Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse is a beautifully animated, fun, and inspiring new take on a somewhat unmemorable yet enduring superhero. With elements of the old ancestral roots of Spider-man mixed with a different cultural perspective and lighthearted wit, the movie is enjoyable for the whole family.

Although Spider-man doesn’t frequently participate in the giant galactic battles that hold the Earth in the balance, seen in most of today’s superhero movies, the superhero has gotten about the same number of, if not more, movies and TV shows than his monolithic super brethren. With Hollywood appearances in the classic Sam Raimi Spider-man trilogy, the Webb Spider-man Duology, and now the newest Avengers Spider-man lineup, Spidey seems to have a long lasting life ahead.

Even then, in late 2018, Sony released Venom, a spin-off movie focusing on one of Spider-man’s main enemies. However the movie had no relation to any of the previous spider man movies, and took place in its own universe, even though Sony had intention to tie it in with the Spider-man universe.

Which brings us to now, Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, and its early December release last year. Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse is instantly gripping from its unique animation style from Sony Pictures Imageworks, and its depiction of a black Spider-man (not from the color of an alien symbiote). Miles Morales, retreads the same basic path that Peter Parker journeyed down, except this time, he’s a highschooler in Brooklyn, estranged from his peers, and heavily influenced by African American culture. His days of practicing bright artistic graffiti on walls and hanging out with his chill uncle all change when he’s bitten by a radioactive spider. After this, the story starts to differ greatly from the original plot. The main antagonist, Kingpin, a rich, physically massive criminal, creates a device that tears the universal fabric to pull his wife and child, dead in their universe, from one where they’re alive. This causes multiple spider people to be pulled into Miles’s universe. In a race against time, Miles must become a hero in order to save the world and get his alternate friends back home.

Miles, unlike other Spider-man heroes, has enough natural wit and personality to become a likeable, yet believable hero. The pacing of the movie spends a plenty of time on his daily life, and transition to becoming a hero, but not to its detriment. By the end, Miles is a very fleshed out, funny, realistic character. At the cost of less showtime of Miles at his best, we get to so much more of his transition and journey to his final hero status. Additionally, this allows audiences to spend as much time as possible with the movie’s comic relief, Peter B. Parker, a lazy, relatable, and hilarious alternate spider man, acting as Miles’s unwilling mentor.

“I thought the movie was fun and exciting to watch, and I would see it again,” said sophomore Evan Schedler.

The movie grossed a total of $370.9 million worldwide, massive compared to its $90 million budget. Spiderverse earned $35.4 million during its debut, and marked the best-ever December opening for an animated film. The movie went on to earn a steady estimated average of 16 million every weekend for four weeks.

Discussions of a sequel have already began, with the possible return of not only Miles, but his memorable supporting cast (possibly getting their own spin-offs). The future of Spider-man looks bright for now, with the refreshing breath of fresh air that is Spider man: Into the Spiderverse.