Spider-Verse is prevented from becoming formulaic primarily due to Miles Morales' character. He's too frequently envisioned as just "black Peter Parker," which is very unfortunate. If Miles had been portrayed in this manner, Spider-Verse would lose one of its key relatability elements. Furthermore, it would have ceased to be so imaginative. Thankfully Spider-Verse ceased to write Miles as a derivative caricature; choosing instead to write him as his own character with his own desires, shortcomings, talents, and even powers. What a refreshing take on such a familiar character.
Impressively, the compelling character structures didn't end with Miles. The central conflict within Spider-Verse orchestrates among multiple dimensions, thus encompassing multiple spider-people. This is inherently dicey territory, as more characters often result in more haphazard storytelling, as we've already seen in more than one Spider-Man film. What is arguably most impressive about Spider-Verse, however, is its ability to balance and direct multiple characters so effectively. Instead of an increasingly unhinging narrative correlating with an increase in characters, additional characters prove to enhance the plot. This is accomplished in two ways; namely, captivating characters who are also connected to a central conflict.
Movies like Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 faltered, not only due to too many central characters but to too many side plots. Nearly every character had a different story thread, which deems it nearly impossible to care about any of them. What's more is that many characters were simply boring or entirely botched. Whereas Spider-Verse has as many (or more) central characters, yet doesn't suffer from similar problems. This is because nearly every character in Spider-Verse is written very well and refrains from being a dull cliche. There were one or two characters who weren't completely necessary per se, but they still didn't take away from the plot. They may not have added much, but they didn't distract much, either. Furthermore, every character remained connected to the movie's primary conflict. Every character wanted to accomplish the same goal, regardless of whether they fell on the side of our protagonists. There were no sub-plots; no unnecessary story threads; and certainly no useless dialogue. That is well-structured and well-paced storytelling.
Even though Spider-Verse was extremely well-paced and continually engaging, there were a few scenes which were unnecessarily brief. There were a couple of developmental pivots which, while executed well, could have taken more time. Spider-Verse isn't particularly lengthy, and there's nothing wrong with a movie taking its time (as demonstrated by any movie directed by Denis Villeneuve). Yet while certain scenes could have lasted longer, they still didn't feel forced. The writing is good enough for the story to flow well even when it experiences minor shortcomings. Everything about the writing is exemplary, and every bit of dialogue is so much fun. The script is hilarious, thought-provoking, and exciting, all without losing a step or being tonally inconsistent.
Every Spider-Man movie has essentially the same theme. Spider-Verse is no different, and it even focuses upon it more heavily. What makes Spider-Man so wonderful and relatable is that he can be anyone--anybody could be wearing the mask. He didn't receive his powers through destiny, nepotism, or supernatural elements; he is simply an ordinary man who is encompassed by extraordinary circumstances. Spider-Verse demonstrates this excellently, but it refrains from subtlety. Indeed, narrating characters even tell the audience how to feel instead of allowing the film to speak for itself. While this is not necessarily desirable, it can often be necessary for a movie frequented by children.
Yet, even foregoing every wonderful element already mentioned, Spider-Verse could still be a successful movie, because the animation is nothing short of magnificent. The film incorporates several styles of animation, and they all flow together terrifically. Many movies (even in 2018 alone) feature stunning animation, but not like this. The directing, editing, choreography, and overall visual effects are so captivating that even basic scenes are inherently engaging. Impressive visuals may be superfluous--and they certainly can't make a film--but they certainly allow a great film to become an even better one.
Frankly, Spider-Verse just does everything well, and it is nothing short of inconceivable for anyone to claim that any previous Spider-Man film is better. Indeed, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not only the best Spider-Man film but one of the best animated films. With a 94%, you already know that it's
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