It’s hard to believe that five months ago that The Emoji Movie made it past the drawing board and into theaters. It’s even more difficult to believe that the same company that produced that steaming pile of trash also released a movie that nabbed a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and became the highest acclaimed Spider-man film of all time. It’s difficult to believe, but it’s not impossible, because that’s exactly what Sony Pictures Animation managed to do. With Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Sony made it known that not only can they create a half-decent film on a beloved hero, they can do it with style and prowess. I’ve been keeping my eye on this movie for a while, and I’m glad that it lived up to expectations.

I’m not going to lie — when I first saw the Rotten Tomatoes rating, I got nervous. The last film that received a perfect score was A Quiet Place. There was such a hype built around that film that when I finally got around to seeing it, it severely underwhelmed. But Into the Spiderverse was everything I expected and more. At its heart, it’s a classic coming of age story following the newest Spiderman, Miles Morales. But what makes the movie unique is it’s artistic mash of cultures and artistic styles.

Comic strips have a classic look to them: dotted colors, white movement lines, wide-eyes and split-screens. The film takes that vibe and expand upon it. The style leaves much room for interpretation, and Into the Spiderverse seizes every possible moment. If you were to stop the film at any point, you would find yourself face-to-face with vibrant colors, artistic angels and practically flawless cinematography. The “fight sequences” seem more like dances, the characters leaping across the screen, punctuated by a dramatic, techno soundtrack (composed by Daniel Pemberton). The quiet, more touching moments had softer colors and a lighter sound accompanying it, but the artistic beauty remained. It was a wonderful balance that the art department behind the film truly mastered.

I don’t like having a completely positive review, but I really had to search for something to comment on as a negative for Into the Spiderverse. In superhero films, the aspect that usually lacks is the main villain. But the film even attempted to cover that base as well. They gave a classic Spider-Man character, King-Pin, a tragic backstory, that made his mission more than just power or money. It gave more depth to the story and I really appreciated the effort. The only thing I can say is that there were some superhero movie cliches that found their way into the film, but that is to be expected. There’s bound to be some repetitions of troupes, what with the amount of superhero movies that are being released into cinemas. Even so, this one managed to separate itself, not only with its style, but with its humor and surprising heart.

In a world saturated with Spider-man movies and video games, Into the Spiderverse is like a breath a fresh air. Its creativity, ingenuity, and willingness to break the boundaries of animation sets it apart from other films. For those who you who believe you’ve seen enough of Spiderman, I ask you to give it a real chance. I think you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised by what the creators of The Emoji Movie came up with.

Rating: 9/10

Good Idea if You Liked: Inside Out, Spider-Man: Homecoming, How to Train Your Dragon