Into the Spider-Verse reviews round-up: What critics are saying about Marvel's new Spider-Man movie

Critics are raving about the animated film in which Shameik Moore voices Miles Morales, one of several Spider-Men

The reviews are in for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and critics have raved about Marvel's animated reboot of the superhero's adventures.

Far from the usual formula that saw Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland step into Spider-Man's suit in recent years, Into the Spider-Verse focuses on Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), a teenager of Puerto Rican and African-American descent who turns out to be one of several Spider-Men.

Jake Johnson (best known as Nick Miller in New Girl) voices Peter Parker, who in this instance takes on the role of Morales's mentor. Spider-Ham (John Mulaney) and Spider-Noir (Nicolas Cage), alternate versions of Spider-Man, are also featured in the 117-minute film, which has gained critics' ascent for expanding the superhero's universe and delivering a surprisingly essential narrative.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will be released on 12 December in the UK and 14 December in the US.

Here is what the reviews have said so far (spoiler warning):

Variety

(Positive)

Presented in a playful, pop-culture-savvy comedic package, the movie effectively expands Sony’s hold on the Spider-Man character to include a potentially infinite number of spin-off projects, the first of which — a femme-centric installment featuring all the women from Spidey’s world — has already been announced, with countless permutations to come. From here, Sony can slice and dice the so-called Spider-Verse (a comics conceit in which Marvel first tried to unite the many different versions of the Spider-Man character) for audiences’ infinite amusement, and the studio’s infinite remuneration. (Peter Debruge)

The Guardian

4/5

Though they occupy the same frame, each of the Spider-friends moves with their own distinct animation style informed by their home dimension, and that’s just one in a smorgasbord of clever visual flourishes. Not since Sam Raimi’s godly mid-2000s run has the kinetic exhilaration of web-swinging felt so tactile, and the Manhattan through which our hero sails felt so specifically realised. While the computerised cinematography roots our assorted Spiders-man in a coherent physical space, the production design gleefully sprints as far as it can in the opposite direction. The animators indulge in fits of vibrant psychedelia worthy of comparison to the Wachowski sisters’ candy-coloured Speed Racer, culminating in a retina-searing grand finale that crams a tempest in a lava lamp. At long last, a Spider-Man cartoon that goes well with MDMA! (Charles Bramesco)

Mashable

(Positive)

All those other Spider-Men, then, become not just a way to celebrate the weirdness and variety of the comics, but a reaffirmation of the notion that it could be anyone behind that mask. Spider-Verse not only returns Spider-Man to his comic-book roots, but reinstates that fundamental idea. In this telling of the story, it truly could be anyone behind that mask – a little girl, a grizzled detective, a middle-aged sad sack, maybe even another unassuming New York kid – and all the people wearing it are better together than they are apart. (Angie Han)

Vox

(Positive)

Rest assured, true believers: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won’t let you down.

The new animated movie is a sleek and soaring, a wonderful paean to the spirit of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s legendary web slinger, embodying the relentless hope and optimism of its hero in such a classic way. But it also unearths exhilarating new ground – by way of spectacular deviations from the norm that the Marvel Cinematic universe and live-action filmmaking don’t always allow for – that makes it feel like something tremendously innovative, while still traditionally Spidey. (Alex Abad-Santos)

LA Times

(Positive)

While there is plenty to mock here – Lord and Rothman’s script gets in some choice digs at Peter Parker’s relationship issues – what distinguishes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in the end is that it takes its mission seriously, even when it’s being transparently silly. There is nothing cheap or snarky about the way the movie festoons its action sequences with “POW!” and “BLAMMO!” word bubbles, or shows us squiggly little lines whenever someone’s Spidey sense tingles. It’s a sign of a movie not just embracing its hand-drawn comic-book roots, but also striving to be the fullest, truest version of itself it can be. (Justin Chang)

The Verge

(Positive)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a raucous, smart, self-referential adventure. The comics-inspired visuals are stunning, and the emotional coming-of-age story is relevant and inspiring, even as it acknowledges the many Spider-Man movies that have come before it. Sony is clearly looking for a way to launch its own distinct take on Spider-Man that can stand up to the live-action MCU version, and that franchise now has its first instalment. (Bryan Bishop)

IndieWire

(Positive)

Tragic news for anyone who’s sick of superhero movies: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse completely reinvigorates the genre, reaffirms why it’s resonating with a diverse modern audience that’s desperate to fight the power, and reiterates to us how these hyper-popular spandex myths are able to reinvent themselves on the fly whenever things get stale. Just when it seemed like Infinity War might be the culmination of a cultural phenomenon, that Stan Lee’s death could symbolise the end of an era, and that Turn Off the Dark was always going to be the silliest possible subtitle for a Spider-Man adaptation, along comes a delirious postmodern spectacle to remind us that these movies will exist for as long as people need to see themselves reflected in them. (David Ehrlich)