According to the Customs of My People, Chinese and a Movie on Christmas

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Cast:
Shameik Moore ... Miles Morales (voice)
Jake Johnson ... Peter B. Parker (voice)
Hailee Steinfeld ... Gwen Stacy (voice)
Mahershala Ali ... Uncle Aaron (voice)
Brian Tyree Henry ... Jefferson Davis (voice)
Lily Tomlin ... Aunt May (voice)
Luna Lauren Velez ... Rio Morales (voice)
Zoë Kravitz ... Mary Jane (voice)
John Mulaney ... Spider-Ham (voice)
Kimiko Glenn ... Peni Parker (voice)
Nicolas Cage ... Spider-Man Noir (voice)
Kathryn Hahn ... Doc Ock (voice)
Liev Schreiber ... Wilson Fisk (voice)
Chris Pine ... Peter Parker (voice)
Natalie Morales ... Miss Calleros (voice)
Edwin H. Bravo ... Brooklyn Visions Security Guard (voice)
Oscar Isaac ... Interesting Person #1 (voice)
Greta Lee ... Interesting Person #2 (voice)
Stan Lee ... Stan (voice)
Jorma Taccone ... Green Goblin / Last Dude (voice)
Joaquín Cosio ... Scorpion (voice)
Marvin "Krondon" Jones III ... Tombstone (voice) (as Marvin Jones III)


Directors:
Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Writers: Phil Lord, Rodney Rothman

Yes, it's better than the trailer

This is a spoiler free review, of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and I will not go into the minutae of the plot beyond what you can see in the (attached) trailer.

Charlie and I saw this, while Sharon^* and Nat saw Mary Queen of Scotts, because Sharon^* was not interested in seeing an animated superhero movie, and I have always had a visceral loathing of Mary I of Scotland, so I did not want to see the movie.

Natalie was up for both, but went, and enjoyed, Mary Queen of Scotts, which was probably best for her.

The basic plot is that Wilson Fisk (The Kingpin) is engaging in dimension spanning experiments to further his nefarious (but understandable) aims.

This threatens the very fabric of existence, and brings other Spider beings into Miles Morales' universe.

Miles Morales must learn how to use his powers and work with other Spider folks in order to do this.

It's a rather ordinary Spider-Man plot with a multiverse thrown in, but really, you don't go to this movie for the plot, you go to the movie for the characters and the art direction.

The characterization, and dialogue, are very good.

"How good?", you ask?

So good that I did not find Nicholas Cage, who voiced Spider-Man Noir, annoying.

The performances are all top flight, with Kathryn Hahn's performance as Doc Ock, and Hailee Steinfeld's performance as Gwen Stacy being the strongest.

As to the art direction, it was magnificent.

First, they had a clear vision, and a reason to use animation as a result.

Second, their vision recreated the medium of the printed comic book to a degree I have never seen.

In addition to using the classic boxes for internal dialogue, they treated the background in a way that evoked the occasionally problematic color registration issues present in comic books, along with the occasional captioned sound effects.

One health note here:  If you have an issue with flashing lights,  migraines or a seizure disorder, it might be triggering.

Nat was having a mild migraine yesterday, which is why it was good that she saw Mary Queen of Scotts instead. You probably want to make sure that you are ready for what is a very vibrant style on that day.

One final note, it has what will be one of  Stan Lee's final cameos, with him telling Milo that about his Spider-Man costume, "It always fits -- eventually,"  pulls at the heart strings.

There is also a blink-and-you-miss-it call out to Steve Ditko.

Finally, (do I need to say this for a Marvel Studios Film?) SIT THROUGH THE WHOLE CREDITS.  Seriously.

Overall rating: 9 of 10.

As to the Chinese food, we had dinner after seeing the movies, and I shared Peking Duck with Sharon^* at David Chu's, a local kosher Chinese eatery, which I highly recommend.

That duck is why I did not write the review last night. It's delicious, but it is perhaps the best sleeping aid that I have ever encountered.

I was sleeping like a baby at 8:30 pm.

^*Love of my life, light of the  cosmos, she  who must be obeyed, my wife.