Movie : Spiderverse, 2023

Standing ovation:

First off, congratulation to Spiderverse for a 5-star movie that left me in awe throughout the whole movie, for a top-notch evolution in the visual/animation/film industry, for opening the door to more experimentation, for telling the world that there are more than what is expected from an animation mould (Disney/Pixar) and for showing the world a new higher par to reach. There should be a huge celebration to thank all the amazing people that worked on the project because they created something new for the future. I felt like the movie is an homage to all the creative/visual people, I felt seen, I felt included - in the most nerdiest way as a creative. 

If you've watched Mitchell & The Machines on Netflix and you've watched the first Spiderverse, you'll know what I mean. It just hits differently, it felt like a playground for creatives to throw the ball and have fun in their most playful, colourful, unpredictable way possible. Not for the faint-hearted but amazing to watch at the bleacher nonetheless.

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Intro:

Af stayed home to take care of Sofi on the planned Thursday so that I could meet up with friends, read a book, and watch Spiderverse. So, a shoutout to him for giving me some 'me-time' that day.

I've been waiting for the 2nd movie since I watched the first one in 2018 (that movie left me in awe as well). Honestly, I didn't watch all the other films in the Spiderman series (except for Tobey + Andrew Garfield's ones but Spiderverse is an exception). 

So after the breakfast chat session with my friends, I booked the ticket and then had lunch while waiting for the screening time. Every time I mentioned it to my siblings or friends, they'd say: "Spiderman, the animation one?", none seems interested, so I decided to watch it alone. I watched it on Thursday, and Af watched it the next day, so we both can take turns in taking care of Sofi. 

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Things I want to Mention :

Okay, let's set aside the visual part that blinded me from the 'real' story. I just watched the jam-packed action film once in one sitting, so I don't think I manage to get much. But here is one thing that I think is worth mentioning for now. I assume that if you are reading this, you already watch the film so I don't have to summarize the whole story yeah:

The Battle that Miles is Going Through - in this film Miles is having a LOT of inner turmoil, he has to make a lot of choices and big decisions. It's the theme of this story, we can see how desperate, alone, and confused he is throughout the film. 

It's the 'me-against-the-world' type of story, a common "the hero's journey" story template, where the hero needs to go on an adventure, find himself or learn a lesson or win a fight or something, in order to come back home stronger, wiser, reborn or transformed. The typical arch of superhero movies. 

But the interesting take on the Spiderverse is how they created these crises:  

• The battle with his loved ones when he chooses to keep everything in secret
• The battle with versions of himself from different dimensions when he couldn't be a part of 'the team'
• The battle within himself when he starts having doubts after meeting Miguel O'Hara
• The battle with his 'shadow' when he goes back to the wrong dimension and faces himself as the 'Prowler'

It started with him against people around him, then him against himself from all different versions of him, then him against himself, and it ended with him against his 'shadow'. 

Let's mention Carl Jung's theory for a minute. There is one Jungian concept called 'the shadow' - the shadow that exists in each of us in our unconscious mind, our total opposite, the part of ourselves that we don't show to the world, our primal inner ego that we hide from ourselves and the people around us because it is not aligned with the best/ideal version of us. That shadow. So, in Jung's theory, it is important for us to explore our shadow, to understand, and embrace it as a part of ourselves in order for us to grow. 

“The meeting with oneself is, at first, the meeting with one’s own shadow. The shadow is a tight passage, a narrow door, whose painful constriction no one is spared who goes down to the deep well. But one must learn to know oneself in order to know who one is.” - C Jung

So in this context, the final battle Miles needs to face, after dealing with the people around him, his inner voices, and himself, is his own shadow. The other version of himself that is buried deep within him. If he can conquer or make peace with his shadow, then he will be reborn, transformed. 

Then the film ended and to be continued to part 2. 

That's my take on the story, for now. 

If I have more to ramble on this topic, I'll update this post !