Short Attention Review - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Short Attention Span Review - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

I've been down with Spidey for about as long as I can remember, and I'm a 40-year-old dude who still rocks comics.  Bonus points: the one mainstay on my pull list has always been The Amazing Spider-Man.  With that in mind, I believe I can speak with some authority when it comes to the webhead.  My expertise extends beyond the comics and also applies to the movies, to include the appropriately obscure.  Of course, I've seen all the mainstream ventures, but I didn't stop there.  Seriously, have you ever gone on a quest to track down every episode of the 1977 television series starring Nicholas Hammond--and forced yourself to watch them all?  Dear lord, I hope not.  I like to think that I paid that tab for all of us.*  Anyway, I say all that to say this: I was a bit unsure about Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and my unease may have increased in light of all the incredible praise heaped upon this 2018 animated adventure.  Surely, I thought, it can't be that good.  Listen up, peeps.  It's that good.  It's freaking epic.  It rocks.  I didn't like it, I positively loved it.  The animation is unique but brilliant, the voice performances are perfect, and the soundtrack is nothing short of superb.  Most importantly, the direction courtesy of Bob Perischetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman is amazing, and the screenplay from Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman is spectacular.  They weave a mesmerizing web of rollicking action and heartfelt drama that elevate this into the upper stratosphere of comic book movies.  Look, I drooled over Infinity War with the rest of you, but Spidey snuck in like a thief in the night and rocked the Casbah with this vivid and thoroughly entertaining smash hit.  I do not believe I am taking things too far when I dub this the best Spider-Man movie we have seen to date, and I enjoy all of the previous efforts, even Spider-Man 3**.  I rate Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming as among the best comic book adaptations ever produced.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse surpasses all of these adventures starring the wallcrawler we hold so dear.  Guess what?  I'm not stopping there.  No, I would like to take things even further, to be honest, and I'm here to declare this one of the best superhero movies out there.  In terms of craftsmanship and quality, it is on par with the best of the lot, to include the previously-mentioned Infinity War, as well as other legit classics in that realm, movies like Logan, The Dark Knight, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Superman II.  I can't recommend this one highly enough, and it is a joy to encounter something that is equal parts diverse, inclusive, and splendid.  I want to thank everyone involved for taking my favorite superhero to new heights.

*For the record, they're kinda fun, and I give the makers of the show props for trying really hard.  That's probably too kind.  Okay, okay.  Let's be real here.  The show was so hokey that it flirts with comedic glory.

**Shoot me if you must.  It's true.

Final Grade: A+

This wonderful feature succeeds partly by inviting lots of takes on our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to the party, but mostly because it nails each and every one of them, and allows them to participate in a marvelous story.

Short Attention Span Review: Batman - The Dark Knight Returns (2013)

Comics are all the rage these days and that certainly pleases geeks like me.  I'm more of a Marvel guy personally, and while they've owned DC at the box office, the animated movies that each publisher produces have been a different story.  The animated version of Frank Miller's epic The Dark Knight Returns may be the highlight of DC's animated glory and I'm eager to recommend it to you guys.  First off, Batman typically wins people over because he's gritty and determined, not because he has cool superpowers or wears a colorful costume.  Rest assured, he's never been grittier.  This tale concerns an aging yet formidable Bruce Wayne, who has actually spent a decade as a normal reclusive billionaire, having put his crime-fighting efforts on hold.  Those ten years haven't been kind to Gotham, and while Bruce becomes Batman once more to battle a ruthless gang known as the Mutants, he soon finds himself waging war against a couple of his biggest enemies--and his most powerful ally.  Of course he'll catch up with Jim Gordon, who is also nearing his end as a protector of the innocent, and there's a surprising new Robin in the mix to spice things up.  The action is vicious, the voice-acting is sublime (Peter Weller is a perfect choice for the caped crusader), and the animation is crisp and exciting.  There are some deviations from Miller's work, but the animated film that emerges is still a fine representation of his groundbreaking tale.  Originally, this was released in two parts, but I watched the deluxe edition that combines the two into a seamless but massive 148 minute extravaganza.  Batman - The Dark Knight Returns is incredibly violent and I'm honestly a bit surprised that they managed to score a PG-13 rating for this release.  Shocking though it may be in many aspects, it's also a fun ride.  It's fast-paced, it's satirical, it's laced with black humor, and it offers fans a chance to witness gruesome and conclusive confrontations with Two-Face and the Joker, as well as a bone-jarring showdown with Bats squaring off against Superman.  This is an easy title to recommend to mature viewers who enjoy stellar animation, comic book superheroes, or Batman in particular.

Final Grade: A

The Batman/Superman throwdown is the main attraction and it doesn't disappoint.