to get a grip on his powers and learning the ropes, much like we would expect a real person to do.
Now the Spider-verse brings the multiverse theory to light. Parallel universes that have their own alternate versions of Spider-Man; Spider-Noir, Spider-Woman, Spider-Pig, etc. and all of these characters have their origin stories shown in the film. With so many characters and so many origin stories, you would think this would get cumbersome, but it portrays it in a fun way that either avoids repeating itself or makes a point of repeating itself in a comedic fashion.
That style of repetition and referencing itself is one of the aspects that makes the movie so well done. They have looked at the audience's responses to previous iterations of Spider-Man, as well as Spider-Man memes and used it in a self-referential way that pokes fun at itself, much like what was done in The Lego Batman Movie. The movie is full of little easter eggs and nods to the fans that if you're in the know, you'll love it. But if you're not in the know, it will still be a fun set-piece to watch. It is that well written. The characters are diverse and work really well together in this move about multiverse story that should be confusing, but is really well thought out.
As far as the visual style, it is really one of the reasons it works so well. The use of Ben-Day Dots or pointillism (how the comic books were printed in the 1950s and 60s, was a brilliant effect that really gave the movie a comic book feel. Combined with actual yellow boxes to show thoughts, exaggerated noises being displayed in text onscreen, and what felt like a slow frame-rate all culminated in a movie that felt like you were reading a comic book, and filling in the gaps with your imagination. It eventually all felt very organic. Certainly, I will admit it took a little while to get used to the visual look, but once you acclimate to it, the movie runs seamlessly. There were even some parts that were layered so effectively that it felt like you were watching a 3D movie, even though my screening was only 2D.
The voice actors were all top-notch. Each different Spider-Man character had their own different voice actor. Jake Johnson, Chris Pine, Nicholas Cage, Hailee Steinfeld (who also stars in Bumblebee), Kathryn Hahn, and Oscar Isaac among others all did well to give a performance that fitted well with the personality of each character, and the dubbing was superb (not that it is too hard to mess up when they are wearing their masks).
My only real issue with the film came from the lack of depth to Kingpin's character. His entire motivation is summed up in a scene about 10 seconds in length. Granted, if you have been watching Netflix's Daredevil series, you will know more about the characters involved in Kingpin's motivation, and therefore have a greater appreciation for it, but to the casual viewer, this background and development is the only part of the film that is not properly expanded upon.
Well paced and energetic, with fresh perspectives on established characters, and a number of new characters that could get their own spin-offs, this film does brilliantly fitting everything into one film. It feels like for once, Sony has put its focus on making a strong film, instead of making sure that each movie sets up another. There is a Stan Lee cameo, and there is also an amazing end-credits scene that had the audience in stitches.
I am incredibly happy to see a high-quality Marvel animated movie getting a theatrical release. I hope this movie succeeds well (which it has no reason not to) so that we get more of them. Go see it. Now.