As we reach the end of another stressful year, there is no better time to reflect on the best the entertainment industry had to offer in 2018. From films to tv to video games, using a series of articles on different topics I’m going to save you precious binging time by listing the very best of entertainment you missed last year.
‘Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse’ is a wonderful celebration of the popular web-slinging superhero. It takes advantage of the tropes, characters, and universes that have become synonymous with the character over his 56 years on our pages and screens. It crafts an exciting, perfectly paced and shockingly emotional story. Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers which transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents.
2018 was a year stuffed to the brim with films that were nothing more than cash grabs. The sheer volume of remakes churned out for a quick buck became exhausting. This film was a light in Hollywood’s dark tunnel. It may be the sixth Spider-Man film to grace our screens, however, it embraces the inevitable comparisons and distinguishes itself with fantastic execution. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ was one of the few films I saw this year that didn’t put dazzling visuals before an impactful story. The story comes first and that is evident from the very start. This approach pays off as the story moves at an unstoppable pace, hitting every beat perfectly on the way. Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman should be commended for combining a celebration of a character with their talent for comedic, emotional writing.
Of course, even though the story is the focus, the film is definitely not devoid of dazzling visuals. The animation style is delightfully unique and brings new meaning to the phrase ‘comic-book adaptation’. This animation style wonderfully brings comic book pages to life and really highlights the emotions on every characters’ face. The characters’ inner emotions are also repeatedly displayed in gleefully comic-book style pop-ups on screen. These nerdy visuals, combined with the comedic human writing, make this film one entertaining ride.
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ stands out as the shining example for future adaptations of the web-head to follow. It’s not a genre-defining film. It doesn’t break any new ground. However, in its execution, it swings high above the competition. ‘Spider-Man: Into Spider-Verse should become a staple of Christmas television as it is full of lessons for viewers both young and old and is stuffed with plenty of laughs and great entertainment. The film’s commitment to putting an impactful story first is something many filmmakers in this industry would do well to learn from. It is this dedication to the story that not only makes it one of the best Spider-Man films, but one of the very best films of 2018.
Make sure to look out for more in my best of 2018 series. There’s still plenty more brilliant entertainment to discuss.