SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDERVERSE (10 out of 10) Directed by Bob Perischetti, Peter Ramsay and Rodney Rothman; Writen by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman; Starring Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney and Nicholas Cage; Rated PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements and mild language; Running time 117 minutes; In wide release December 14, 2018.

Spider-Man has had quite a bumpy road in his big screen outings. The first two Raimi films are considered some of the best of the bunch with everyone (wisely) forgetting the next four movies until Homecoming came along. So everyone was quite surprised at the announcement of Into the Spiderverse, his first animated full-length film to be released in theaters which would hit less than a year before Far From Home, the follow-up to Homecoming. With a fantastic trailer, voice cast and an impressively diverse set of characters, expectations were almost obscenely high going in. Rest assured that it not only meets but exceeds them in almost every aspect.

There is a lot to digest here, and there are a ton of Easter eggs and plot twists to experience. It’s best to go in as blind as possible, so I will keep this brief. All audiences really need to know is that teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is bitten by a radioactive spider and begins to develop powers that, until then, were only available to the one and only Spider-Man (Chris Pine). Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) has invested a fortune into a device that will open a rift between dimensions, but doing so inadvertently summons various Spider-People from five other dimensions who must join forces with Miles to keep the Fisk Corporation from opening the rift again and destroying all of New York City.

Set squarely in the Ultimate Spider-Man and Miles Morales comics written by Brian Michael Bendis, Spiderverse is a treat for the eyes, ears and emotions and is an animated film unlike anything ever made before. From the writing and acting to the cinematography, score and soundtrack, everything has a place and purpose and pops with excitement and meaning. There isn’t an ounce of fat to be found here as its nearly two hour running time is fully deserved and never drags or feels like padding. Even just the small moments of silence between heroes or father and son have gravitas and impact and tug at the heartstrings as much as the action set pieces get that same heart racing.

But aside from all of that, this is easily the best and most accurate comic book movie made since Scott Pilgrim, and is much arguably better than that. The animation is reminiscent of cel shading from video games like Borderlands or The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker combined with the filming technique of Waking Life or A Scanner Darkly. Simply put, it’s like nothing ever seen before and is jaw dropping even before the movie starts. Spiderverse is also acutely aware that it’s a comic book film as word and thought bubbles appear in the background showing Miles’ emotions and running inner dialogue as the actor performs the lines. Add in visual sound effects like “thwipp” and “oof” when web slinging or fighting bad guys, respectively, and this feels exactly like the comic pages come to life on the big screen.

This doesn’t even begin to cover the rest of the cinematography that makes this one of the most gorgeous and visually stunning films of the year. Anyone who has seen the trailer is familiar with the scene where Miles jumps off a skyscraper and dives towards the street below only to have the shot reverse to make it look as if he is falling upward surrounded by broken pieces of glass, glinting in the star light. That shot alone could be made into a print and framed and put up on display and would have even casual passersby impressed. The thing is, there are countless moments like this in the film, and if every one of them were displayed in this way, one could fill a museum.

So I know this has been a lot of gushing, but there really isn’t a single thing wrong with Spiderverse. It’s a masterpiece in animation and sets an impossibly high bar for any comic book or Spider-Man movie to come in the future. Not only does it capture the essence of what it is to be Spider-Man, it perfectly balances action, heart, comedy and emotion in a way never seen before. Not only is this the best comic book and Spider-Man movie ever made, it’s also, hands down, the best movie of the year. So go see this in IMAX while it’s still available because to miss the opportunity to experience this on the biggest screen possible would be a disservice to the viewer as well as the movie.

10 out of 10

Image credit: vox.com

VENOM (7 out of 10) Directed by Ruben Fleischer; Written by Jeff Pinker, Scott Rosenberg and Kelly Marcel; Starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate; Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language; Running time 112 minutes; In wide release October 5.

Venom attempts to answer the question, “What do we do with one of Spider-Man’s most iconic and powerful foes if Spider-Man is not part of the equation?” The symbiote’s and Eddie Brock’s combined hatred of the friendly, neighborhood hero is what drives him and all his actions in every incarnation since they were bonded in Amazing Spider-Man 300. In this world, it’s not even made clear that they know who Spider-Man is let alone have any animosity towards him. So what do they do instead? Try to take down a megalomaniac billionaire whose actions just might bring about the end of the world.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a jobless and disgraced journalist after refusing to do a puff piece on the head of the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed). Anne (Michelle Williams), his girlfriend, has also rightly dumped him after his reckless behavior and betrayal of trust gets her fired from her law firm. Drunk and nearly homeless, Brock is approached by Dr. Dora Skirth (Jenny Slate) who is disgusted and fearful of the experiments Drake is attempting in his labs. On a space expedition, his scientists discovered a new species of life – the symbiotes – and brought them back to earth to unlock their powers. His attempts to bond them with human hosts kills off each one until Brock is united with Venom while sneaking into the lab with Dr. Skirth late one night. On the run from Drake’s personal army and trying to figure out exactly what Venom wants with him, Brock eventually learns that the two of them must fight their way into the Life Foundation to prevent the symbiotes’ true goal of world domination.

Based incredibly loosely on the late nineties Lethal Protector comic, Venom does its best to stand on its own and create a completely new mythos far from his original home in New York City. While many aspects of the character will be familiar, it does take certain liberties, especially with his origin, that hardcore fans might find distasteful. But if they can take off their “Comic Book Guy” hats and accept the movie for what it is, there is a lot of fun to be had despite a lot of shortcomings.

Its biggest problem is that for a movie named Venom, the character doesn’t show up for at least the first hour and then doesn’t have that much of an appearance in the rest of the film. Most of the time, we are simply watching Eddie Brock performing the heroics while utilizing the symbiote’s tendrils to attack his enemies or anchor him to buildings or his motorcycle. And it’s a shame too, because the parts that DO have Venom are insanely fun to watch and are some of the best parts of the film.

Well second best. Hardy also performed the voice of Venom, and that character is the most entertaining part of the show. Catty and sarcastic, the internal dialogue between the two protagonists is smart and oftentimes includes the best lines in the movie. Not that they’re all gems (“Turd in the wind” anyone?), but watching it ruthlessly mock Eddie never gets old.

Unfortunately, there’s also a sense of something missing that permeates the entire thing. Had this been released back in the early 2000s, it would have been hailed as one of the best comic book movies ever made, but with the work that Marvel Studios has done with the MCU, Venom just feels extremely dated. Not that every superhero movie needs to reach the heights of Civil War or Infinity War, but the bar has been raised, and new endeavors must at least strive to come close to hitting it.

Venom is not a great movie, and people would be hard pressed to even call it a good movie. It has so many problems that people who don’t already love the character aren’t going to enjoy it. But for us fans, it scratches the itch of finally getting a decent big screen adaptation that we were hoping for in Spider-Man 3. Simply put, this is big, dumb fun that put a smile on my face from beginning to end, and that’s all we need from some movies. Is it going to change anyone’s life? No, and that’s not what it’s trying to do. So, if you love the character, head to the theater, grab some popcorn and turn your brain off for an hour and a half. Sometimes a distraction like this is just fine.

7 out of 10

Over a decade ago, when internet culture was still very much in its adolescence, one film seemingly united people from across the globe in a way no film ever really had before. In the summer of 2007, pretty much everyone on the internet seemed to agree: they hated Spider-Man 3.

Perhaps we should start from the beginning.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films were nothing short of revolutionary. Though, Bryan Singer’s X-Men may have beat Raimi’s film in the race to be the first released, Raimi certainly won the race in terms of success and impact. Raimi’s first Spider-Man changed everything. Suddenly comic book adaptations didn’t seem like a niche genre but rather contenders for genuine acclaimed blockbusters.

Raimi followed up his first film with the even more beloved Spider-Man 2, which remains to this day a go-to reference for filmmakers in the genre. Hell, even Kevin Feige, the leading force behind all of the MCU, called Spider-Man 2 “one of the best superhero movies of all time” and said that it serves as a constant reference point for the studio when crafting new films. So to call Spider-Man 2 well-received is a massive understatement. Critics and audiences didn’t receive it as just a good movie, they received it reverently as a modern classic, destined to define the genre.

As if Raimi didn’t have enough pressure on him after the first film, he now had the added weight of having to surpass his own work two-fold if he ever hopes to surpass what audiences were already labeling his best work. And historically speaking, crafting follow-ups under these circumstances rarely goes well.

To top all of this off, Sony wanted a third Spider-Man film as soon as possible. In an era where it was uncommon for a studio to even officially announce plans of further sequels during the current film’s theatrical run, Sony announced Spider-Man 3’s 2007 release date three months before Spider-Man 2 was even released. Signaling his then fourth year working on the franchise, with no break in sight, Raimi segued immediately into writing and pre-production on the third installment.

As Raimi and his writing partners (Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent) struggled to settle on which characters to include and which direction to take with the film, long-time chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment and producer Avi Arad heavily suggested to Raimi that he should include a much-beloved, more recent comic villain to the script. Though Raimi initially resisted the idea because he found said character to be “lacking humanity”, he eventually caved and worked the villain into a rough draft. And that character, of course, was Venom.

Now, when people on the internet talk about Spider-Man 3, you’ll often hear a lot of the same complaints. Chief among them are dime-store critiques like ‘it was overstuffed’, ‘the emo Peter Parker sequence was bad’, or ‘Venom was wasted’. But I think Spider-Man 3 is way more complicated than that because it isn’t an overtly bad film.

Just the opposite, it sees Raimi at arguably the height of his blockbuster storytelling capabilities. There are few sequences in all of superhero cinema as riveting as the subway fight scene between the black-suited Spider-Man and Sandman because it’s Raimi’s full power on display. The way in which he captures Peter’s rage in the staging and blocking of the sequence is phenomenal. At his heart, Raimi will always be the innovative and daring young man who made The Evil Dead. And nowhere is that more apparent than in this sequence, as he turns every hit and every impact into a visceral experience. Through the sound design and through the innovative visuals themselves (that shot of Spidey shoving Sandman’s face into the moving train is incredible), Raimi uses his entire back of tricks here to create a truly immersive experience.

Similarly, sequences like Harry and Peter’s first fight scene are visually spectacular. To this day, the immersive blend of cutting-edge CGI and practical effects is awe-inspiring. Many other filmmakers of the time were attempting things like this (the Wachowskis with their CGI Neo in The Matrix Reloaded, Guillermo del Toro’s digital stunt performers in Blade II) but none were able to make it as seamless as it is here.

Hell, I’ll even argue that Venom’s storyline isn’t a blunder on Spider-Man 3’s part. Despite it being rushed and feeling a bit like a round peg being shoved into a square hole at times, the black-suited Spider-Man works really well in the context of the film. It is in service of Raimi’s goal to push Peter Parker into new thematic material and foregrounds Peter’s arc of quite literally facing his demons. The bell tower scene remains the film’s most compelling moment specifically because it’s a moment where the narrative, Raimi’s direction, and the thematic material all coalesce into one full-bodied cinematic moment. And as Peter’s sin literally cascades down the bell tower, falling on and enveloping the unsuspecting Eddie Brock, it makes for a perfect embodiment of Peter’s greatest realization in the whole film: the choices he makes have repercussions. Venom is the walking, talking embodiment of the consequences of his own sins and just as he doesn’t get to just be happy-go-lucky with Mary Jane after all he’s done to her, he doesn’t get to wash away his sins just like that. He has to face them, and that’s a great way to tie Venom into this story.

That’s not to say that Spider-Man 3 is without its faults. But I’d argue that they aren’t what often gets lobbied against the film. From a character perspective, it’s easy to see what Raimi and co. were going for with Peter here but it just doesn’t work. The ‘hero consumed by his own hubris has to get back to his roots’ arc is a tried-and-tested route that served films like Rocky III very well. But here, Peter winds up spending the vast majority of the movie not only being consumed by hubris but also just being a complete and total jerk. He’s completely inconsiderate, unable to take Mary Jane’s feelings into account about anything, feels zero guilt about Harry forgetting he’s responsible for killing his father, and kisses Gwen Stacy as Spider-Man in front of the entire city and Mary Jane because he wants to. And all of that is before he’s ever infected with the symbiote.

This all makes it hard to ever invest in Peter the way we did in previous movies. There, he was an underdog and a good kid just trying to do what was right. Here, he’s on top of the world and a self-righteous ass-hat, operating without consequence for the first two-thirds of the movie. Which is exactly what makes the oh-so-loathed ‘emo’ Peter Parker sequence actually kind of great. For the first time in the entire film, the script catches up with Peter’s lack of decency and finally critiques him for it.

As for the complaint that the film is overstuffed, well I can’t really argue that. Raimi has a tough time attempting to juggle all of the various plot threads he’s playing with, which leads him to some questionable choices. Harry hits his head early on and gets convenient amnesia so that his storyline can be effectively put on hold. The symbiote crash lands and makes its way to Peter’s apartment in the first ten minutes of the film but then proceeds to just hang out there until the script is ready for Spidey to get infected. After their subway fight, Sandman just disappears from the movie for a huge chunk of time before showing back up just in time for the climax

The greatest victim of all of these plot threads is the ending, which just can’t pull it all together, no matter how hard Raimi tries. The climactic battle sequence is clunky, with moments of genuine greatness. Thematically, the richest stuff is between Venom and Spider-Man and everything else (Sandman turning into a giant monster, Harry showing up to fight alongside Peter) is just kind of white noise that gets in the way of the actual story here of Peter facing his sins.

With Venom opening in cinemas nationwide this weekend, the internet is bound to be lighting up over the next few weeks with new hot-takes about Spider-Man 3 and its place in the now-very-large canon of Spider-Man films. Which is why it’s important to take a moment and remember, Spider-Man 3 isn’t some dumpster fire of a film ala Catwoman or Amazing Spider-Man. It was just a film attempting to live up to insurmountable expectations. It certainly has flaws but it also has some incredibly bright spots and sees Raimi delivering some of the best craft of his entire career. 

This episode features Tom, Nick, Rebecca, and Jon

Jon has been waiting for months for this game and he’s in love. His girlfriend…not so much. We also talk about Oxenfree, Nintendo Direct, and the demo for Megaman 11.

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As always, thank you very much for tuning in! If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating on your preferred casting service. You can contact any of the podcasters via their Twitter handles or get at Big Shiny Robot directly.

This episode features Tom, Tyson, Nick, and Jon

Spider-Man 801 is probably one of the best single issues of Spidey ever. Dan Slott ends his run on Amazing Spiderman and Nick Spencer takes over.

Listen now on iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher

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As always, thank you very much for tuning in! If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating on your preferred casting service. You can contact any of the podcasters via their Twitter handles or get at Big Shiny Robot directly.

Months ago we got our first look at Sony’s Venom. The short clip left many a fan feeling skeptical at Sony’s second attempt to realize the character after Spider-Man 3.

Today we got the first real trailer for the upcoming film, slated for October of this year. We see Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) a reporter sleuthing out nefarious goings on within his city. Hardy seems somehow vulnerable, stepping into situations he isn’t prepared to handle, approached by someone from the Life Foundation who makes him aware of symbiotes. There are allusions to tragic human testing and Brock accidentally comes into contact with the organism from elsewhere.

He takes on a passenger within his own mind, the otherwordly entity, Venom. While he battles corporate entities bent on hiding the mistakes they’ve made, Brock seems an unwitting and unwilling participant in a situation well outside his kenning. He tries to direct the entity inside him.

If you’re going to stay, you will only hurt bad people.

Venom, however, sees things another way. “The way I see it,” it says “we can do whatever we want.” The Brock/Venom partnership seems a character of two minds and bodies. While Brock attempts simply to escape those who pursue him, Venom takes a more aggressive approach in putting an end to what ails them. The balance of Hardy’s vulnerability with Venom’s aggression promises an interesting dynamic that will not only redefine the character but show us a side of Hardy we’ve not yet seen.

That relationship overwhelms what appear to be some moderately cheesy action moments (Brock flying off his motorcycle and pulling back via symbiote appendage) and hints at a movie that just might have something worthwhile to offer. Despite their ridiculous pronunciation of SIM-BYE-OAT.

This episode features Tyson, Lucas, Nick, and Jon

Yo, I heard you like spoilers…

Well if you don’t, then you’re not gonna like this episode. It’s all spoilers for Spider-Man: Homecoming. So if you’re not into that, keep it together (until you see it).

Listen now on iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher

Be sure to check out our sponsors: The Bohemian Brewery and Watchtower Cafe!

As always, thank you very much for tuning in! If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating on your preferred casting service. You can contact any of the podcasters via their Twitter handles, or get at Big Shiny Robot directly.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING.  Directed by Jon Watts; Written by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers; Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Laura Harrier, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Donald Glover; Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments; Running time 133 minutes; In wide release July 7, 2017.

Does the newest Spider-Man movie do whatever a spider can? Just as our friendly neighborhood Spidey can’t do this movie alone, we needed to assemble our own Mighty Marvel Team-Up to share our thoughts. 

Andy: So in this situation, does that make me Peter Parker? Or Tony Stark? I think I’m more of a Happy Hogan sort of guy. 

Adam: I’ll call Aunt May. She gets my favorite line in the movie.

Andy: I larb her. I can see that. Or maybe I’m Ned. Maybe we’re both Ned. 

Adam: Second thought, I’ll be Ned right there with you because he’s pretty much me if I found out my best friend was Spider-Man.

Andy: Totally. 

Adam: But let’s talk about this movie because I’m really excited to dive in. To put it simply, this is the Spider-Man movie I’ve waited my whole life to see. And that’s not downplaying the excellent Spider-Man 2 which still ranks up there as one of the best superhero movies of all time. But as much as I love that and Tobey Maguire’s take on the character (except three, we just forget that one exists), no one has been able to more perfectly nail the Spider-Man and Peter Parker until now. Tom Holland embodies the role in a way we haven’t seen since Robert Downey Jr. took on the mantle of Tony Stark. Holland is obviously a talented actor, but it most likely helps that he’s so much closer in age to Peter Parker than either Maguire or Garfield were. Peter Parker was always likeable but never so much as he is now. He acts exactly how a kid would if they got super powers and were trying to fit into the adult world of being an Avenger despite the fact he’s got homework and trying to figure out girls he’s crushing on. In fact, it’s a wonderful example of adolescence in general as it shows him trying to balance out being a kid and maturing into an adult. As much as people have been joking that this is Spider-Man meets Breakfast Club, there are a lot of similarities to it and other John Hughes classics. 

Andy: The simple fact that there are two very obvious homages to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (at basically the same time) tells you that’s exactly what they’re going for. And they nail it. I can’t decide if this is a reason I dislike the film or that I like it so much, but it’s that it’s so full of teen angst. Instead of this being about fighting a galactic menace, he’s focused on the people robbing the ATM in his neighborhood with these funky weapons the Vulture made. He’s that “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” that Stark asks him to be. But, like any teenager, he’s trying to prove himself and that he’s ready to be an adult– but he really isn’t. This Peter Parker is kind of a screw-up, and it’s fun to watch. But one of the best things they did right in this movie is what they don’t do. There’s no origin story of being bitten by a radioactive spider. No Uncle Ben. And while I kind of wanted to see Spidey being motivated by his great power and great responsibility, this just isn’t that story. This is the teenager who wants to grow up too fast. And that’s a bold move for a superhero genre movie to stray so far from the formula of what we expect in a reboot. 

Adam: It’s also wonderful to see what they’ve been able to do by including the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper. Happy Hogan, Avenger’s Tower, Iron Man, Cap and more all make their presence known, but it’s never overbearing. Yes, this is definitely a world where Spider-Man and the Avengers coexist, but it’s still very much set in the Spider-Man universe. And that’s good to see because this easily could have become a film where Marvel tried to shoehorn in as much of their properties as possible just to show that they are better at making these kinds of movies than Sony, but they wisely restrained themselves and let it all play out much more organically. 

Andy: But the Cap moments. . .  those worked so well for me. This was nice, though, because just like with Guardians of the Galaxy, you can seen how they fit in the same universe, but the tone is so different that you get that this is its own thing. I’m glad to see Sony take that step with the webslinger, because Spider-Man should be more quippy, more angsty. And I like that they keep the action for the most part in Queens, as opposed to Manhattan. That’s the Avengers’ territory– this is yours. It threads the needle perfectly of being both in the MCU and also its own thing.

Adam: And can we talk about the Vulture for a second? I’ve never been a fan of that character, so I’ll be the first to admit how surprised I am that they actually made him cool and menacing! Michael Keaton is fantastic in the role and makes him not just a potent villain but also one that we can identify with. He’s not out to destroy the galaxy or take over the world. No, he was just a little guy who got screwed over and is doing whatever it takes to provide for his family. Of course once he assumes more power and money it corrupts him, but even then he still had honor and wasn’t the bad guy for the sole sake of being evil. 

Andy: BIRDMAN!!!! Yes, so amazing. I think other than Loki he’s my favorite MCU villain– because he’s not a bad guy. He’s a normal guy who gets stepped on and decides to use stolen space technology to provide for his family. Even his name makes sense– the Vulture– because he’s picking the scraps off of whatever fight The Avengers and SHIELD just had. And despite his bluster about being against the 1%– let’s be super real, here. We find out he’s doing just fine financially. Yes, he’s worried about providing for his family, but he provides for them in a pretty upper-middle-class way. There’s something to be said here about the rise of the Trump voter and the fear of loss of privilege. . .  but I’ll save that diatribe until more people have had a chance to see the movie and can discuss this in more depth with spoilers.

Adam: So yes, this was just overall a fantastic film, and one that I immediately went out and got tickets to see it again as soon as possible. Tom Holland is the best part of the movie, and I’m not sure if we will ever get a better portrayal of the character. Everything moved along nicely and balanced drama, action, comedy and even some touching moments between Peter and May. And I’ll say it again because it bears repeating — they made the Vulture cool! I know Sony has been talking about not making their Venom and other spinoff movies part of the MCU, so I’m really hoping this one blows up with other critics and at the box office to make them change their minds. Working with Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal has done wonders for this property, and Sony would be fools if they didn’t collaborate on all future films. 10 out of 10.

Andy: Whoa, slow down there– a perfect 10? It’s great, but I don’t think it’s quite there. This is incredibly funny and definitely one of the best Spider-Man movies and of the MCU. But this is Spider-Man with his “training wheels” on (*wink wink*). Let’s see what Sony can do without input from Feige and Co and if they can fly equally as high. But this is still amazing, and the title Homecoming couldn’t be more appropriate. Welcome back,.Parker. 8.5 out of 10.