“Spiderman: Through the Spider-Verse”: the best Spider-Man movie | CRITICISM

Superhero cinema has proven to be attractive enough to attract millions of viewers; in turn, these people have given millions of dollars to studios, which have invested in more movies in response. But there’s a limit to how original you can be with genre archetypes before you sink into repetition. Is there an alternative to the inevitable tedium? Yeah, that’s it”Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), which comes from the almost monopoly Marvel, but developed by Sony.

This movie is excellent. Because?

First, because it takes advantage of the particularities of the medium. The previous film in this heralded trilogy combined computer animation with the coloring style of a comic book (the producers called it “living painting”). This is replicated with the universe of Miles in the new tape, but in the others there are differences: each one has its own color palette, background style, character design; etc The film’s motto is to aim for contrast at all levels.

An example of this is the world of Gwen-Stacy, where the colors of the setting reflect the feelings of the characters. The scenes where she talks to her father, quite apart from being beautifully drawn, show a chromatic freedom that is remarkable on its own, without having much classic action to highlight. It is a sample of what happens when character development is combined with art direction, something that works at sensory levels and not so much on the rational. It sets the tone and complements the script.

Second, the film wields classic Spider-Man clichés like a weapon; they cease to be his weakness to become the heart of the film. Tired of seeing Uncle Ben die in each of the hero’s tapes or series? The filmmakers seem to be in the same situation, turning this characteristic character fact into an element of spider-like “fate,” that no matter how hard Spider-Man tries, he won’t be able to save everyone, even if one of the victims is someone close. , like a family member.

The hero’s life, and of its many variants in comics, is marked by tragedy. What came first, horror or heroism? There is not much time to wonder about that on the tape, because Miles, in his rebellion, represents the necessary change to an editorial imposition (present for decades in the comic) rather than an organic situation. The tape, by delving into the myths of Spider-Man, is at the same time a critique of the stagnation of the superhero genre. Superhero movies aren’t supposed to critique the source material, they just have to adapt it. Not in the script by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who translate a tirade about superhero culture into action sequences. This is not an easy task, which speaks of the talent of these writers.

the last piece

Almost entirely, the film is about fighting against fate, but also against the history of the character and the history of the comic in the cinema. When superhero cinema began, it did so in moderation: no flashy costumes or farfetched ideas. “Through the Spider-Verse” is a product of his time, but not “this” time, but the near future: the key word in this film is exaggeration. Comics aren’t known for being contained narratives. By not requiring any investment in special effects, actors and music; Writer and cartoonist have fewer limits when presenting their stories and if they have to cross universes and show spaceships in their story, they do it, because somehow the book has to be sold. The second animated Spider-Man movie has that comic factor in every single scene.

This can be seen in the aforementioned coloring of contrasts, but also in the narrative rhythm: the film has a notable amount of dialogue, shots that last seconds, but also surprises. It achieves what is increasingly unusual in superhero cinema: to be a perpetual climax, where the journey is more important than the end. This comes at a price, as it takes the audience to such a high level of emotions that it leaves them hungry for more and, right at that moment, the credits roll: the film will continue in 2024 with “Beyond the Spider-Verse”. .

Fewer and fewer superhero movies are thought of being independent, studios want to tie one to another to boost ticket purchases, as happened with “Infinity War” and “Endgame” and, recently, with “Fast and Furious X” and its announced sequel. But seldom has this apparent weakness been exercised with such boldness. Miles’s story is satisfying enough to ignore that it’s only half of it; incomplete as it is, and in this lack he achieves things that other productions could only dream of.

On the other hand, and this would be the only problem with the film, is how easy it could be to follow for some people, such as older adults or those unfamiliar with superhero movies. So much narrative speed comes at a price, but you can still follow the plot, thanks to the work of directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson. Finally, this is a story that deserves to be seen on the big screen, where the brightest lights fill the darkness, signaling that you are entering a bold new universe.

QUALIFICATION

5 STARS OUT OF 5