Into the Spider-Verse First Reaction: Both Hosts Say They Loved It

The two hosts sat down to watch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for the first time, and both came away loving it. It earned favorite status for its multiple versions of Spider-Man, and Miles Morales' arc was singled out as one of the best things about the film.

For fans wondering how these two first-timers would take the multiverse concept, the reaction matters because the pair are already planning to react to Across the Spider-Verse next, so this was their baseline reaction to the film that started it all.

A love for the multiverse twist, but an art style that strained the eyes

Asked directly what she thought of the film, she said, "I loved it. I love how like they have so many different ones. I love that they even had like the twist of different animation like versions of them." She did flag one issue with the visual style for viewers like her: "There was some parts where I was like kind of having to like squint a little a little just because I felt my eyes like tweaking out a little bit too much," she said, explaining that her astigmatism made the background blur effects harder to watch. Outside of that, she reiterated, "other than that, I loved it."

Miles Morales' self doubt and the mentorship theme stood out

Her co-host focused on how thoroughly the film built out Miles Morales as a character, noting that Miles doubts himself early on and carries guilt over what happened to his dimension's Spider-Man. He pointed to mentorship as a defining thread for Miles, running through his relationship with Uncle Aaron, the betrayal Miles feels on learning the truth about him, and the bond that develops with Peter B. Parker, voiced by Jake Johnson. He liked how that relationship evolved from Peter wanting nothing to do with a kid to a change of heart brought on by mentoring Miles. He also highlighted the film's message about self belief and not letting doubt win, calling it a lesson that applies beyond superheroes.

Both hosts credit the film for Kingpin's motivation and its comedic lines

He also praised how the film handled Kingpin, saying that while he did not agree with what the villain was doing, the loss of his family gave the character a compelling motivation. He enjoyed the film's punchlines throughout, and summed up his overall take by saying, "If there was one thing they nailed in this film, it's relationships. But overall, I really love this film."

Do you think Into the Spider-Verse holds up on its own, or does it work better now that Across the Spider-Verse exists?