ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
JANUARY 11, 2019
MOVIE ENTHUSIASTS DO NOT FEAR, SPIDER-MAN IS HERE
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ ended 2018 with a new hit 4.5 out of 5 stars
Kurt Larson the advocate
Before giants such as Marvel and DC rose to become the powerhouse purveyors of superhero content that they are today, Pixar’s “The Incredibles” was once touted as the greatest superhero movie to hit cinemas. However, with the start of the Marvel cinematic golden age, beginning with the release of “Iron Man” back in 2008 and bolstered by the Christopher Nolan-directed “Batman” movies, opinions started to sway and eventually the title of best superhero movie would be given to many other films in the coming years. In the hearts and minds of many, though, The Incredibles could, at the very least, be considered the
greatest animated superhero movie of all time. But a new challenger has entered the arena, and it might be time, once again, for Pixar to hand over that coveted title. “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse,” directed by the trio of Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, and Robert Persichetti Jr., is the latest from the genre to hit screens, and is arguably one of its best. Taking place in an alternatereality “spider-verse,” the movie features Miles Morales as the average awkward teen protagonist. As one might guess, he is unwittingly bitten by a radioactive spider, and eventually finds himself embroiled in a plot to save the universe. While still getting the hang of his new spider abilities, Miles is forced to work with a group of Spider-men from multiple different realities in order to prevent the infamous Kingpin from messing with the time-space continuum any further and opening a black hole under New York City.
Pretty simple, right? With such a bizarre and seemingly complex plot, one might be inclined to assume that this undertaking could only result in a mediocre product, at best, especially with Sony Picture Studios still holding rights to the franchise. Thankfully, if you held this assumption, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover how amazing this movie actually is. Into the Spider-Verse truly impresses: From its comic book deep cuts to its inventive and beautifully unique art style, this movie has no trouble keeping the viewer entertained. Somehow the writers even managed to find a wonderfully cohesive way to present the origin stories for its many new characters. Speaking of characters, Shameik Moore does a fantastic job as the voice of Miles (Ultimate SpiderMan), along with Jake Johnson and Hailee Steinfeld as Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, respectively.
Nicolas Cage makes an appearance as Spider-Man Noir and is expectedly delightful to listen to. All these
positive Web photo attributes, and many more, culminate to create one of greatest, if not the greatest, animated superhero movie, and most certainly, the best Spider-Man
movie ever released. Being animated, the film lends itself quite well to this particular plot and is undoubtedly the closest anyone has come to truly relaying the feeling of reading comics to the screen. With its snappy dialogue and beautifully choreographed action sequences, not to mention everything else listed in this review, it’s no surprise that Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse gets a solid 4.5/5. Why not a 5? Well, as with anything, the film could a l w a y s somehow be done better, and to be fair, there are a couple plot inconsistencies that might take you out of the moment if you really look for them. Still, in spite of these slight shortcomings, its creators have produced a masterpiece fit for the whole family.
INDOOR ACTIVITIES THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK Mariah Getch the advocate
Need ideas for something to do during these cold winter months? Heat it up at a concert! From huge, extravagant venues to intimate coffee shops, various artists are constantly performing in Portland and its surrounding areas. Popular artists’ concerts are always selling out fast, but sometimes the local musicians can be better – especially for your wallet. It’s always a good idea to be constantly checking ticket websites for low-priced concerts, and scoping out new artists that you’ve never heard before. However, I know that can be time consuming – especially with this new term starting – so here are some concerts in January that can help you unwind! There are concerts available as early as this weekend. Vein will be playing at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland this Sunday, Jan. 13, and tickets are on sale, from $32-$35. However, if you’d like something farther out, Jacob Banks will be
playing at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland this upcoming Tuesday, Jan. 15, and tickets range from $22$72. Those are just a couple of the countless concerts playing this month. If you’d like to purchase tickets, the best way is to go directly through the venue’s website, because they tend to have the best prices. Another way to unwind is letting off some steam with laser tag! The Wunderland on Burnside offers quality, miner-themed games for only $4.25 a game, per person. It is open noon to 11 p.m. on SundayThursday; noon to midnight on Friday; and 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday. Then again, you could kick back and relax at the Mt. Hood Theatre in downtown Gresham. The theater offers only a few different movies at a time, but the insanely cheap prices –$4.50 per adult and $3.50 per child – and the outstanding popcorn make the experience worthwhile.
. Y L P P A . T I S I V . EXPLORE
1 P.M. SAT., JAN. 26 Come early! Optional campus tours begin at noon.
LEARN ABOUT
s • Academic program s • Application proces • Campus life • Paying for college
WE ARE WUE! Learn how you can receive a $10,000 award. vancouver.wsu.edu/wue PA G E 7
