Film Review- "Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse"

 “Spider - Man; Across the Spider verse” takes the stylistic brand of animation that gave 2018’s “Into the Spider verse’ it’s charm and takes it to the level of high art animation. It uses more mixed mediums, from live-action to LEGOs. The animators worked on “the Mitchells vs the Machines” in-between making the two Spider  films and learned a whole new bag of tricks that they made the most of when it comes to varying the animation styles to create a wide range of atmosphere and mood. Gwen Stacy’s Earth 65 home looks like impressionistic watercolor paintings that reflect her unsettled emotional state that is dripping with brooding teenage angst. They capture this with the shifting drip of color, as well as the futuristic landscapes you are whisked off to. 

Miles Morales is taller as he swings deeper into his teen years , which also comes with conflicts with his parents, almost more of a focal point than the main villain the Spot. I was glad to see this more obscure member of Spider-Man's rogue’s gallery get some recognition, I do not feel like he was the most well written cast. Though matters of multiverses once again are the focus of the movie’s main conflict, that involves a society of Spider-People trying to hold Miles down. The movie's best characters like Ben Reilly come from this. While it pulls from every corner of Spider-Man lore, Jessica Drew got the worst shake of things with her alternate replacement. Ben is also a parody of himself as he is depicted as being hyper comics accurate. Mile’s finds life is a struggle, but wins when the plot armor is laid on too thick, as the Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man 2099, would wipe the floor Morales . 

I am sure viewer who want to read into this movie sub text that fits their narratives will find the fuel to do so, but Sony, unlike Disney did not bait their audience with the diversity tropes being pounded down our throats these days, despite the changes to character they made which would have left them open targets for such snark. Instead they just told a fun story free of agendas. A fact many viewers might not have even noticed since they were just enjoying themselves. Most of the things forced, just were organic working parts of the story being told. 

With the exception of Dr. Strange getting name dropped, this becomes an isolated corner of the Marvel Universe. This boxed the feel of the story into a smaller world even when they traverse other dimensions. But the movie’s main struggle is in the writing. They build up so many layers of plot and then get so lost in this web they have spun that the story is unable to find the third act, so they end with a cliffhanger. It would have been wise to take notes from “Infinity War” who might have resolved things with “the Snap” but opened it up for more questions, rather than this movie that found the writers not even finishing their sentence. Come for the art and you will be wow’ed, the story might work better as a cartoon series or comic book, but did not work in the adaptation to film,

This Week In Marvel 2/3/16

A-Force's second issue finds me becoming increasingly unimpressed with not only G Willow Wilson's writing, but knowledge of the Marvel Universe. She tries to make Medusa as powerful as She- Hulk and Medusa's whole head of ginger can only lift close to two tons on a good hair day. So how is that strong enough to throw a being the size of Galactus? The art needs works not sure why She-Hulk and Medusa were the same height. Dazzler surfaces, not sure about her new look and roller derby is not for the biggest pop star in the world who has managers that ensure her face as part of the contract. So too much suspension of disbelief on the basics.The Vision's 4th issue finds the book treading the same water as his wife keeps taking wrong turns every step of the way I appreciate that fact the book is dark, but I would rather have more of the actual Vision in it, this isn't a t.v drama where all the character arcs have to be given time, it's super heroes. Uncanny X-men begins to lose a little of its momentum in the third issue, though the plot is ironed out and Fantomex makes his appearance. If that is all you need from an X-men book then it might work a little better for you it just felt stiff to me.The 2nd issue of Captain Marvel, is not as good as the first , but it is still hands down better than anything Kelly Sue ever did.  I was going to skip the 4th issues Howard the Duck , but despite feeling more like an issue of Guardians of the Galaxy it was better than the first three. Dr. Strange lost some of it's magic in the latest issue, there was a little too much Wong. Not sure about the temple of monk's trained to absorb his karmic repercussions either.

The Invincible Iron - Man is trying real hard in it's 6th issue but is losing some of the momentum, Deodato is my favorite Marvel artist, but the colorist is working against him. Sure War-Machine has gotta show, but the actual Iron Man is stuck trading blows verbally with Victor Von Doom in a Waffle House. Thanks to Bendis Miles Morales , who I used to hate has now taken a place in the Marvel Universe that makes sense, the whole presentation is pretty endearing, but if Blackheart took out a whole team of Avengers Morales is not powerful or experienced enough to hang. But for a first issue it's a good read and might be the weeks best book. However, this doesn't mean that super-heroes are like Barbie and it's fine to three versions of each one in order to look politically correct and market it like Mickey Mouse, who Disney could tell Marvel the value of what makes Mickey an icon, because there is only one of him, sure there is Minnie, but she is not a girl mouse taking on the mantle of Mickey, like She- Hulk isn't a girl claiming to be the Hulk and Spider-woman is a entity unto herself never trying to replace Peter Parker. Silk is her own character and the best job they have done at making diversity make sense and more suited than Kamala Khan.Scarlet Witch is improved in its 3rd issue, different art she now doesn't look like a housewife.The 3rd issue of Guardians of Infinity is really strong, a big throw down and then a second story with Groot and Ben Grimm teaming up. Speaking of space books, not only was Nova more grounded in the most recent issue he was under grounded and trying to disrupt a civil war between the Mole Man's dynasty. The appearance of Miles and Kamala was a little forced, I think they just need to throw the three of them on a new incarnation of the New Warriors.

Why Spider-man's Arrival into Marvel Films Might Not Be a Good Thing

Sure Marvel set the internet ablaze with the announcement that the character would be swinging his way into the Marvel Studios films after being kicked around in some rather shoddy and too often maskless Sony films. The logistics of this vary depending on the ever shifting accounts some sources say Sony will have the last say other sources cite Marvel as being the final word. It is pretty much decided that this will occur during Captain America 3, which is going to tell the Civil War story that put Stark against Rodgers with Spider-man eventually caught in the middle.  Then a stand alone Spider-Man movie will take place in 2017, pushing the release date of Thor 3 and everything thing else that is not an Avengers Sequel back, such as Captain Marvel, the Inhumans and Black Panther. Sure that is exciting in theory, but before you get your hopes up, having Spider-man might be worse than not having him at all.

I was first clued into what has now swelled into a bigger debate on-line, one which should clearly only have the one right answer, when I read the press release in regards to casting that stated they are looking for an actor considerably younger than Garfield to play Spider-Man. The key word here being Spider-man. They did not say they were looking for a younger actor to play Peter Parker. This means it could be the Spider-man from the Ultimate Universe Miles Morales, a black kid who became Spider-man after Peter Parker died and Norman Osborn did a little genetic tinkering with him. It could be all a legal illusion since Sony still has Spider-man related projects in the work, so like the wiggling being done to share Quicksliver, it could be the deal means Marvel can use Spider-man, but Sony still gets Peter Parker. In this case everyone loses.

I have some friends who feel Marvel will do the right thing and make this Peter Parker. But let's think about the fact they already gave us the Ultimate Universe version of Nick Fury. But it can be argued that's because every one loves Samuel Jackson. Then came black Norse gods.To which even Jackson raised and eyebrow at. Marvel is operating under the misguided notion that there needs to be more diversity in comics, since the movies are bringing them at a wider audience . But didn't these fan boys and girls buy them when Thor was a man and Captain America was white? Then why change that. Why not give the existing female and black characters a bigger push. But some might say there are not enough super-heroes of color in the pages of Marvel...maybe not if you are stupid and just don't know the mythology but last time I counted there is Blade, Luke Cage, Storm, Black Panther, Brother Voodoo, War-Machine, Bishop, Falcon, Cardiac, Cloak, Deathlok, Bill Foster aka Goliath,Synch, Jetstream, Misty Knight, Triathlon, Moses Magnum, the new Power-man, Moon-boy, Sun-spot, Rage, Night-thrasher, Rocket racer, Silhouette, Patriot, Photon, Prodigy, Prowler, Puma, Vibraxas, Anarchist, Krystalin, and White Tiger...only five of those have hit the big screen so there's the problem. Another question is where is the out cry for other demographics not represented Jewish super heroes, Asian super-heroes, Polish super-heroes or native american super-heroes?

If wanting the character who have stood the test of time for the past fifty plus years to be depicted like they are in the pages of the comics that immortalized them is racist then I better start burning crosses, but even a writer of color for the Washington Post stated that while it's great to have Miles as a Super-hero it's still too early to have him on the big screen. He is not the only one others ask the same questions I do along with others like what happens one Obama is not in office? Why has it taken them so long to bring in Black Panther? Marvel will tell you Miles Morales is a very popular character...sure, but is he more popular than Peter Parker ? I think not.