I never thought I’d be raving about the cinematography of an animated movie, but here I am! Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse stands on its own as an outstanding Spider-man movie worthy of all the praise in the world.

After going through three life-action Spider-mans, from Toby Maguire to Andrew Garfield to finally settling on Tom Holland, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a new Spider-man. As opposed to the usual Peter Parker, this one would center on Miles Morales, who I knew little about.

From the very beginning I was stunned by how beautiful the animation was. It wasn’t the soft features I’m used to from the many Disney animated movies, but rather the comic-book style sharpness of image captured my attention. Sometimes the action truly seemed to pop out of the screen with word bubbles and multiple panel-shots as if I was looking at the comic book itself.

The layered plotline interested me greatly, as twists that I swear not to spoil shocked me in those plush theater seats. And true, beautiful character development was created, in both the titular Miles Morales and his mentor, Peter Parker. It truly shows their growth in character as Miles learns to embrace who he is and become the hero he has to become.

Lastly, I can not get through a review of this movie without showcasing its soundtrack. If the movie is a work of art, then the soundtrack is simply a masterpiece. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve spent doing homework with the soundtrack blaring in the background, unable to keep myself from singing along to Sunflower just as Miles does in the very beginning of the movie. It matches up with each scene perfectly, displaying the character growth and intense moments of the movie through powerful music.

I 10/10 recommend going to see Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse. I simply cannot stress what a wonderful, fantastic, fascinating film it is!