In the spirit of Chumbawamba, Peter Parker gets knocked down, but he gets up again, and nothing and no one is ever going to keep him down. The same goes for Peter B. Parker, Peni Parker and the monochromatic Peter darker, Spider-Man Noir, who against their will have been time-warped from alternate universes to join the once bitten, forever smitten teenager Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore, to prevent the broad-shouldered baddie Kingpin and lab-coated creep Doctor Octopus from destroying New York with a misfiring particle accelerator.

Combining CGI and hand-drawn sketches, the 100-plus animators from Columbia, Sony and Marvel have succeeded in creating the effect of what producers called walking “inside a comic book”. So much so that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is one of the few films which demands to be seen in 3D because the special effects are not stand-alone spectacles, but woven into each frame and sequence like a web of fine silk.

In addition to its impressive visuals, screenwriters Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, the latter of whom also directs with Peter Ramsey and Bob Persichetti, have penned a hugely entertaining script laced with witty one-liners and visual gags which are counterbalanced by a heartwarming subplot about narrowing the gap between father and son relationships. And the inclusive message that “anyone can wear the mask” is backed up by Miles’ mixed race parentage and Hailee Steinfeld’s kick-ass Gwanda aka Spider-Gwen.

Everything about the film feels fresh, from throwaway quips about Banksy to the #JeSuisCharlie-inspired hashtag #WeAreAllSpiderMan. Though much of what makes the film current and appealing to teenagers on the cusp of adulthood like Miles is the upbeat soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton which includes original compositions by rap artists such as Post Malone and Swae Lee whose single Sunflower reached the top 10 in both the UK and US markets.

“How many more Spider People are there?” asks the incredulous Miles on discovering the existence of a fellow onesie-clad hero. To which the original responds, “Save it for Comic-Con.” To which I would add, save it for the numerous sequels and spin-offs which judging by the success of this romp of a reboot will be spinning to a Spider-Verse near you.

Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey
Writers: Phil Lord (screenplay by), Rodney Rothman (screenplay by)
Stars: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld
Peter Callaghan
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