This week I want to direct your attention in a whole different direction. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is an animated film released in theaters in December 2018. Now I have never undermined animated movies or shows. Many people may find animations childish, but an animated movie can be just as stunning and memorable as live-action films. In recent years, shows like “BoJack Horseman” and “Rick and Morty” have taken adult themes and a lot (and I do mean a lot) of existentialism and embedded it into a typically childish format. While “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” doesn’t have similar adult themes, it still manages to attract people of all ages. This movie does this with its sweet coming of age story for Miles Morales and its stunning animation, which has won awards and my heart. This movie happens to be my favorite animated film, not just because it follows Miles Morales, someone I can relate to as a person of color. Still, it embodies the struggle of a teenager adjusting to change vibrantly. Nowadays, we all know Peter Parker; I mean, there have been three adaptations of him, there’s only been one film adaptation of Miles, and his character so well done. The soundtrack is catchy, the cast is notable, and the protagonist is lovable.

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 The story, although it’s recognizable; Peter Parker gets bit by a radioactive spider and receives power. Instead of getting the “with great power comes great responsibility” spiel again, we see a new character attempt to deal with new capabilities while filling the void of power left in New York City. Miles is a reluctant hero, not because he’s irresponsible, but because he’s a teenager that’s dealing with a lot of change at once, change that he didn’t ask for, and resents. He’s thrown into this situation, and throughout the movie, he’s stumbling and can’t find his footing even though he does want to help. I think we can all relate to the desire to be better but not knowing how. This internal conflict reaches a broad audience of all audiences. With the simple message of “leaping faith,” everyone can feel catharsis when we watch Miles finally take that leap, metaphorically and literally. Although this theme may come off as cheesy hearing it in a review, the movie pulls it off so well. The film is cheesy in humor at the surface level but between the animation and characters, all the jokes land. My favorite part in the movie comes right before Peter B. Parker is teleported to Miles’s dimension, and he’s giving a monologue. I swear I can quote most of that monologue word for word.

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 If you have caught on by now, I find this movie incredibly endearing; to me, it’s a cult classic. I experienced nearly every emotion on the spectrum during this movie, but even if the movie’s plot isn’t your thing, it is worth watching just for the animation itself. There’s visual humor that you’ll catch after you’ve become just as obsessed with the movie as I am. As I wrap up this entry, I hope you’re already pulling up a website you can watch this movie on (sadly, Netflix just removed it off their site). Please, if you watch or you have watched, comment on your feelings about “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” I’m eager to see Miles Morales become one of the famous superheroes among the rest since he has become my favorite portrayal of a teenage hero. I can’t wait to cosplay as him at Comicon once covid-19 is over!