My first run as an online film critic began with a Spider-Man review, so it’s only natural for me to try and start a new one in the same way.

THE STORY: Spider-Man fails to stop a particle accelerator experiment that puts him out of commission, but brings five other Spider-heroes from parallel dimensions to Brooklyn. It’s up to Miles Morales, bitten by a radioactive spider two days earlier, to learn the ropes from these displaced heroes and stop the accelerator before it tears the universe apart.

THE SCORE: “Amazing” and “Spectacular” are words that come to mind. 4.5/5

THE GOOD:
Miles Morales is a recent but well-received addition to the Spider-Man mythos, and it’s about time that he gets a leading role in a feature film. The core Spidey themes of power and responsibility are amplified by Miles’ personal background and status as a “legacy” hero, and his struggles in SPIDER-VERSE feel weighty and real. It’s hard not to root for him, especially when his victories feel so earned.

There are many, many alternative Spider-heroes who could also have been chosen to appear in this film, but the ones that did make the cut were mostly ideal choices. Miles and Gwen Stacy appeal to more diverse audiences, while an older, more jaded version of Peter Parker is a good stand-in for those who might feel like they’ve seen all this Spider-stuff before. (Pro tip: they haven’t.) A special shout-out here goes to Nic Cage’s Spider-Noir, who doesn’t play a huge role in the story but whose every line of dialogue is delightful.

SPIDER-VERSE is visually dazzling, with a bold color palette and acrobatic choreography that make every set piece a treat. Characters are expressively designed and animated, and a number of visual cues and scene transitions are pulled straight from comic books for an authentic experience.

The soundtrack is also strong, with lots of energetic hip-hop that matches well with Miles’ personality. It works to elevate some of the movie’s best scenes, including a remarkably tense encounter with The Prowler and a triumphant montage where Miles realizes his potential as Spider-Man.

It’s worth nothing that as successful as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been, not every superhero movie can or should be a part of it. Existing outside of the MCU canon frees SPIDER-VERSE to be experimental and weird in ways that SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, for example, never could have been. It’s also nice to be able to recommend this film without needing to list a bunch of other ones that the audience should have seen first.

THE BAD:
Nike got a lot for their sponsorship money – Miles’ custom Air Jordan 1 sneakers are featured so prominently that parts of the film feel like a commercial for them. It’s not as intrusive as the Krispy Kreme advertisements in POWER RANGERS, but it’s still more than a little off-putting.

IN CLOSING: It has been a blessed year for Spider-fans, as Sony seems to have finally gotten a handle on what people expect from this IP. Between the flawed but entertaining VENOM, the outstanding PS4 video game, and now SPIDER-VERSE, my excitement is at a fever pitch. I’m hoping for second helpings of all three, but what I definitely want most are more adventures with Miles and his friends.