Movie Review – 15 Thoughts About Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

SPOILER WARNING – THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SONY PICTURES’ NEW FILM SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

When you’ve got an eleven-year-old son who is hugely into Spider-Man, it doesn’t really matter if the trailers for the new animated Spider-Man movie appeal to you or not. Unless you’re an asshole, you’re going to see it.

Fortunately for me, I was very excited by the trailers for Into the Spider-Verse.

I love the wave of comic book inspired films we’ve been getting for the past decade, but no matter how much you’re enjoying it, there’s no denying the fact that there’s a certain safe sameness about most of the movies. Even with the seemingly huge differences between Marvel and DC films, if we’re being honest they’re all playing the same game.

Sony’s newest Spider-Man film, on the other hand, looked to be trying something very different. It’s animated, but didn’t seem to be marketed towards children as specifically as, say, The LEGO Movies. Its focus is on a younger protagonist that fans have been clamoring for, but that might be unfamiliar to most audiences.

Before you argue that point with me, remember that there are still many people out there who think of every Batman movie from 1989 to now as being connected. These people have never heard of Miles Morales. The idea of there being more than one Spider-Man is foreign. At best they might know that Peter Parker has worn multiple suits or that there has been a Spider-Woman at some point.

Fans might complain about Sony’s past treatment of Spider-Man, but it seemed they were attempting something new and, quite frankly brave, with Into the Spider-Verse.

Did the seeming risks – unique animation style, new character, unconnected universe – pay off or should they have played it safe? Read on and find out!

Retro Movie Review – 12 Thoughts About The Mask (1994)

SPOILER WARNING – THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MASK, WHICH IS 24 YEARS OLD SO MAYBE DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT

I recently watched the Jim Carrey movie The Mask with my son. The first thing his mother said was, “If I hear you saying any lines from that movie, you’re grounded”.

I think she was talking to both of us.

When The Mask was released in 1994 it was an instant, massive hit. Everyone was quoting this movie. Of course, everyone quoted everything Jim Carrey said in every movie he was in because he was literally the biggest star in the world starting in ’94.

Check this out – The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective all came out that year. Three massive comedies. And even though people don’t seem to talk as much about The Mask today, it made $351 million on a $23 million budget.

Let’s take a look at why.

15 Thoughts About Venom

SPOILER WARNING – THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR COLUMBIA PICTURES’ NEW FILM, VENOM

I can’t say that I was all that excited about Venom, but that lack of interest wasn’t so much about the circumstances surrounding Sony’s new movie as it was that the character just isn’t one of my guys.

I think the symbiote idea is very cool and I’ve read plenty of Venom comics – though almost nothing featuring the seemingly endless number of other symbiotes – but aside from the cool aesthetics I never latched on. My favorite iteration is probably the Flash Thompson version as written by Rick Remender and later, Cullen Bunn.

All of that might actually make me the best kind of audience member for Sony’s film, for which you have to accept the idea that Venom’s origin has absolutely nothing to do with Spider-Man. Since I don’t have the same affection for Venom that I do for say, Forge, I was ready to accept variations on how the character came to be and evolved. As long as I got some good, old-fashioned symbiote tendril, creepy-crawly action.

Did the film deliver? Read on.