I have had the opportunity to express my doubts and tribulations regarding ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and its supposed celebratory condition of the figure of Spider-Man. Although although he had that intention and wants to play those thematic and emotional keys, he remains insufficient due to mechanical tendencies and for not elaborating something consistent around the ideas.
In that sense, there is another much more successful film in the task of celebrating one of the most important and recognizable comic figures of all time. One that breaks free from the limitations of live action and really opens up the possibilities of a multiverse. That’s ‘Spider-Man: A new universe’, which is already available on Disney + (in addition to HBO Max).
Being Spider-Man
The most fascinating thing about this animated prodigy, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller among the names involved to drive it, is how it tries to explore the character through circling the periphery of Peter Parker. Here the real protagonist is Miles Morales, a young African-American and Latino who wants to have a simple normal life as a teenager and ends up with powers identical to those of Spider-Man.
But he is not alone. In addition to Peter Parker, he meets another Peter Parker, a young woman named Gwen Stacy, also with arachnid powers, and more people from other universes who have ended up in his. An experiment gone wrong has lured them here and they must try to reverse it while Morales learns what it truly means to be Spider-Man..
Referentiality is the order of the day, taking details from the history of the comics and their variants as well as the scheme that live action movies have followed. But it is not limited to recovering those references, or simply satirizing them -which it also does, and in a very funny way-, but very cleverly and effectively integrates it into the hero’s journey Whats Next.
‘Spider-Man: A new universe’: an absolute prodigy
Despite being the Spider-Man movie that accumulates more details, they never cease to be well woven and designed to reinforce the main story, achieving a consistent film that also celebrates all that Spider-Man has to offer. One of the most successful decisions is to establish a connection between Morales with one of the villains so that the final duel has meaning and strength.
And that without going into your amazing visual finish, product of the combination of countless animation techniques and the lack of fear of taking risks and advance the medium. Just what is lacking in the two great giants of animation lately, such as Pixar and Disney, and it is not surprising that this has been one of the few that has snatched that Oscar for Best Animated Film that they win almost by decree. It is an absolute marvel of a movie.