stan lee – Geek to the Future

Directors: Peter Ramsey, Robert Persichetti Jr., Rodney Rothman

Voice Actors: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfield, Liev Schreiber, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Nicholas Cage, Lily Tomlin, Kimiko Glenn

Runtime: 2hrs Rated: PG

Watch the trailer here

Due to the sheer number of movies, video games, and cartoons that have been released, Spider-Man is one of the most well known superheroes in pop culture history. Considering the huge success of the recent Tom Holland version of the character along with the excellent PS4 game, there wasn’t really a reason to expect an additional take on the character to come out any time soon.

Then, out of seemingly nowhere came Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse. My interest in this film started out moderate as I thought the trailer was pretty good and hoped it would be half way decent considering Sony’s hit or miss history with Spidey. By the time the movie released my excitement was building as I had seen all of the overwhelmingly positive early buzz. Even then I still had no idea how much fun this movie would actually be. Not only is this hands down the best animated movie of the year, but it’s also fair to throw it into the running as one of the best superhero films of the year, period. I would even go as far as to say that this is one of my favorite Spider-Man movies ever.

This movie is a blast for all ages.

Don’t let this being an animated film fool you into thinking Spider-Verse is targeted solely at kids; there is more than enough packed into the film to keep everyone thoroughly entertained. Even if you normally shy away from animated films, do yourself a favor and give this one a try while it’s still in theaters as the big screen is undoubtedly the movie’s intended format. (If you have kids just use them as an excuse to see it…I won’t tell).

Spider-Verse tells the story of Miles Morales, a fan favorite from the comics, who takes over the mantle of Spider-Man in an alternate timeline of the Marvel universe most people will be familiar with. In this version, things get out of control when an elaborate device used by the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk backfires and brings different versions of Spider-Man from other alternate universes to Miles’ timeline by accident. Once assembled together, the team of Spider-People have to stop Kingpin as well as a host of other villains in order to get back to their own timelines before it’s too late. This is a comic book plot through and through.

The animation is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

First and foremost though, I have to talk about the style of the animation; it’s unlike anything I’ve seen in a film before. The creative team actually created new techniques, taking inspiration from vintage comic printing methods to create a vibrant world that feels like a comic book come to life. No, actually it feels like several comic books being mashed together into one gorgeous story and then brought to life. The screen often divides into multiple comic book style panels, thought balloons and caption boxes appear in scenes, and sound effect words pop up such as the “thwip” sound of web swinging. We even get to see the famous squiggly lines that symbolize Spider-Man’s “spidey sense” going off. I recommend if you’re able to, see this on an IMAX screen. I rarely say that for a movie but having the largest screen possible will add to the visual scope of the movie.

Literally the only negative I can come up with for the entire movie is that as a side effect of the art style, there are some scenes where the foreground/background looks out of focus or distorted. It can make it difficult to see what’s going on at times but never actually ruined a scene for me. For a brief moment I did think I had accidentally stumbled into a 3D showing of the movie. I heard somewhere that the out of focus effect was intentional and meant to showcase the repercussions of multiple universes colliding. It all sounds cool, but it still takes a min to get used to and could be jarring for some.

This is 100% a comic book story, but better executed than many live action films.

The story is well executed and never failed to keep me entertained or engaged with what was coming next. The 2 hour run time flies by, and if anything I would have been fine if the movie was just a bit longer. This is Miles’ story and focuses on him growing into his unique powers as Spider-Man. We get a good look into his family dynamic and what that means for this Spider-Man. There are also creative twists on some of Spidey’s well known villains that helps to keep things feeling familiar yet new.

While the movie is entertaining for all ages, there are some very positive messages for kids and is a great family film. It also can’t be understated the importance of bringing an African American/Latino Spider-Man to the big screen. What I liked most of all about this was that no one made a big deal about it; actually I’m pretty sure Miles’ race is never even brought up by anyone in the movie. He just is. Miles becomes the Spider-Man of this timeline and it’s great seeing the hero from his unique perspective and personality.

The cast is an all star, stellar line up with literally everyone involved giving excellent performances. Nothing feels “phoned in” and each Spider-Man or Woman has their time to shine with their own distinct personalities that are enjoyable in their own ways. Each gets a unique version of the same introduction which is perfectly executed; giving the exact information you need to know for each. Much of the humor in the film comes from taking these very different Spider-Men and forcing them to temporarily co-exist. I’m not sure who thought of it but Nic Cage as Spider-Man Noir was a stroke of genius.

Speaking of humor, Spider-Verse is jam packed with intelligent comedy that will have you laughing from start to finish. So many moments do such a great job of subverting what you expect to happen in simple yet hilarious ways such as Miles’ reaction to being bitten. Jake Johnson as “Peter B. Parker” does a fantastic job delivering the quipy lines you’d expect from Spider-Man. Johnson isn’t really someone I would have thought of to play Parker, but he brings a wit and sarcasm to the role that reminds me of his character in the show New Girl and now I don’t know how I never saw the possibility before.

There are a ton of villains in this movie; each one is not only visually creative but also has a unique twist on how you may be used to seeing them. It would have been nice if the villains had a similar introduction to what the heroes received, telling the audience why the Green Goblin is a giant monster or who the heck is Hammerhead. The lack of these intros doesn’t hurt the movie, I just think those who don’t read comics will be interested to know more. Because this is an animated film, the fight scenes are also much more elaborate than what you might normally see in a live action film. The screen explodes in action and color in true comic book fashion.

The music score is fantastic and gives as much character to the film as the visuals; it not only fits with Miles’ overall style and personality but it also does an excellent job of building the excitement and tension of each scene. I enjoyed the overall sound so much that I’ve added it to my work playlist rotation.

A couple final thoughts.

Maybe it’s the fact that this is the first cameo I’ve seen since his passing, but the Stan Lee cameo is one of his most memorable; as heartwarming as it is funny.

There is an after credits scene at the very end, and while it may or may not have been hinting at a sequel, it was very funny and another example of how this movie subverts your expectations in hilarious ways.

Final Verdict

Spider-Man: Into the Spider verse is a near perfect superhero masterpiece, packed with equal amounts of humor, action, and heart. From the visuals to the music along with the exceptional voice acting and story, there is almost nothing negative I can say about this film. The only thing I can muster is the occasional “out of focus” look of some of the shots that may be annoying to some. There’s already talk of a sequel which I can’t wait for as I definitely want to jump back into this massively entertaining universe.

Cinematic Quality: 4.9 out of 5

Fun Factor: 5 out of 5

Worth the price of admission: 5 out of 5

Re-watch Value: 5 out of 5

Overall Score – 4.97 friendly universe hopping Spider-Peeps out of 5

Check out these great character posters for the film:

The pop culture world has been mourning the loss of Stan Lee this last week after he passed away on Monday at the age of 95. The internet is still flooded with social media posts paying their digital respects to the man who will be remembered for co-creating some of the most iconic comic book characters ever to exist. Stan’s influence had an immeasurable impact on my life as well, and I wanted to write about that briefly.

Avengers #1. Art by Jack Kirby.

I definitely read plenty of comics as a kid, but some of my earliest memories interacting with the Marvel Universe are actually from watching two of the most legendary cartoons of the 90’s: Spider-Man and X-Men. Cartoons like these played a key role in getting me hooked into comics and cultivating a love of art in general. I remember buying several books over the years from school book fairs that detailed how to draw the Marvel characters, and for a long time I even considered becoming a cartoonist or comic book artist.

The X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons of the 90s were the best.

If you were unfortunate to have missed these animated gems growing up, the animation in both were top quality while also doing a fantastic job of capturing the essence of the comics. Both shows had memorable opening themes as well, with music that screamed 90s. Once either of these two shows started, nothing else mattered until the episode was over.

Do yourself a favor and check out the opening titles to both Spider-Man and X-Men.

Honestly, whenever forced to choose I’ve always leaned more to the DC Universe. My parents named me after Superman actor Christopher Reeve (a tale for another day), which naturally made me gravitate to that side of the superhero aisle. That being said, I wholeheartedly believe there is enough geek love to go around for both companies’ cast of characters.

Marvel and DC have always offered 2 sides of the same coin for me, allowing me to jump back and forth depending on what kind of story I’m in the mood for. And who was the person responsible for differentiating Marvel from the rest of the superheroes at the time? In large part it was Stan Lee of course.

The DC Universe roster has been around longer and excels at telling entertaining stories that provide an escape from reality. These heroes live more in the realm of fantasy and mythology as the universe is crowded with super powered beings from other planets who always do the right thing to protect their imaginary cities from the forces of evil. They are truly larger than life.

Stan saw this even back in the 60’s and decided to tell his stories from a different angle. He created characters along side legendary artists Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others who at their core were every day humans, based in real cities, dealing not just with bad guys wanting to wreck everything but their own real life dilemas as well.

This famous panel drawn by Steve Ditko was paid homage in Spiderman: Homecoming.

This artwork from iconic artist Steve Ditko was paid homage in Spiderman: Homecoming.

The Marvel characters don’t just provide entertaining escapism, they also resonate with readers. They’re not just tireless do-gooders who always do the right thing. They make mistakes. They fail. They give us hope that it’s possible to do great things while also struggling with every day life. I’m not saying these qualities are completely absent from the DC Universe; only that Stan set up Marvel to consistently do a far better job.

The X-men constantly face prejudice and racism from a world that doesn’t understand their mutant abilities. Tony Stark is his own worst enemy with a monster size ego and inner demons of alcoholism. Mathew Murdock, a nobody from Hell’s Kitchen, turned his crippling disability into one of his greatest strengths as a hero. Peter Parker is constantly forced to juggle the pressures of his personal life with crime fighting. The list could go on for pages.

The immense success of the Marvel movies over the past decade is also proof of how much these characters resonate with the world. I was 23 years old when Iron-Man released and now at 33, married, and a baby on the way the franchise is 20 movies in and still going strong. I, like so many others have been to every single opening weekend, and have collected each film as it came out on DVD/Blu ray. I absolutely love and am fascinated with how these movies all contect together and reference each other as every iteration builds the universe just a little deeper, just like issues of comic books.

President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige deserves a large amount of credit for crafting films that appeal to the masses, but the heart of the these characters wouldnt exist without Stan. Honestly, seeing Stan’s cameo in every single film is also part of the experience that will sadly end after his last cameo in the upcoming Avengers 4.

Despite all of this, I don’t find myself overly saddened thinking about Stan’s passing. He had a long and fulfilling life, and is now at rest after accomplishing more with his life than most ever think is possible. He has inspired countless artists and creators to leave their mark on the world and will continue to do so as future generations experience his universe for the first time.

My wife and I meeting Stan at Awesome Con.

I’m beyond grateful to have met Stan a year or so ago at Awesome Con in DC, but as incredible an experience as it was, I was surprised at how little he resembled the comic book rockstar from my childhood. He kept reminding me of someone’s grandfather that should probably just be at home, resting. I think it was in that moment that I knew and accepted this marvelous man (see what I did there) wouldnt be with us much longer.

However, this is not how he will be remembered. He will be remembered for all the things previously mentioned in this post; as the man that revolutionized not just comics but art, TV, and film as well. He will be remembered for his bombastic story telling, a knack for alliteration, and his trademark sunglasses and mustache.

Never fear true believers. Though he is no longer among us, his legacy on pop culture will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Excelsior.

Tag: stan lee

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review