#It is a fun movie Peter B Gwen and Miles have good dynamics

[ask-cloverfield]

while I am excited for AtSV I gotta admit the multiverse part of ITSV was kind of the part I cared the least about

Like it’ll probably be fun but also just

Peni, Noir and I feel like there was another one I can’t remember felt kind of barely relevant to anything happening in the movie other than the you can wear the mask and Miles is definitely an interesting enough character to just have his own story

admittedly part of this is due to Noir’s characterization bleeding into the comics coloring the perception but still

[clay-tries-his-best]

! atsv spoilers !

when i sat down in my theatre seat to see atsv im telling you i was being the most autistic fuck you've ever witnessed. you could practically see the sparkles in my eye, dude.

the spot. my godddd he's so silly. the marketing ploy to make him seem like the side villain from the trailers was so fucking smart. I really thought that Miguel was going to be the main villain considering him fighting miles in pracgjcalky every trailer ever and being in the post-credits scene of itsv. and miles dealing with having to be everywhere at once was very realistic and gave me the classic "oh my god this poor boy this is painful to watch". oh and gwen's beginning scene of the drums just gave me the feeling that the movie was going to be fantastic. like, betrayal, amazing visuals, more gwen?? already a wonderful start. also the fact that the spot's whole reason to turn into a major villain is that nobody, not even the person who caused his disfigurement, would take him seriously- like- HUH???? perfect. wonderful. bro just wanted miles to pay attention to him for a little while.

Pavitr and Hobie were also really great additions to the spider team. Despite the fact that Hobie's accent was so thick and deep that I couldn't understand what he was saying a good third of the time, he still managed to work his way into my top 5 characters of the movie. THAT is good character building. At first I thought he was going to be the stereotypical love rival, considering his first mention was miles getting jealous of him and gwen being friends. I was worried that was how the story was actually going to go when he upstaged miles by breaking done the collider force field, but hes actually a really chill and cool guy. pretty sure he even roots for gwen and miles, so that's pretty funny. Pavitr was also super funny with a great character design. " Chai means tea, you're just saying tea tea! " was probably one of my favorite lines / jokes from the whole movie. His world was also very pretty and SUPER detailed. Props to every artist for Mumbatten.

Miguel and Peter B.'s dynamic was really fun to watch as well. This cryptic emo ass mastermind vampire who has watched people die and destroyed a universe next to this middle aged man in a pink fuzzy bathrobe who's oogling over his daughter. also, the line where Miguel said " I've had the right amount of you today " to peter b instead of " I've had enough of you " like the normal saying goes was kinda queer. just saying. but yeah, great villain, and I do want to see him in the final battle against spot, but I eventually don't want him to be the one to beat spot, y'know? If it was to be anyone, it's obviously going to be miles. Whether it's just miles or miles and gwen or miles and the gang gwen assembled at the end of atsv (WHICH HAD SPIDERNOIR YESSS SPIDERNOIR FANS LETS GOOOOOOO I HAD THE STUPIDEST SMILE ON MY FACE WHEN I SAW HIM IM TELLKNG YOU), in the end it's still gotta be miles.

the collider scene with the spot was really cool. spot may be silly, but he's not dumb enough to be " saved " by his archnemesis who only cared about him when he was about to become a transdimensional eldritch horror. boss move. his final form was really pleasing to look at because you can just see the detail that went into it. Looking at some screenshots, I noticed there were a lot of eyes and I'm pretty sure I saw a version of spiderman (original world 1610 peter, possibly?) staring at miles / the audience. despite him not showing up for another hour, hour and a half, I wasn't mad. If a movie can avoid showing the main villain for that long and still have them integrated properly, just, wow. blown away. oh and this part made me even more interested because his beginning ost, spot 1, I think? his random beats and tunes sounded more silly and disorganized and clumsy, like him trying to take the atm. near the end, he got spot 2, which was more shrill and frightening. I'm not musically trained, and I could still tell that it was scarier, and to me, they sounded very similar. To not have too far of a difference between the two and stroke two entirely different chords is just. ugh. wow.

don't even get me started on prowler miles... RAHHH THE CHARACTER AND WORLD DESIGN FOR UNIVERSE 42!!!! it was so beautiful and scary and breathtaking because there is. no. spiderman. when miles's mom didn't know what he was talking about and gwen wasn't really outside, it hit me like a brick in the head. and alternate aaron??? hello??? he made me physically uncomfortable because of how terrifying his face was. i couldnt even tell if he was wearing makeup or he was just that dramatjcally shaded. the turn miles does to see that it was his dad painted on the wall instead of aaron.... GRAHHHHHH

as an aspiring artist, I can say nothing but wow. that movie, the fact that it was 2 HOURS AND 20 MINUTES???? HELLO??? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WORK THAT MUSTVE TOOK??? unbelievable. and you know that sony felt bad for making us wait on a cliffhanger, so they probably were around 3/4 done with atsv and started working on beyond, so we didn't have to wait as long as we would've if they finished atsv and then started beyond. I'm so glad that those 5 years in the Sony team paid off, because that. was. amazing. my depression is vaporized. im going feral, going wild, going insane. i will not think of anything else until beyond is out. can't wait to see my bbg spot have his villain moment in March 2024!!! <333

[feminariden]

Finished the movie! It really is that good! First superhero movie i actually enjoyed!

It really lives up to the hype, the animation is absolutely.... godly tbh? Maybe even more than that, the final battle might be the greatest animated fight scene of all times, i definitely need to watch it again on youtube later, not a single frame that wasn't a masterpiece, i want to print them all and tape every i own with that, kt was just very beautiful and colorful, way better than i was expecting

Now, as for the plot, it was great, i guess the only "flaw" is that certains parts like the villains really felt For The Fans and barely know enough of Spiderman lore to know what each of them are or do, but like, none of them were bland or had bad motives, i def loved Octavia, from her designs to her fights and evil intelligence, but I do wish we got to know more about Miles' uncle because that was one hell of a twist; but i Don't want to read Spiderman or consume any Spiderman material so I guess i'll just live with my questions :/

Comparated to the villain i think the Spider Team was introduced quite amazingly instead, the little gimmick to explain each comic where they come from like if the reader already knew that works pretty well, you don't get the full story but you still get everything you need to understand them as characters and people; all of them felt really complete despite not getting a lot of screentime, every scene with them was written with a clear purpose in mind and a message to get across to the viewer

Def loved Peni and her gimmick (even my dad loved it) and the scene where her mecha gets broken is the closest this movie got to make shed a tear, Spider Noir was quite... interesting? He is the one who left me with more questions out the heroes but because he's so cool i want know more about him, Spider-Man was quite... epic i might say, as someone who watched a lot of Looney Toons as a kid i really enjoyed his gags, Gwen was someone who i kinda expected more screen time by how it seemed like to be the tritagonist but she really wasn't? I found Miles' dad to have a bigger role as hero than her, but I still liked her, she was funny, smart, helpful and elegant in her strenght, nothing to complain except her awful Karen haircut but it wasn't her fault </3, kinda sad she only accepted Miles' friendship only in the end because their potential dynamic seems pretty cute and fun, but Oh Well there is a new movie for them to explore it! Cool spider(wo)man moving on.

(Oh and as for Blondie Parker, liked his time as Migues' first supporter as spiderboy, despite his bravery you can really feel how tired and cynical he has become from being Spiderman, a struggle that got later inspired by Peter B, tragic character who never got clusure and left a wife behind, maybe the biggest rewl tragedy of this movie tbh)

Getting to the Main Characters... Miles and Peter B Parker were just... exceptional tbh

One of the most unique mentor/student duos i have seen, i love how both have their own "zero to hero" arc in different directions, Peter B isn't any less talented as blondie Peter, but he isn't nearly as heroic as him, and Miles, who is just some art kid with nerd tendencies that literally has the weight of his universe of his shoulders snd eventually their arcs mirror eachother, Peter B understand that he doesn't want to be alone anymore and that he NEEDS a family to care about, and Miles gets he CAN do it alone because his family cares about him, poetry into motion

I found both of them to be extremely relatable, Miles doesn't want to disappoint people anymore and Peter B is just burnout, but they both learn that with great powers come great responsabilities but also new opportunity and that's what worth fighting for, always keep fighting no matter the odds to get your happiest ending possible

Also their bond is soooooooooooooo sweet, I love this kind of found family that is like "yeah these people have their own families but there are still fatherly feelings around here", Miles is the reason now Peter B wants a kid and that's hilarious, they carry this movie, like- no actually they MAKE this movie

And speaking of family i love how this movie uses Miles' parents, it really makes a good job to keep them involved in the narrative and Miles' life without getting in the way of the spider matters, Miles' bond with his father was such a core part of his arc and themes, it's just as important to the ones between Miles and Peter B, Rio isn't as important but she was sweet too, love to see parents that ALIVE and a POSITIVE INFLUENCE IN THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES

Miles is just... a dorky little baby who has no idea how much he's been blessed with lol, he's so good at everything he does but the first time he finds something he's shit at he's just "welp i'm not going to speak to my parents for a 2 days now", he's such a real teenage boy

This "family" theme carries onto different characters, like Peni and losing the robot her dad made, the uncle's relationships with both Miles and his brother, and even Aunt May, who is now, well kinda alone at this point, but I did loved she was Spider Team's main ally and kept the... spidercove for them? (I'm sorry but was this in the comics? because where i'm kinda lost on that ngl)

She was awesome, pretty much every woman, minor or not, in this movie was, not that this movie has ANY bad characters in first place but i like this kind of inclusivity too, even MJ who has 2 scenes was cool, only flaw is that i guess there weren't many interactions between women? I guess Gwen fought Octavia but I kinda would havw wanted maybe a little talk between Gwen and Peni about being the only Spidergirlies around, this movie only passes the Bechdel Test because Gwen said MJ they would bring her some bread, step up your game Sony!

Also a lot of meme references? Which is fair, Spiderman is a blockbuster series of movie which toooons of cultural impact, and beyond that, who would expect the next movie "teaser" would have just been "pointing spiderman"?

So i'm watching Beyond with my dad? Absolutely yes, it will be sad i will have to wait 5 years for the story to conclude but i can wait :]

Still don't get the Peter B Parker thrist like from a sexy perspective he's just a guy to me.

I have finally given up and i'm watching Into The Spiderverse with my dad who loves Spiderman? i'm 1/3 in the movie now and right now, it's pretty awesome 👍

The animation and blend of 2D-comic style (and visible sound effects) + CGI is pretty genial, the comedy and timing is really well done and so are the jabs to comic book clishès, the characters are hilarious but not in a forced and over the top way, Miles is pretty adorable and his bond with the cynical Peters is rather interesting, all in all i'm seeing why this movie is hyped so much

[monkey-network]

An Unfortunate Critique of Spiderverse - Part 1 (of 3)

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse was a fun award-winning 2018 animated film with a basically unanimously positive fandom, regarded generally as both a masterpiece Spider-Man film and a remarkable animated film overall. And while I do not disagree with that, it definitely earned its spoils, it pains me a bit to bring up the reason(s) why I can’t call it the masterpiece that many claim. I like this film, but I don’t love it as much as others and I wanted to express why. And I will see to be critical, not cynical. Fair enough? Spoilers ahead for this... 2018 film that you should’ve seen already.

Part 1 ~ The Spiderverse Squad

Now believe me when I say that I enjoyed this trio. Spider-Ham wasn’t as funny as I figured, but he still stood out like Peni and Spider-Noir in a respectable way. I especially loved the fandom’s reaction to them with fanart and jokes galore. But on a look back, it dawned on me that while their presence was welcome, our writers blew the load too soon and wasted these characters. Roll with me, will ya?

If you come to know me, you’ll figure that characters are the element I find the most crucial of your story; you mentally can’t just throw in random heroes into the story unless they’re significant to the protag, story, or world as a whole. It’ll feel weird, like you have no coordination. And yeah, the B team adds to Spider-verse’s worldbuilding mechanic that is the multiple universes; it thematically makes sense that more than one Spidermun can exist. And additionally kicks ass, no objections here. The problem I argue comes when while they add to the world building, it honestly added little to our boy Miles’ story, and it’s that disconnect that makes the characters feel more unnecessary than before. This doesn’t help when things could’ve worked far better if it only involved Gwen and Beter. To explain this better, I wanna bring up a couple films that are similar to Spider-verse yet knew how to use their secondary characters, the first one being...

Kung Fu Panda, baby!

The furious five sans Tigress is about the same as Spider-verse’s B-Team where Po really doesn’t rely on them to both unleash his inner strength and face the final boss in the end. They’re his muse for enjoying martial arts. Po interacts with them a little more than Miles does with the others, but we still have that disconnect between the upcoming novice and the experienced. That disconnect however is counter-balanced by their significance in the story, not only in certifying the stakes that come with Tai Lung, but being the necessary crew to another important character: Tigress.

Tigress is not only a character that Po looks up to, she’s a character with something to prove herself. She puts down Po because she’s envious of the special treatment he’s involuntarily receiving and mirrors the villain Tai Lung before his descent to villainy. The movie would’ve probably been fine if the Furious Five didn’t exist and it was just Shifu and Po training together, but having the five, and Tigress especially, in the story adds a great triangle of interaction between Po and Shifu, Shifu and Tigress, and Tigress and Po. Which makes it all the more poignant when she runs away to face Tai Lung herself, stern in proving herself to both Shifu and Po. We know that she wouldn’t win against him, but that loss is added two-fold when the other four were there to support her. The others aren’t as cynical towards Po, but it’s understandable that they sided with Tigress, thinking their experience together will help them succeed. It makes sense that the four willingly fight with Tigress, and it’s reasonably daunting when Tai Lung is able to tower all of them by himself. Compare this to Spiderverse where we kinda don’t get see our heroes and villains, excluding Miles, stack up that well until the 3rd act; it’s hard to wonder if who’s evenly matched and who can overpower whom. It doesn’t help that Peter, Gwen, and Miles are all isolated from the other three during the final fight in the warp terminal. 

It’s in the end where Po proves himself the Dragon Warrior, he not only earned that respect from the five but feels more complete knowing he and his idols look up to each other in a way. We really don’t get that interpersonal synergy with Miles and the B team beyond the moment of them together post Aaron’s death and their initial meeting, the best we get is that Miles knows he isn’t the only Spider-man but even that doesn’t feel as personal as his relationships with Gwen and Peter. Plus while Gwen and Peter are important characters, we don’t see much of a personal connection between the five Spidermun, it mostly comes off as an obligation that they’re together. Now I won’t lie, this is a pretty unfair comparison. The B-team came together on the fly, and it’s not like Miles, Gwen, and Peter knew who they were in the first place. But remember when I said a couple of films in the beginning? This leads to an ironic situation, coming from one of my other favorite movies about being special...

Been a while since I talked ‘bout this beauty

I think it’s safe to say Spiderverse and The Lego Movie have a kindred story beat where our hero meet some tagalongs that have their own thing but nonetheless contribute as supporting characters. But unlike Spiderverse, the Lego Movie showed something I never figured about characters until I saw it once again last year. The other characters have their stake in the plot, but they are also relative features of our main character Emmett. Unikitty resembles his boundless optimism, Benny his excitability, Batman his emotional conviction, and so on. It’s a stretch, but it is possible to note supporting/secondary characters as facets of who our main character is, what they lack or what’s the most prominent idea of them. In Steven Universe, the crystal gems are separate elements of who Steven is at his best or wants to be. Beastars has Legosi, Louis, and Haru have differing aspects of growing up that blend well when united. It’s essentially the braincells meme, the parts make up the whole. Gwen and Peter fill those parts exponentially for Miles, with Peter’s experience and Gwen’s finesse in her skill, to show him the work that goes in being a hero. Same goes for Aaron and Jefferson on a more personal level, being the ones to give Miles the necessary conviction to become the hero. All I gotta ask is: Can ya say the same for Peni, Noir, or Porker?

Again, not that they’re bad characters, but they mostly felt detached from the story in multiple angles

Now at this point you’ll probably say, “Monkey, we get it, where are you going with this?” Well, I can’t help but feel the B-team, while alright on their own, unfortunately feel like cameos that overstayed their welcome. Beyond the initial meetup, the interactions we get with them are second to none, there is no significant dynamic between the B-team and the two spidermun that are more significant to the story. I feel a little less charitable for media wasting potential and it doesn’t help that writing them out until the final fight is very easy. “Peni and Sp//dr were responsible for repairing the flash drive?” Well, I can say a few hints in the movie can point to Aunt May, Peter, and/or Gwen doing it instead. It’s hard to come back to this film compared to the others I’ve exampled when the back of my mind is going “Why are ya’ll here?” I say it would’ve been surprisingly cathartic if the B-team came near the end where they helped out and met up with the trio before bouncing back to their dimensions. As such, we could put more time in for Miles and Gwen together at Aunt May’s house the same way Peter and Miles got earlier before the plot generally runs the same, we have less voices but we build on those character dynamics for more than that bus ride they share. Add to that character theme of Miles, Gwen, and Peter B. being the different generations of Spider-man or something. Overall, I love them, and they feel wasted in this film.

I just can’t see Spiderverse where the focus of these three subsides the interest for the other three

I wanted to discuss this particularly because as much I can say that much detail in the film fundamentally works, which I will discuss later in this analysis, it stands to say that not every ambition in this undoubtedly ambitious movie was added well. It’s honestly how i feel with randomness humor, it’s fun at first but you gotta do more than enough to make it timeless while keeping the surprise of it intact. Or else you just wish they just replaced that joke with something more constructed. Said before, they don’t or weren’t able to utilize these characters beyond their cameo level moments, and it is not a good thing that they’re potentially saved for the sequel because I hate the idea of depending on a sequel to fix the 1st movie’s issues. I gotta wait to 2022 for a potentially better management of characters and that bothers me. I appreciate what I got, but I unfortunately can’t say that appreciation equates to a free pass of what’s detrimental to my love for this film. Now, I tagged this as part one for a reason, because this is only a symptom, a fun size piece to a bigger story problem I have.

Next time. Otherwise, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy your day.

[meggannn]

anyway here’s where i stand on the whole ‘peter b as miles’s father figure’ thing. behind a cut cause this got long and spoilers for spiderverse obviously

there’s a very accurate post going around that says ‘miles didnt need a father figure, peter needed a son figure’ and i think that's pithy enough to sum it up, but i had more thoughts about their dynamic as i rewatch it. in another universe (hah) i might say ‘a kid can have two father figures’ and miles clearly has a big enough heart to love jefferson, aaron, and peter all as positive male figures in his life, but the underlying theme that people much smarter than me have rightfully pointed out is that replacing, or even adding, peter to miles’s list of father figures reduces the importance of a black father already in miles’s life and quite frankly, they make it clear that miles isn’t looking to view peter b as a dad figure anyway. honestly i’d even argue that peter doesn’t really view miles as a son even by the end, but more like a favorite protégé and close friend

we can presume miles goes to aaron so much (“has a soft spot” for aaron, as his dad says) because he feels disconnected from his dad. they quickly establish aaron is his go-to adult figure for whenever he’s feeling lost or confused or stressed or just needs someone to listen and not judge, because uncle aaron, with no spouse or kids, has the freedom to be the cool uncle miles gets to do fun things with. graffiti is illegal, yes, but aaron is a master at supporting his nephew in a way miles wants to be supported: uncle aaron looks at and compliments and supports his art, uncle aaron teaches him how to talk to girls, we can probably presume uncle aaron is also where miles got his love of music and his punching bag is probably where miles learned the boxing stance he takes up when noir challenges him later on

i believe that miles WANTS to go to his dad with all of the things he goes to aaron with -- i think he almost calls his dad after leaving may’s house before getting discouraged by his stern voicemail -- but scenes like the car drive to school show miles that his dad won’t listen when he voices his insecurities and worries. it’s not for lack of love there, but he’s terrified of his dad’s disapproval and restrictions of the life he chooses to live. by the end of the end of the film this fear is, if not completely alleviated, definitely rectified a little -- miles knows his dad supports his art, and that officer jefferson davis supports spiderman even if he doesn’t approve of his methods, and that’s enough for him

peter b also won’t -- and can’t -- replace aaron. peter b only really becomes a solidified mentor figure for miles in the forest escape. that’s not to say miles didn’t like peter b, he still clearly thought highly of him and was desperate/excited to learn from a spiderman, but only does he really see what peter b can offer him when peter teaches him how to swing through positive reinforcement (peter telling miles to stay behind, getting upset he followed him into the vent, hissing at him to “just unstick!! they’re gonna see you!!” just frustrates and stresses miles out. miles wants to feel useful and included and supported, like aaron makes him feel).

miles is impressionable: he copies RIPeter’s move in the final battle to get up to the ceiling panel. he copies aaron when aaron climbs the fence and during the infamous shoulder-touch with gwen, and he copies peter b during the alchemex heist several times: mimics that cute chin-grab scene as they scout alchemex, (tries to) copy the elegant swing as peter climbs down from the ceiling, notably uses peter’s thwips, and finally he copies peter VERY fast on positional movement as they fly through the forest: miles’s legs swing wildly at first but within seconds he’s mimicking peter’s flying crouch-bounce. only after seeing how well peter b works in demonstration does he say “you’re amazing man!”

there’s not too much he copies his dad about though, because he thinks he and his dad have nothing in common. by the end of the movie it’s clear to him that even though they don’t share hobbies or interests or even have the same outlook on the world, his dad still loves him very much, and is willing to bend to meet his son halfway, which is all miles wanted him to do from the beginning. miles now has what he wants from his father; he doesn’t need peter to fill that role for him, or even be another father for him. something tells me miles would laugh peter back into his dimension if peter ever tried to father him

of course the biggest thing that convinced me is that peter b stopped believing in miles, right when miles needed support the most. he’d just lost his uncle, the best male role model in his life, and loses another one soon after when peter b ties him up and leaves him in his dorm. it’s jefferson’s unconditional love and support (and miles knows jeff believes miles doesn’t reciprocate) that gives miles the strength he needs to come into his own.

(tangent: for the record, i don’t blame peter b really -- or the rest of the spidergang -- because the stakes were high and miles clearly WASN’T ready to face kingpin after losing his uncle. i see it as the spidergang trying to protect miles from not getting killed, yes, but also from not having to fight so soon after losing his uncle. it wasn’t miles’s fault he wasn’t ready, and it was the responsible thing for peter b to do to sacrifice himself to save the others as the oldest of the crew (even if he was using it as an excuse to avoid going back home) but still, not what miles needed at that moment in time. miles needed to feel useful and that he could still help fulfill the promise he gave to RIPeter, even if he wasn’t the one to put the goober in. peter b kind of took the choice from him, said it was for his own good, and left miles lonelier than he’s ever been -- and just when he though he’d lost the support of every adult figure in his life, his father comes back into the picture. miles realizes he always had that support, but he needs to stop wavering on the fence and face his fears: will he move backwards or forwards? will he commit to this school or self-sabotage by flunking and skipping just to go back where he’s more comfortable? will he accept his role as a superhero or live a normal life? will he stay in his bedroom while his friends are in danger or stand up so someone doesn’t have to die?)

tbh the kicker for me is that even in the end, well after miles sees peter b as someone to look up to instead of just tolerate, it’s pretty clear from their interactions that miles sees peter like a friend/spidermentor/occasional life coach, and peter treats miles like a close mentee and dear friend. that’s different from the relationship miles wants from his dad, and still different from the relationship miles had with aaron (though close enough that you might be able to argue peter b steps up to fill another uncle role in miles’s life post-canon; aaron and peter b have similar traits in how they’re single adult men who can get away with being reckless and a little lawless because they have no one to hurt but themselves)

each of miles’s relationships with the men in his life are unique and none of them really replace or are in jeopardy of overlapping with each other. he has the capacity to love all of them in his own way, and does. and anyway that’s where i stand on that.

i feel like i could write another post entirely on why peter b isnt a father figure because he hasn’t really (yet) done the growth necessary to be one (he’s depressed, stuck in a mid-life crisis, and has begun to hate his dangerous, unpredictable, unquittable job that compromises every relationship in his life -- he can’t be a father! he’s barely taking care of himself!), which is why stepping into this role as miles’s mentor/uncle-ish figure is the best thing that could’ve happened to him if he wants to fully realize his potential in this next chapter of his life. but i digress.

[zak-animation]

Miles Morales: The Hero’s Journey of ‘Into the Spider-Verse’

In this post, I’m exploring the plot of my chosen film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as an example of the Hero’s Journey as described by Christopher Vogler. The film examines what it means to be a hero, and I felt like breaking down the plot in this format would be a good start to my research into the movie and it’s narrative. For this post, I’m primarily responding to the first essay question:

Analyse your chosen narrative with close reference to the Hero’s Journey or another appropriate story template. You may write about the film’s failure to fit a conventional structure too. Understanding how a film may subvert and challenge narrative conventions is a good aspect of structural analysis.

Act 1: Separation 

1. Ordinary World - introduce the character’s everyday life After a fun opening shot featuring Peter Parker, the film quickly introduces us to the film’s main protagonist Miles Morales. Miles is a teenager from Brooklyn who admires Spider-Man, and we’re shown that he’s struggling to live up to the expectations and standards of his parents and teachers. The film establishes the strong family dynamic of the film, in which we learn that Miles’ father, police officer Jefferson sees Spider-Man as a menace. We learn that Miles has a passion for street art, and pop music that allows him a sense of comfort and ease. After school, Miles sneaks out to visit his Uncle Aaron.

2. Call To Adventure - the hero receives  a call to adventure Aaron takes Miles down to an abandoned subway station, presenting him with a blank canvas. Miles sets to work creating a graffiti ‘masterwork’, and is bitten by a radioactive spider in the process. He’s been bitten, and there’s no going back now.

3. Refusal of the Call - the hero (initially) refuses the call Though just a brief moment, Miles does initially refuse the call in a sense of disbelief. After finding out he has spider-like abilities, Miles reads an Amazing Fantasy comic book detailing the superhero origins of Spider-Man, and he draws similarities to what he’s experiencing. He refuses to believe there ‘can be two Spider-men’. He runs away, saying ‘it’s just puberty’ as the thought bubble ‘no’ flies off around him.

4. Meeting the Mentor - the hero meets the mentor Miles returns to the subway station, searching for the radioactive spider. He unintentionally finds a particle accelerator built by big bad Wilson Fisk, who wishes to open parallel universes in a tragic attempt to find alternative, alive versions of his wife and son. Miles watches as Spider-Man swings in to save the day against Fisk’s villainous cronies Green Goblin and the Prowler.

Spider-Man ends up saving Miles from falling to his death, and they share a bonding moment in which they realise they both have similar spider-like abilities. Miles meets his superhero inspiration and mentor, who says he’ll show him ‘the ropes’. Unfortunately, the mentor is gravely wounded by an explosion during the battle, which also kills Green Goblin.

5. Crossing the Threshold - the hero crosses a boundary, and enters a new world Spider-Man gives Miles a USB drive to disable the accelerator and warns him that if the machine is turned on again, the city will be destroyed. Miles makes an escape after watching Fisk pummel Spider-Man to death. Miles has been given a task, and now the city enters a new world: one without Spider-Man.

Act 2: Descent and Initiation

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies - the hero is tested  In a comical sequence, Miles attempts to master his new abilities and become the new Spider-Man - but manages to inadvertently damage the USB drive in the process. He visits Spider-Man’s grave, and meets Peter B. Parker, and older and more tired version of Spider-Man from another dimension. We find out that Peter has been dragged into Miles’ dimension by Fisk’s accelerator, and needs to return home - and so begrudgingly agrees to train the Brooklyn teenager in exchange for help in creating a new USB drive, using stolen data.

Here, Miles faces new challenges and tests as he teams up with older Spider-Man to break into Fisk’s research facility, and fight off against chief scientist Olivia Octavious. She reveals that Peter will eventually deteriorate and grows closer to death the longer he stays in their dimension, while Miles manages to take the desired data. The dynamic duo make a hasty retreat, pausing to grab a bagel before Peter teaches Miles to web-swing. They are saved by Gwen Stacy, another dimension-displaced spider heroine. Gwen takes Peter and Miles to May Parker, who is shown to be sheltering the other Spider-People: Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Ham, and Peni Parker and SP//dr, who are also deteriorating before Miles’ eyes. He steps up the plate, and given the fact that this is his dimension, offers to disable the accelerator to send the other Spider-People home. Miles, and the audience, begin to learn the rules of this new special world.

In this step, we are introduced to Mile’s allies and enemies, as we learn more about Peter, Gwen and the gang. Something mentioned in the research lecture when we first explored the idea of the Hero’s Journey was how this step was also known as ‘trailer material’. This was especially true with Into the Spider-Verse, as the majority of shots came from the visual gags and quick-paced action of the ‘break in’ scene and as Miles learns to web swing with Peter.

7. Approach To the Inmost Cave - the hero approaches an external / internal threat The heroes attempt to teach Miles how to use his powers, but their lecturing becomes overwhelming and he runs back to Aaron’s home for advice. When he gets back, however, he discovers that Aaron is actually The Prowler, one of Fisk’s hired guns. Terrified, he flees to May’s house, to find out that Peni has completed building the drive. Unfortunately, Miles was followed by Fisk and his enforcers Octavius, Scorpion and Aaron himself. A fight breaks out, and Miles tries to make an escape with the drive.

Prowler seizes Miles, who prepares to kill him on Fisk’s order. Miles unmasks himself, leading Aaron to realise he has been hunting down his own nephew. Prowler decides not to kill Miles, leading Fisk to shoot him in the back - killing his uncle before his eyes. Devastated and afraid, Miles makes a run for it.

The Spider-gang prepare to face Fisk by attending his dinner party in a convenient disguise, while Peter restrains Miles in his dorm and leaves him behind for his own safety. Peter decides to sacrifice himself by taking Miles’ place in deactivating the accelerator, and swings away to help the others. With his mouth webbed up and stuck to his desk chair, Miles’ father Jefferson knocks on his son’s door to tell him about Uncle Aaron. With just silence as his response, Jefferson assumes Miles doesn’t want to speak to him, and proceeds to apologise for his mistakes as a dad.

Here, our hero faces his inner demons and reaches his lowest point. Jefferson leaves, and Miles is forced to combat his own demons. He realises he’s ready for the challenge, and using an on-request surge of energy, breaks out of the web. This isn’t the Ordeal, this is just the build up to it. Miles returns to Aunt May’s house and the original Peter’s Spider-Cave, and designs his own costume using his own spray cans. We next see Miles clinging to the side of a skyscraper. He’s more confident, but he’s still scared. He’s not Spider-Man yet. Miles adjusts his position, in preparation for the ordeal, moving closer and closer to the edge.

8. Ordeal - the hero faces his threat, midpoint, death and rebirth ‘That’s all it is, Miles - a leap of faith’. Our hero lets go of the building, as the window shatters around his hand, and leaps down into the city skyline. He’s out of control, plummeting towards the ground below. We’re left in suspense as Miles takes a literal leap of faith.  

9. Reward - the hero gains something (Seize the Sword) At the last second, miles shoots a web upwards….and it sticks to a building! Miles begins to swing, moving through New York with a visually pleasing fluidity that oozes confidence. After running between taxis and across windows, Miles swings on top of the Brooklyn Bridge and catches his breath. He looks at Fisk Tower, and as an audience, know he’s ready - he is Spider-Man.

Act 3: Resurrection and Rebirth

10. The Road Back - the protagonist, now a hero, embarks on a quest back Miles swings back to meet the gang, and battles Fisk’s enforcers for a final time. It’s a quick fight, but we see how Miles has become his own hero and plays off of his team members easily. Miles manages to activate the USB drive and sends all the Spider-People back to their home dimension.  The other heroes have returned home, but the fight isn’t over: Miles isn’t out of the woods just yet.

11. Resurrection - the protagonist is reborn as a hero Fisk and Miles fight it out throughout the accelerator, which attracts his father’s attention. Jefferson watches as this new Spider-Man risks his life to protect the city and the ones he loves, and realises he’s not the enemy. Spider-Man is reborn as a hero in his father’s eyes, which inspires Miles to defeat Fisk and destroy the accelerator in the process. Jefferson and the authorities arrest Fisk and his enforcers, as the officer and the city recognise Spider-Man as a hero.

12. Return With The Elixir - the hero returns, changed Miles swings around the city, ecstatic to be Spider-Man and have his father’s approval. We literally see him return to his ordinary world - in this case, his bed, at the end of the film. Miles lays back, transformed by the experience. He embraces who he is, and the responsibilities of his new life.

Response In this post, I’ve begun my research into my chosen film of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. To kickstart the process, I’ve analysed the film’s plot in relation to the Hero’s Journey, a narrative structure described by writer Christopher Vogler. It’s clear to me that Chris Lord presents a refreshing take on the Hero’s Journey, following all the beats outlined by Vogler, but in an exciting way that’s new and distinctly…Spider-Man.

As an update on the classic Spider-Man origin story, Mile’s superheroic beginnings manage to feel unique and fresh, whilst also echoing those of Peter Parker’s. However, it should be worth noting that the film’s actual narrative - of becoming a hero - is nothing ground-breaking or particularly new. Instead, that honour goes to the the film’s animation and visual style. It’s a brand-new approach to animated filmmaking, and it’s going to make waves in the industry. 

To continue my research exploring Into the Spider-Verse and it’s narrative, I’m going to be looking at its ground-breaking comic-inspired visual aesthetic: how it was made, and how this allows the filmmakers to tap into an entirely new approach to visual storytelling in film.