Whilst we eagerly await the next instalment of Marvel’s live action series, Spidey-Christmas has come early with this animated offering. Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse gives even the biggest sceptic plenty to enjoy: from a starry cast including Chris Pine, Hailee Steinfeld and Mahershala Ali to a feel-good soundtrack.



Tackling the question of "How many Spider-Men is too many?" head-on, this fun-filled film gives us a fresh and exciting look at this iconic character.



The film is effectively carried by Shameik Moore as Miles Morales - a disengaged schoolboy who becomes Spider-Man after he is, yep you guessed it, bitten by a spider. Haven’t we heard this story before? Well, yes. And we will hear it many more times throughout the film in a smart plot device used by Phil Lord - who brings the same maverick humour as we saw in The Lego Movie and Solo: A Star Wars Story.



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Miles enlists the help of Spider-Men and Spider-Women from the other dimensions to try and defeat the fearsome Kingpin (voiced by Liev Schreiber) as he threatens to force open a rift in the multi-verse using unreliable technology.



It’s a straight-forward enough story to keep younger viewers entertained as well as numerous high-fuelled action sequences to keep older viewers engaged. The presentation of New York as a hotspot for superhero action will be familiar to those who have ever watched a MCU film. The visuals add another layer, with the unmistakable Ben-Day dots firmly rooting our characters in the comic books from which they originated.



Also, keep your eyes peeled for the first Stan Lee cameo since he passed away. It’s a touching tribute and one of the more affecting moments in a film that’s unafraid to revel in its self-awareness.