7. “He’s Rising” (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)
Who better to bring us an animated Spidey feature than the guys behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The Lego Movie. Phil Lord and Chris Miller had made a name for themselves by making movies that were so much better than they had any right to be.
Fans delighted when Sony announced the Spider-Man project. This excitement only grew when we discovered Miles Morales would make his feature debut in the suit.
Morales was essentially a comics-exclusive character with a strong fan base desperate to see him on the big screen. They got their wish with the release of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
The film opened to critical acclaim, and Lord and Miller’s winning streak remained intact. It’s currently the third best reviewed superhero film on Rotten Tomatoes.
Few films come as close to perfect as this one. The visual style is completely unique and the script is smart, funny and fresh. The characters are all fully developed, especially Miles.
His arc isn’t exactly groundbreaking; countless superhero flicks have had the main character wrestle with their belief in their own abilities. It’s the execution here however that sets it apart from the usual schlock.
We’re so invested in his story that when he finally makes that leap of faith and becomes Spider-Man, it’s so utterly cathartic for him and the audience that we feel like we’re soaring with him.
The visuals are stunning, as they are for the entire film. What really lifts this scene up however is just how satisfying the resolution to Morales’s arc is. It’s a brilliant scene in a brilliant comic book movie.
