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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 11 december 2018

Too much Spider-Man? Not in the Spider-Verse

By MARK KENNEDY Moore) is trying to navigate
Associated Press life between his cop dad
You might be forgiven for (Brian Tyree Henry) and his
feeling superhero overload cooler uncle (Mahershala
this holiday season. Had Ali). After being bitten by a
enough of, say, of Spider- radioactive spider, he wit-
Man for a while? Well, this nesses the death of Spider-
may sound nuts, but con- Man (smaller viewers, be-
sider watching not just ware).
one web-slinger but five But Miles soon learns there
of them in the animated are many other Spider-Peo-
“Spider-Man: Into the Spi- ple, freed from their realities
der-Verse.” Instead of over- by the hulking Kingpin (Liev
load, you’ll be begging for Schreiber), who has built a
more. This image released by Sony Pictures Animations shows a scene from “Spider-Man: Into the nuclear collider that allows
The film gleefully scrambles Spider-Verse.” access to alternative uni-
the notion there can be Associated Press verses.
only one friendly neighbor- The result is a film that’s fan- Rapper poster on his wall. CG animation and even “New Girl” star Jake John-
hood Spider-Man and of- tastically fresh, both visually He looks and acts nothing tweaks its own origins by son voices a flabbier and
fers the exciting idea that and narratively, trippy and like previous Peter Parker adding dialogue in little depressed Peter Parker
he can be anyone. He post-modern at the same types — Tobey Maguire, panels. who wears sweat pants
can be a girl, he can be a time and packed with in- Andrew Garfield and Tom The animators place their and is going through a di-
middle-aged dude with a triguing storytelling tools, Holland — and that’s great. story in a wonderfully grit- vorce to Mary Jane. There’s
paunch and he can even humor, empathy and ac- Hey, if Cate Blanchett can ty New York, complete a fedora-wearing, black-
be a cartoon pig. tion, while also true to its play Bob Dylan in a movie, with screeching, graffiti- and-white Spider-Man Noir
It’s hard to underestimate roots — still telling the story why not offer us a new look streaked subway cars and (Nicolas Cage) who has
what this means. “Spider- of a young man learning to on Spidey? charmless pedestrians, been teleported from bat-
Man: Into the Spider-Verse accept the responsibility of Produced by Phillip Lord (one of whom turns out to tling Nazis. And there’s Spi-
“ does what comics and fighting for what’s right. and Christopher Miller, be voiced by Post Malo- der-Ham (John Mulaney)
graphic novels have long Our main hero here is one the duo behind the ac- ne, who contributes to the who is rooted in Saturday
experimented with, but this plucked from a spin-off claimed “The Lego Movie,” soundtrack.) One quibble: morning kiddie cartoons,
time makes the leap to the from the main Spider-Man this Spider-Man saga pops Their ability to have things including the use of a drop-
big screen. It literally opens comic book universe: Miles with outstanding anima- in the foreground appear ping anvil.
up a universe of possibili- Morales, a half-African- tion, constantly changing in sharp relief while objects This odd family unites to
ties. “Anyone can wear the American, half-Puerto Ri- its styles. At times, it can in the background bleed take down Kingpin and re-
mask. You can wear the can teen from Brooklyn be hyper-real, then sur- away makes it seem as if turn to their universes, wink-
mask,” we are told. who has a Chance the real. It includes anime, slo- you’re watching a 3D film ing forever at themselves
mo, color distortion, Pop without those weird glasses. and the viewer, not a little
art, hand-drawn elements, Our hero Miles (Shameik like the “Deadpool.”q

Van Morrison’s latest finds him in

relaxed, swinging groove

By GREGORY KATZ comfortable and unforced.
Associated Press He’s once again using the
Van Morrison, “The Prophet considerable talents of
Speaks” (Caroline Interna- Joey DeFrancesco and his
tional) band. The results are im-
The first thing longtime lis- pressive, with 73-year-old
teners to Van Morrison will Morrison focusing on the
notice is the lack of angst feel and texture of each
— his 40th studio album song rather than seeking
is missing the usual com- the revelatory, soul-stretch-
plaints about the greed ing crescendos of some of
and cynicism of the music his earlier works. He seems
business. The next and most to have found a style that
remarkable aspect is the fits him as he ages, a blend This cover image released by
Caroline International shows
relaxed, easy groove that of instruments, includ- “The Prophet Speaks,” a
permeates through “The ing Hammond organ and release by Van Morrison.
Prophet Speaks,” which horns, that could have Associated Press
finds Morrison relishing his been heard in the late let Morrison pay tribute to
relatively recent incarna- 1950s but sounds perfectly departed performers he
tion as a jazz singer backed fresh today. used to share bills with. A
by an expressive, moody There are a few straight- half-dozen new songs — in-
band. forward covers of old fa- cluding “Spirit Will Provide”
It’s rather remarkable that vorites, including John Lee and the title track — con-
Morrison has been singing Hooker’s “Dimples” and jure up Morrison’s more
for well over half a century Solomon Burke’s “Gotta mystical approach to lyrics
and he’s rarely sounded so Get You Off My Mind,” that and arrangement. q