This movie is a couple years old now, and is getting a sequel. But I didn’t hear much about it when it did come out. It was overshadowed by other super hero movies, and it didn’t do as well in the box office either. But I want to know why. I love this movie and so do my kids.
First up, let’s talk about the animation style. The desired affect was to appear like a comic book, and I think they achieved that. It definitely gives that comic book feel. But what really impressed me was the use of words and actions made it look like this really was a moving comic book. The framing and angles they used to make emphasis. Can I hear Miles screaming WOOOOO! I can, but seeing that fall with him in visual word form as he jumps amplified the excitement of the moment.
I’ve also seen posts thanking the film makers for animating women that all look different. But I’m going to spring board off of that and thank the film makers for not only giving us diverse looking women, but also diverse acting women. Two of the spider people are female, which we need more hero women, but one of the villains was a woman as well. It wasn’t until I watched this movie that I noticed how few supervillains were female. It may seem odd that I’d want more women in evil roles, but diversity means there are men and women in all roles, not just the protagonist. Not to mention that Penni Parker is Asian American, giving even more variance to group.
Which brings me to Aunt May. For me, Aunt May is usually a side character that is only there for her relationship to Peter. She still kind of is, but there are 3 things that make this May different. Well 4, because one is she was voiced by Ms. Freaking Frizzle, Lily Tomlin. But she isn’t a weak old helpless woman. First off she knew Doc Oc on a first name basis and just by the way she said, “oh, its Liv” seems to indicate they have some kind of history. Second, she knew and prepared the Spider Lair for Miles return. She was ready to equip him with what he needed, meaning she’d also helped Peter and played more than just the kind old aunt in his life. And lastly, she didn’t run from a fight. She took a baseball bat to Tombstone’s torso. She isn’t weak or cowardly, she was not about to let these hooligans destroy her home, she was ready to fight them for it. I repeat she bashed Tombstone with a bat. I loved this Aunt May and I hope the sequel shows us Miles has kept a relationship with her.
Now to Miles. This is simply happiness over representation. Miles is a mixed kid. A mixed child is depicted in a happy loving home, as the main protagonist, the hero. My children are mixed, Miles gives them a Spiderman that looks like them. I can’t tell you how much I love that. It shows a black man as a loving father, partner and a police officer. How many negative images of black men do we see in shows and movies? This movie gave us a good one. Can I just repeat, we got movie with a mixed kid as the hero?
The music score and song selections were absolutely perfect as well. The sound effects really make a movie. They are one of those things you probably don’t notice because it fills out the experience and supports the story. It’s one of the things you don’t notice when its there, but you would notice if it were missing. It’d feel empty and hallow to you. Like when you taste something and you know something is missing but you aren’t sure which exact spice it needs. Music gives emotion to a movie, and this music department did incredible.
And I’m just gonna throw this in, this film has one of Stan Lee’s last cameos. By the time it came out on DVD and Bluray, he had passed. His cameo in this film is made more emotional because of that. It makes me tear up. Especially knowing how much Stan loved Spiderman. I’m gonna miss him.
But even just on the surface, it was funny and cute. The dialogue was captivating, the characters developed, the jokes well placed. It made me laugh out loud.
It was a good movie. It deserves the fanbase its developed, and I hope the sequel will prove that numerically.
Dose of Sunshine 