2018 was a banner year for superhero movies. We got a groundbreaking movie featuring a black superhero whilst also celebrating black excellence. We got a movie 10 years in the making that succeeded in executing the accumulation of the events of the previous 18 movies. However, while both movies were great, 2018 decided to save the best for last and surprisingly from a studio that hasn't been known for making great films. Here's my review for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Here's a hot take: Sony Animation isn't very good at delivering quality animated films. Just kidding, that's not really a hot take, but Sony Animation has had a lot of duds in the past. For instance, there was this one little movie called The Emoji Movie that was released last year. It's a classic, but definitely not for the right reasons. They've made not one, not two, but three unsuccessful Smurfs movies. And while there has been some success (both Cloudy With A Chance movies, the criminally underrated Surf's Up), Sony Animation isn't known for producing stellar and unforgettable films. So imagine my surprise when I heard the announcement that Sony Animation was making a Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man, one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, an icon of pop culture, a symbol of justice and humility, being made by the same studio that made The Emoji Movie. It didn't sit right with me, but after seeing the first trailer, I thought perhaps it could be good as the trailer showed some serious promise. When the movie was released, it received some of the best reviews of the year, surprising the hell out of me. My friends were singing nothing but praises about it on Twitter. So of course, I had to see it. I don't know what I expected honestly, but Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is more than good. It's more than great. It is a masterclass on how a superhero movie should be made. There are so many wonderful things to say about it, but let's begin with the story. The story is about Miles Morales, a Black-Latino Brooklyn middle schooler who undergoes a transformation from a radioactive spider bite and must learn to become the titular hero. The Collider, a dimension ripping device created by Kingpin, transports different reincarnations of Spider-Men to Miles' Brooklyn. Because of this, Miles must team up with the rest of the misplaced Spider-Men to stop Kingpin from destroying the entirety of New York. Before I continue, yes, this is an origin story, but it's more than just an average run-of-the-mill origin story. It's a well-delivered action piece that weaves sci-fi with comedy, tragedy, and thrilling and innovative animation, something that I haven't seen in a big screen Spider-Man origin story. It's a story filled with so much heart and positivity and great messages (yes, it even brings up the old "with great power" mantra). It's a story about the importance of family and those familial relationships draws strength from within. It's a coming-of-age story about a fish out of water. While that last bit may sound cliche, it's an apt description nonetheless, and it fits. The story zips along at a very quick pace, but it doesn't give you time to be bored while also never glossing over anything important. It doesn't take time to ponder on something for too long, but each scene also delivers the point without dull exposition. Thanks to the snappy, smart, and sharp writing from Phil Lord (one half of Lord and Miller, the masterminds behind 21 Jump Street and The Lego Movie) and Rodney Rothman, when there is exposition it's done in a witty manner, never allowing the movie to lose steam. A great deal of this movie's success rides on the innovative and brilliant animation. This movie contains an eye-popping blend of hand drawn and computer animation, parts of which feel like you're watching 3D without the 3D glasses. Many sequences in the movie are designed like a panel from a comic book, making it look like an actual comic book coming to life right before the eyes. The pop art visuals and trippy street art graphics are gorgeous to watch and help transcend the movie from a normal average animated film into a fresh and frankly ingenious project. The anime-like stylizations that accompany Peni Parker (which if you see the movie makes sense) are perfectly executed, as are the Looney Toons cartoon design and sound effects for the Porky Pig-esque Spider-Ham. I have never seen animation like this on the big screen before, so it was a wholly refreshing experience. Also, it should definitely be noted that the end credits has one of the best animated sequences I've ever seen. The voice cast was perfect for this film. Shameik Moore, who was excellent in the 2015 film Dope, is fantastic as Miles Morales, capturing the essence of the character perfectly. The always great Jake Johnson is once again great as the reluctant mentor Peter Parker, the (sort of) original Spider-Man. The also always great Hailee Steinfield delivers as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen. Even though the main trio is great, the rest of the Spider-Men should also be praised. The biggest surprise to me was how spot on Nicolas Cage was as Spider-Man Noir. Yes, Nicolas Cage is Nicolas Cage, whether you love him or hate him, but man, he is so good in this movie and actually has a lot of funny lines, all of which are delivered really well by Cage. Honestly, I couldn't see anyone else being Spider-Man Noir. John Mulaney is also hilarious as Spider-Ham and has one of the best semi-fourth wall breaking lines in the whole film (side note: if you get the chance, you need to watch one of Mulaney's comedy specials on Netflix, he is truly a gem). The rest of the cast (Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Chris Pine, Liev Schreiber, Kathryn Hahn, the awesome Mahershala Ali) are also phenomenal. Any good Marvel movie will have humor in it (maybe some less than others). Everyone has come to expect that out of anything big screen Marvel related. However, this movie has so much meta humor, which honestly makes sense considering how much Spider-Man is in this. I know that sounds dumb, but there's so much Spider-Man lore in here and there's, uh, more than one Spider-Man so there's a lot to pull from. There are humorous references in here that mention the Sam Raimi movies, the comics, and some good old-fashioned Spider-Man memes. However, the pure fact of the matter is that I laughed more during this movie than I have during any other superhero movie. I swear my wife, who doesn't really laugh during movies, laughed more at this movie than any other movie she's ever watched. The way the witty humor is executed is identical to that of Cloudy With A Chance and The Lego Movie, which shouldn't be any coincidence considering Phil Lord wrote and directed those movies. Comedic timing is everything, and Lord understands that so well, which allows the movie's humor to glide with ease. While the movie is a riot, the humor doesn't weigh down the emotional impacts of the film. It's funny when it needs to be and it's dramatic and at times tragic when it needs to be, a perfect balance. (Perhaps this is a teensy spoiler, but the post-credits scene is the single funniest scene of 2018 cinema. I was crying in laughter out of the theater.) A lot of people will say that the Kendrick Lamar-curated Black Panther soundtrack was the best of the year, and I will actually agree with that sentiment. HOWEVER, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse's soundtrack should definitely be in contention as one of the best soundtracks of the year as well. The music oozes so much positivity and love and man the songs are just catchy as hell. I mean, you can't NOT hum along to the gorgeous "Sunflower" by Swae Lee and Post Malone. I loved it so much that I actually went out and bought it, making it the third Marvel soundtrack that I've bought (first one being Guardians of the Galaxy). DCEU movies only WISH they could make a soundtrack this good. Sorry Suicide Squad fans (except not really). This is probably the longest review that I'll write this year, but there's so much to gush about. As a matter of fact, it took me two days to write this review, during which time I've already seen Spider-Man twice. I've seen my fair share of movies in 2018, hell I've seen my fair share of movies in general, and this is by far not only the best movie of 2018 but also my favorite superhero movie of all time. It takes the run-of-the-mill superhero origin story and turns it into a beautiful, innovative, heartfelt, and humorous masterpiece. Even if you're not a superhero fan, there's so much to love in this movie. The characters, the writing, the story, the music, everything. Did I love Avengers: Infinity Wars and Black Panther? Absolutely, but Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse took animation to otherworldly heights, gave new life to a rather overplayed and overcooked genre, and, at least to me, solidified Spider-Man as the best superhero of all time. I love it. Best movie of 2018. Rating 10/10 Top 50: #4
0 Comments
If you had told me that the director of the box office bomb Jem And The Holograms and not one but TWO Justin Bieber documentaries would've crafted one of the best films of 2018, I would've said no way. Here are my thoughts on Crazy Rich Asians.
I had heard a lot of hype behind Crazy Rich Asians, based on the book by Kevin Kwan, so my initial hope was that I wouldn't be let down. It received a lot of praise from not only the critics but also the audiences. Not only was I not let down, but I was so pleasantly surprised by just how much I downright enjoyed the film. A groundbreaking film not only for 2018 but for cinema in general-it's the first film by a major Hollywood studio to feature an all Asian American cast in a modern setting in 25 years-this film deserves every single bit of praise for its filmmaking and for its all Asian cast. I've seen my fair share of romantic comedies and to be honest I do love a good romantic comedy, when done correctly that is. A big part of what makes a rom-com click are the two leads, and let me tell you, this movie probably has two of the most likable leads I've ever seen. Constance Wu and Henry Golding are incredibly charming as the lead couple, but major props definitely go to Wu, known for her role as the matriarch on the successful ABC comedy series Fresh Off The Boat. She's a strong Asian female lead (one of many strong Asian actresses in this movie actually), something that really isn't present on the American big screen a great deal. But on top of all that, she's absolutely dynamite as Rachel Chu, the charming economics professor who unknowingly gets whisked away into the world of crazy rich Asians. She's not portrayed as a damsel in distress, but rather a strong-willed woman who takes matters into her own hands and refuses to back down to a challenge. But it's more than just Wu who steals the show. One of the main themes in this movie is how females are in power and control their own fates. As a result, many of the strongest performances in this movie come from the impactful female cast. Michelle Yeoh is brilliantly cold and unflinching as Nick's (Henry Golding) domineering mother Eleanor and commands the scene whenever she's on the screen. Gemma Chan portrays Astrid, Nick's loving cousin and possibly my favorite character in the entire movie. Her story arc in the movie is one of my favorites and is also one of the most heartbreaking, but like Rachel, Astrid is able to persevere and stand strong. Lisa Lu portrays Shang Su Yi, the matriarch of the family who oozes radiant on the outside but is diabolically icy on the inside. Of course, I couldn't forget Awkwafina, who rounds out the rest of this strong female cast as Rachel's best friend Peik Lin, the plucky comic relief who also serves as Rachel's conscience and confidant. Director Jon M. Chu, who, as mentioned before, has directed films such as Jem And The Holograms (which was pulled out of theaters after two weeks), TWO Justin Bieber documentaries, TWO Step Up films, and G.I. Joe Retaliation, not only gets the best out of his cast, but crafts a truly innovative and unforgettable movie. I loved the vibrant colors that were present throughout the entirety of the movie. The cinematography is gorgeous and extremely well-shot. The story moves along at a pace that never lags nor did I ever feel like it was going too fast while glossing over important plot points. From my first and only viewing, there were no plot holes and I didn't feel like anything was incomplete, rather it was a whole complete picture. Again, not what I was expecting from a guy who's claim to fame was the fact that one of his movies didn't even make half of its $5 million budget back (yep, that was Jem). Now, I'm not one to know anything about Asian culture nor am I going to pretend that I do. However, what I will say is that I appreciate the fact that Asian culture was able to be represented so well in this movie. I don't have a whole lot of exposure to it from a cinematic standpoint, and it was refreshing to see it on the big screen. Representation means everything, and in this day and age, it's almost unheard of to see this type of representation in film. This film is a big deal, considering that the last time there was this much Asian-American representation was in 1993 with The Joy Luck Club. I know I've used the word "representation" more in this last paragraph than I probably ever have in my life, but this is what makes this film important, kind of like how Black Panther was revolutionary for the Black community in terms of representation. The balance between romance and comedy was pitch perfect in this movie, thanks to a winning cast, a well-balanced story, and a snappy script. Never once did I feel that there was too much of one or the other. The humor was never unwelcome and well executed, thanks to the great comedic timing of the cast, especially Wu, Awkwafina, and the awesome Ken Jeong as Piek Lin's father. The romance between the two leads was adorable and heartfelt. But above all, this movie was fun. I don't remember having this much fun during a movie in 2018. It was a pleasurable cinematic experience that I haven't had in who knows how long. They've already greenlit a sequel, and you better believe that I'm on board. Hell, I wouldn't mind if they made two sequels, and that's coming from me (there are two more books in the series...). I say this with absolute confidence: until further notice, Crazy Rich Asians is my favorite movie of 2018. Rating: 10/10 |
AuthorBuster Bigelow: 30 year old lover of movies, cinema, and music. Whether you agree or disagree with my reviews, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments! Archives
June 2020
Categories
All
|
"Every great film should seem new every time you see it."
-Roger Ebert
Copyright © 2015