Author: Trafficblast

One of the first images on the screen at the start of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is an “Approved By The Comics Code Authority” stamp, trailing right behind a glitched out slideshow of different studio logos. It’s a nod that comics history buffs will no doubt appreciate, both as a fun Easter egg, and as a perfect tone setting introduction. This is a comic book movie–not a movie based on characters from comic books. It is literally a comic book turned into a movie, and every single piece, from the character designs to the animation itself, has been designed from the ground up to make that possible. The result is visually stunning and completely unique.

Into the Spider-Verse is the story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a slightly put-upon but otherwise unassuming teenager in Brooklyn who is struggling under the weight of his parents’ lofty expectations. However, during a slightly less-than-legal graffiti excursion with his slightly less-than-reputable Uncle Aaron, Miles’ life is turned upside down when he’s bitten by a dimension-hopping radioactive spider. Dimension-hopping becomes a recurring theme–it’s the basis for the titular “Spider-Verse,” an inadvertent convergence of Spider-people from different universes, brought about by a villain’s scheme. It’s all pretty sci-fi, but never too sci-fi, even for those who are less well versed in comic book science than others–especially not in the same year as Thanos’s snap or Ant-Man’s exploration of the Quantum Realm.

In fact, Into The Spider-Verse’s self awareness of just how over-the-top its own science is makes for some of the most clever gags in the movie. It’s brilliantly playful in introducing a supporting cast of various alternate reality Spider-people to the mix, like Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir, a nazi-punching 1930s detective who is animated in perpetual black and white; John Mulaney’s Spider-Ham, an anthropomorphic pig animated like a Loony Toon; or Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacy–A.K.A. Spider-Woman–who carves her own path of cool through this film. At one point, Miles points out that Noir’s constant rain-slicked, windblown look makes no sense–they’re inside–but Noir shrugs and says that “wherever I go, the wind follows.” And that’s the end of that, even if Miles is practically left looking directly into the camera and contemplating how his life has gone so far off the rails.

The entire movie oozes this same sort of style. It’s an explosion of color–part motion comic, part music video, part traditional animation–with a driving, almost frantic energy that carries every scene. There are montages that pluck real life comic covers off the shelves, word balloons splashed on screen to represent internal monologues, benday dots smearing over shadows to convey depth–really, you name it. There seems to have been no limit to the aesthetic experimentation allowed here, and the end result is an animation style that feels completely and totally new. It may take some getting used to for the purists out there, but by the second act even the weirdest visual quirks manage to level themselves out and become totally endearing.

Somehow even more endearing is the relationship between Miles and Peter Parker (Jake Johnson)–not the Peter of Miles’ Earth, but one from an alternate dimension who is a little past his prime. Peter becomes Miles’ unwilling mentor, which builds into as many laugh-out-loud gags as it does genuinely touching moments. Sure, this Pete may be a decade or so away from the youthful exuberance of someone like, say, Tom Holland, but that doesn’t make him any less familiar–in fact, it really only makes him even more relatable for the twenty and thirty something crowd.

That relatability is really Into The Spider-Verse’s core, when you get down to it. The premise may be bundled in a sci-fi camp wrapping and served up as a desperately stylish, rapid fire visual extravaganza, but its heart is pretty simple. Anyone, anywhere, has the power to be as heroic and as special as Spider-Man. It doesn’t matter if you’re an angst ridden teen struggling through high school, a middle aged divorcee down on their luck, or a cartoon pig with no concern for the laws of physics–the ability to do good, the ability to make the world a better place, is universal. It’s multiversal, even. It’s a constant.

It may seem a bit saccharine, typed out in so many words, but it’s a message that superhero comics–that Spider-Man comics specifically–have been touting for ages, and something that’s been long overdue for a big screen debut. It probably wouldn’t work if Into The Spider-Verse weren’t just so funny, self aware, and bleeding-edge modern–but it is, and it does. It manages to blow right past the dangers of sinking into after school special territory by believing wholeheartedly in its own message and delivering it with appropriately genuine stakes. The end result is an instant animated classic, and, with any luck, the first of many of its kind.

The Good	The Bad
Incredible, unique animation and style
Johnson and Moore’s hilarious chemistry
A great message
Almost too many easter eggs for comics fans to count
Interesting, new spins on classic characters

Searching is a gripping mystery, where almost all of the film take places on the main character–David Kim’s–laptop. It’s very serious and intense, but if you go back an pay close attention to everything in the film, you’ll learn the Earth is about to be invaded by aliens.

A special feature in which writer/director Aneesh Chaganty and writer Sev Ohanian discuss the Easter egg is hidden in the main menu of movie. This completely spoils the end of the movie, but we won’t do that here. To find it, you’ll have to highlight “Languages,” then press up to highlight a folder on the desktop with a question mark on it. That’s where this Easter egg special feature is located.

Towards the end of the feature, it’s explained that throughout the movie, there’s a subplot about an alien invasion on Earth. There is a moment when Kim (John Cho) is on YouTube and there’s a video called “Real Footage of alien sighting at Sequoia 5/14/17,” which at first, doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary because YouTube has plenty of videos like that. However, from there, it gets a bit more weird.

Still early on in the movie, there are news articles from NASA about electromagnetic anomalies, people from NASA are murdered, and the President is going to address it all, including extra-terrestrial life on Earth. So while Kim is trying to find his daughter, the world is on the brink of an alien invasion. However, this secret subplot is never resolved, so it’s up to the viewer to guess where it goes. I’m guessing everyone in the movie has been replaced by aliens.

Chaganty and Ohanian only discussed a few of these alien invasion Easter eggs. However, they said there is a reference to this subplot in the background of almost every scene, which will make you want to go back and hunt for them all. The extensive planning needed to pull this off in an already complicated film is outstanding.

Additionally, this special feature goes over around 10 of the Easter eggs within the film, which completely spoil the movie; however, there are around 500 of them scattered everywhere, in every scene, and we only caught a few when the movie first came out. It greatly enhances the rewatchability of the movie, just to see if you can spot any other insane subplots.

Searching is available now both digitally and on DVD and Blu-ray.

Nintendo set sales records over the holiday weekend from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, the company has announced. The Nintendo Switch became the best-selling Nintendo console in US history for those five days, even surpassing the Wii, and the system also had its best-selling week ever in the US. All of these figures are for the US only.

In the announcement, Nintendo also noted that Adobe Analytics showed Switch among the most purchased items online on Thanksgiving day and the best seller for video games during the full Black Friday to Cyber Monday time period. Overall Nintendo sold $250 million worth of products during the holiday, according to internal sales figures. That includes Switch, 3DS products, the NES and Super NES Classic systems, and accessories and games.

Nintendo also noted that Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee have reached a combined 1.5 million units since launch. Super Mario Party reached 1 million as well, making it the fastest selling Mario Party game. Total lifetime 3DS sales have reached 22 million, while the Super NES Classic has hit 2.5 million and the NES Classic is at 2 million.

Some of these records may be due to increased shopping time, as more stores are choosing to open for select hours on Thanksgiving day. That gives shoppers a head-start on Black Friday deals. The Nintendo Switch also had an appealing bundle option this year, packaging Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in with the system at no extra charge. Some retailers piggybacked on that bundle with extras of their own. The 3DS also got its own holiday bundle, packaging a specially colored 2DS with Super Mario Maker for $80.

Heads up, action fans. Mission: Impossible – Fallout is gearing up for home release. It’s already launched on digital services, but the 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD versions are set to hit stores on December 4. But you don’t have to wait until then to secure a copy; you can pre-order Mission: Impossible – Fallout right now.

Fallout is the sixth film in the long-running action franchise. It stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, along with a murderer’s row of well-known faces, including Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Fergusson, and more. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, MI: Fallout is another globe-trotting adventure that’s filled to the brim with surprising plot twists and downright insane action set pieces. You can read our Mission: Impossible – Fallout review for our thoughts on the film.

But if you’re ready to bring home a copy of the movie, you might be wondering where to buy it, what kind of bonus features it will have, and how much it costs. We have you covered on all accounts below.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout Digital Edition

Mission Impossible: Fallout has already landed on digital storefronts, so you can download and watch it right now. The pricing is the same everywhere: $15 for SD, $20 for HD, and $25 for 4K.

Mission: Impossible – 6 Movie Collection

If you want an instant collection of all six Mission: Impossible films, this is an easy (and cheap) way to do it. It comes in either 4K UHD or Blu-ray format, and even includes digital copies.

Blu-ray

4K UHD

Mission: Impossible – Fallout 4K Ultra HD

If you only want the new installment, you won’t find a better-looking version than this one. In addition to a 4K UHD disc, it also comes with a Blu-ray, as well as a digital copy.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout Blu-ray

In addition to a Blu-ray copy, this version of Mission: Impossible – Fallout comes with a DVD and a digital versoin.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout DVD

The most affordable way to get your hands on the film is by purchasing it on DVD. It doesn’t come with any extras or bonus features, but getting a copy of the movie itself is the main point, right?

Bonus Features Included On 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and Digital

• Behind the Fallout
  • Light the Fuse
  • Top of the World
  • The Big Swing: Deleted Scene Breakdown
  • Rendezvous in Paris
  • The Fall
  • The Hunt is On
  • Cliffside Clash
• Deleted Scenes Montage with Optional Commentary by director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton
• Foot Chase Musical Breakdown
• The Ultimate Mission
• Storyboards
• Theatrical Trailer
• Commentary by director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise
• Commentary by director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton
• Commentary by composer Lorne Balfe
• Isolated Score Track