Spider-Man has been one of the more polarizing superheroes to date. At first, he seems to be a somewhat simple product of a genetic accident and bad jokes, then he is fighting with the Avengers, and then he is splitting atoms and fighting in alternate dimensions. So, to say that it is a surprise that something like “Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse” exists is a bit of an understatement. It would also be an understatement to say that it is one of the best movies to come out last year.

To people who are not familiar with Spider-Man, the premise might seem a bit weird. Spider-Man has been broken into separate universes and continuities, so when series antagonist Wilson Fisk (Liev Schreiber, “Isle of Dogs”) drags a handful of them together into an experiment, up-and-coming Spider-Man Miles Morales (Shameik Moore, “The Get Down”) finds his world literally turned upside down.

The one thing audiences will notice right off the bat is the art style, which mixes computer-generated animation with a retro comic-book aesthetic. Making various POWs and BANGs flair across the screen and having various borders give off the impression that the viewer is literally watching a comic book come to life; it experiments with dropping motion blur in favor of a more hands-on approach to its animation. The movie would be a spectacle even if the writing were not amazing (though it is). Hopefully, we get to see more of this style in the near future, with the amount of sequels and spin-offs that have already been announced.

Spider-Man also seems to flip a coin when it comes to humor. Sometimes it is witty and clever, while other times it is grindy and obnoxious. In this instance, the coin landed heads up then opened the register and flipped all of those coins too. Very rarely do any of the jokes miss, so both newcomers and fans will find something to laugh at. Sometimes it does slapstick action, and other times, it has an almost stand-up vibe to it.

All of this is helped along by great writing that shows each of the various Spider-Men (and Women) having their own hang-ups to deal with, largely the thing that has made the character so universally beloved. Miles and Peter Parker (Jake Johnson, “Tag”) definitely steal the show, while some of the others like Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn, “Duck Tales”) fall by the wayside, almost to the point where the movie could have done without them. But watching a jaded and older Peter Parker who has been weathered by many different series deal with an anxious and wide-eyed Miles Morales is the core of the story. Miles’ ascent into Spider-Man is the main grab of the film.

This is not to say that the film is strictly comedic. It is very much a coming-of-age story that is not afraid to make the most of its extremely large and very talented cast, which also includes the likes of Hailee Steinfeld (“Bumblebee”), Brian Tyree Henry (“Widows”), Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”), Nicolas Cage (“Teen Titans Go! To the Movies”), Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”) and John Mulaney (“Big Mouth”). Even when the story slows down a bit, audiences will find a lot of tender moments and even some that will make them cry. They even manage to fit that one Post Malone song in there and still make it work.

This truly is a film for everyone. Veteran Spider-Man fans will find a humorous blast that showcases all of the rich history, while even small children can empathize with the characters on screen without needing an extensive lecture. It is an adventure that is sure to captivate people from all backgrounds without feeling stretched.

Image from Sony Entertainment  via YouTube