Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Barney's Incorrect Five Second Reviews

Wow, lots to unpack here.

Besides the great story, incredible art and visuals, fantastic soundtrack, there is also the very bold casting choices that were made that I really feel complete this movie and ultimately put it on the top shelf. So bear with me while I really appreciate the casting risks that paid off here...

Some of the casting choices are your standard fare: Chris Pine, Hailee Steinfeld (who was great as a very low-key Gwen Stacy), Zoe Kravitz as MJ, and even Mahershala Ali (who is a KEY driver for why this movie elevates so high) as Uncle Aaron (what an incredible complicated character for a CARTOON about Spider-Man).  But... I think it's the risky and bold casting choices that ultimately make this movie so incredible: Lily Tomlin as Aunt May was a brilliant choice, Nicolas Cage as a noir Spider-man is simply almost an impossible choice to believe but he KILLS it as this character, and I can't say enough good things about John Mulaney as Spider-Ham. What a huge risk that paid-off. Btw, I still can't figure who Liev Schreiber was in the movie. No idea.

Ok, enough about the awesome cast. The visuals are so breathtaking that it speaks to how much trouble I had choosing a good thumbnail for this review. I just wanted to put a bunch of Gwen Stacy pics, but I was able to resist.

I took my 7-yr old girl to see it and she LOVED it, asking to see it again for the next two days (which is a rare thing). So the appeal to kids and adults alike is a total slam-dunk.

This is the most effective way I've ever seen Kingpin portrayed either. He literally fills the screen of any scene he's in. Again, just a huge bold choice with how to have him interpreted for this. I would love to have been a fly on the wall in some of the early round-tables on artistic direction for this movie. I wonder what ideas got thrown out given some of these bigger risks they went with.

I'm sure it's been said, but this really is the best Spider-Man movie yet. Couldn't stop laughing, couldn't stop being completely and utterly amazed. One of the best of the year.