Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

It sucks that almost every major motion picture these days is a self-aware pastiche and brand nostalgia compilation, but if the only stories that Hollywood can weave anymore are Easter egg baskets, it would be nice if more of them had the energy, artistry, heart and humor of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This animated feature is directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, but it feels like the key creative cog is co-screenwriter Phil Lord, who pulled off a similar feat of franchise maintenance with The Lego Movie. The story focuses on Miles Morales, a mixed-race teenager who takes over as Spider-Man following the death of Peter Parker. When a wormhole created by Kingpin brings Miles into contact with a diverse group of alternate universe Spider-People, they naturally team up to save the world. Superhero movies aren’t going away anytime soon, and if Into the Spider-Verse is any indication, maybe they shouldn’t.