Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse parents guide

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Parent Guide

An appealing story wrapped in stunningly innovative animation.

Overall A-

This animated version of SPIDER-MAN introduces multiple Spider-men from multiple universes. When a threat arises they must team up to save the whole of reality.

Release date December 14, 2018

Violence C
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use A

Why is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse rated PG? The MPAA rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language

Run Time: 117 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Miles Morales (voiced by Shameek Moore) is enduring adolescence. Frustrated with the elite school he attends, Miles sneaks out of the dorm one night. He links up with his cool Uncle Aaron (voiced by Mahershala Ali), and they head down to abandoned subway tunnels where Miles works on his graffiti skills…and gets bitten by a spider.

We all know what happens next…but Miles is horrified when he starts to sweat profusely and sticks to everything. As the truth finally dawns on him, he goes searching for the original Spider-Man, and finds him just before his death at the hands of Kingpin (voiced by Live Schreiber). Spider-Man a.k.a Peter Parker, was trying to destroy a super collider built by the super villain to open multiple universes. Peter Parker gives Miles a flash drive and makes him promise to use it to destroy the machine before Kingpin can destroy all of reality.

Miles is in way over his head, but luckily Kingpin’s initial use of the super collider has drawn other spider superheroes into our universe. They can’t stay because their atoms are degrading – “glitching” – and they must return to their universes or die. The web-slingers all agree that Miles isn’t ready to work with them because his powers are undeveloped and poorly controlled. For his own safety, they tie him up and head off for the ultimate conflict with Kingpin and his evil minions.

Not surprisingly, this superhero movie is packed full of violence of the “bam” and “kapow” variety. Characters are punched, kicked, thrown, hit, tossed, choked, and stomped throughout the film. Very little blood and few injuries are shown. This film is easily suitable for teens; as for younger children, parents will want to consider their tolerance for violent action before bringing them to the theater.

The minor negatives also come with some big positives. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has great messages about the strength of family relationships, being patient with maturing abilities, and having faith in yourself. When Miles, frustrated that he can’t use his special powers at will, asks Peter B. Parker, “When will I know I’m ready?”, Parker replies, “You can’t. It’s a leap of faith.” Miles, like every other teenager, needs to find the courage to take that leap.

Far and away the most striking feature of this movie is its visual design and animation. Not only do Sony’s animators manage to create the sense that the story is taking place in a living comic book; they also move effectively between different visual styles. The dominant aesthetic is a highly stylized pop art style, but it comes through in scenes with smooth, computer animation as well as in sequences that have a hand drawn look. Each of the other superheroes - Peter B Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), Peni Parker (Kamiko Glenn), and Spider-Man Noir (Nicholas Cage) also has a distinct animation style – film noir for Spider-Man Noir, anime for Peni Parker, a Saturday-morning-cartoon look for Spider-Ham – all of which are beautifully rendered. The film is truly a visual feast for animation devotees and casual fans alike. With this outstanding animation and an appealing story, this Spider-man film may well find itself swinging into the Oscar-verse.

Directed by Bob Persichetti. Starring Miles Morales. Running time: 117 minutes. Theatrical release December 14, 2018. Updated

Watch the trailer for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Rating & Content Info

Why is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse rated PG? Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is rated PG by the MPAA for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language

Violence: Non-stop animated violence. Characters are punched, kicked, thrown, stomped, choked, throttled, hit with heavy objects, etc. throughout the entire film.  Firearms are also used on occasion. Very little blood or gore is shown in any of the scenes. A superhero is killed, but the actual murder is not seen.
Sexual Content: None noted.
Profanity: None noted.
Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Parents' Guide

Miles and his father love each other and struggle to communicate with one another, even though they both want to. What can teens do to communicate more effectively with their parents? How can parents communicate more clearly with their kids?

Miles has a hard time learning to use his powers. Have you ever struggled to develop a skill or talent? How do you deal with the frustration that is part of that experience

Loved this movie? Try these books…

Hardcore Spider-Man fans will enjoy delving into Mark Ginocchio’s 100 Things Spider-Man Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

Viewers enraptured by this film’s visual design will appreciate Ramin Zahed’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The Art of the Movie.

Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time remains a classic novel about teens saving the universe.

Suppose your parents had an invention that allowed you to jump between universes? How far would you go to track down the person who destroyed your family? Read Claudia Gray’s A Thousand Pieces of You to find out.

What if getting on the wrong school bus didn’t just take you to the wrong school – it took you to another universe? Catori fights evil powers to return home in Catori’s Worlds by Murielle Cyr.

News About "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE was previously known as The Animated Spider-Man.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie is March 19, 2019. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:

There are so many Spider-Man films already, there might as well be multiple universes. The most recent reboot of the franchise is Spider-Man: Homecoming which sees an adolescent superhero seeking guidance from Iron Man and aspiring to join the Avengers team.

Tobey Maguire stars in Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2. Another spin on the franchise comes from Andrew Garfield who stars as the web slinger in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Looking at films that make you question reality? Try Inception. This slickly produced film will either fascinate or terrify you. A less disturbing film about potential alternate realities is the classic Back to the Future.