Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse holds a Metacritic rating of 87 out of 100, a score that places it among the highest-rated superhero films of all time.
This exceptional rating is based on reviews from 50 professional critics and reflects what Metacritic designates as “universal acclaim”—a distinction reserved for films that achieved broad critical consensus across major publications and independent reviewers.
When the film debuted in 2018, this score immediately signaled to audiences that the animated sequel to the original Spider-Man: Homeverse universe had transcended typical superhero film expectations.
- Metacritic Rating Spider-man: Table of Contents
- How Does the 87/100 Rating Compare to Other Spider-Man Films?
- What Critical Elements Contributed to the Film's Universal Acclaim?
- How Has the Metacritic Rating Held Up Since the Film's Release?
- What Should Audiences Consider When Using Metacritic Scores as a Guide?
- Are There Limitations to Understanding Ratings Without Context?
- How Does the Metacritic Rating Reflect Industry Standards for Animated Films?
- What Does the Rating Suggest About the Future of Animated Superhero Films?
- Conclusion
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What makes this 87/100 rating particularly significant is not just the number itself, but what it represents in the landscape of superhero cinema. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ranks as the best-reviewed superhero film on Metacritic, outperforming numerous live-action blockbusters and other animated adaptations.
This achievement is especially noteworthy given that the superhero genre frequently produces tentpole releases that prioritize spectacle and box office appeal over critical depth. The film’s ability to earn nearly universal acclaim from professional critics across different outlets and reviewing standards demonstrates that its appeal extends far beyond fan enthusiasm.
Table of Contents
- How Does the 87/100 Rating Compare to Other Spider-Man Films?
- What Critical Elements Contributed to the Film’s Universal Acclaim?
- How Has the Metacritic Rating Held Up Since the Film’s Release?
- What Should Audiences Consider When Using Metacritic Scores as a Guide?
- Are There Limitations to Understanding Ratings Without Context?
- How Does the Metacritic Rating Reflect Industry Standards for Animated Films?
- What Does the Rating Suggest About the Future of Animated Superhero Films?
- Conclusion
How Does the 87/100 Rating Compare to Other Spider-Man Films?
The 87/100 Metacritic score for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse stands distinctly above other films in the broader Spider-Man franchise. The original Spider-Man film from 2002, directed by Sam Raimi, earned a Metacritic score of 73, while Spider-Man 2 improved to 81.
The Amazing Spider-Man received a 66, and its sequel scored even lower at 57. Even the well-received Spider-Man: Homecoming, released the same year as Into the Spider-Verse, achieved a score of 73.
This positioning places the animated feature as not only the highest-rated Spider-Man film ever produced, but suggests that critical reception correlates with a film’s willingness to innovate in storytelling and visual presentation rather than simply following established franchise formulas. The distinction becomes sharper when comparing scores across the superhero genre more broadly.
While films like Black Panther achieved an 85 and The Dark Knight earned a 84, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s 87 places it in the upper echelon of superhero cinema—territory typically dominated by origin stories and prestige-caliber projects.
This high rating reflects critics’ recognition that the film elevated animated superhero storytelling to new technical and narrative heights through its distinctive visual style, multiverse narrative complexity, and character development that avoided the surface-level characterization common in many superhero releases.
What Critical Elements Contributed to the Film’s Universal Acclaim?
The near-universal positive reception that generated the 87/100 rating stemmed from several interconnected factors. Critics consistently praised the film’s innovative visual style, which blended traditional animation with comic book aesthetics in ways that felt fresh rather than derivative.
The screenplay balanced humor, emotional depth, and action sequences in proportions that satisfied critics seeking substance alongside spectacle. Additionally, the film’s voice cast—including Shameik Moore, Oscar Isaac, Hailee Steinfeld, and others—delivered performances that critics noted brought genuine personality to characters rather than functioning as celebrity endorsements for a recognizable brand.
However, it’s worth noting that even films with 87/100 ratings typically have detractors among the 50 critics reviewed. A score of this magnitude means approximately 35-40 critics gave positive reviews, while several others likely offered mixed or qualified praise.
Some critics noted that certain plot threads felt underdeveloped, that the film’s ambition occasionally exceeded its execution in specific sequences, or that the emotional payoffs in particular moments didn’t fully resonate.
The universality of the acclaim doesn’t indicate that every single reviewer found the film perfect—rather, that the strengths substantially outweighed any weaknesses across the professional reviewing community.
How Has the Metacritic Rating Held Up Since the Film’s Release?
metacritic scores represent a snapshot of critical consensus at the time of a film’s release, and Into the Spider-Verse’s 87/100 has remained remarkably stable since the film debuted in December 2018.
Unlike films that accumulate additional reviews gradually over months and years, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse achieved near-immediate consensus, with most major critics and publications weighing in within the first weeks of release. The score reflects this crystallized moment of widespread critical agreement rather than an evolving assessment.
The film’s subsequent cultural impact has, if anything, amplified the significance of its strong Metacritic performance. The critical validation the score provided helped position the film as not merely a commercial success but a landmark in animated superhero filmmaking. Retrospective reassessments by critics in subsequent years have generally reinforced rather than challenged the original consensus.
The release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in 2023 and announcements of future installments have kept the original film’s critical standing visible, with audiences and critics alike returning to the first film’s 87/100 score as evidence of its quality baseline.
What Should Audiences Consider When Using Metacritic Scores as a Guide?
Metacritic ratings provide one useful data point for evaluating films, but the 87/100 for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse should not be interpreted as a guarantee of personal enjoyment. The score represents an aggregation of professional critical opinion, which often prioritizes different elements than individual viewers might value.
A critic might praise narrative innovation and directorial vision, while a casual moviegoer prioritizes action sequences or character humor. Someone seeking family-friendly entertainment might experience the film very differently than a fan of sophisticated animation technique seeking artistic experimentation.
The distinction between a Metacritic score and user ratings becomes especially relevant with Into the Spider-Verse.
The film’s critical rating of 87/100 (based on professional critics) differs from its user rating on many platforms, where audiences have consistently given it high but sometimes more moderate scores.
This gap isn’t unusual—it often reflects differences in evaluation criteria rather than indicating one audience is wrong. When considering whether to watch the film, the Metacritic score effectively tells you that professional critics found it technically accomplished and narratively sophisticated.
Your personal enjoyment will depend on whether those qualities align with what you seek in superhero entertainment.
Are There Limitations to Understanding Ratings Without Context?
One potential pitfall in relying solely on Metacritic scores is losing sight of the specific criteria critics used in their assessments. The 87/100 for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse largely reflects critical appreciation for originality, technical execution, and narrative ambition.
Critics less specifically praised the film for emotional devastation or philosophical depth in the way they might review a prestige drama.
This means that while the high score indicates a well-executed film, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that the film explores profound themes or delivers emotionally transcendent moments—only that it effectively accomplishes what it sets out to do within the superhero action-comedy framework.
Additionally, Metacritic scores can be influenced by the specific cohort of reviewers included in the calculation. A score of 87/100 from 50 critics reflects those particular reviewers’ perspectives, which collectively skew toward critics who regularly cover theatrical releases and often work within established review publications.
Smaller independent critics, international reviewers with different cultural perspectives, or specialized animation critics might collectively arrive at a different consensus. The score remains valuable as a measure of critical consensus, but it represents consensus within a specific, somewhat limited reviewer ecosystem rather than reflecting universal critical opinion across all possible perspectives.
How Does the Metacritic Rating Reflect Industry Standards for Animated Films?
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s 87/100 represents exceptional performance even when evaluated against the highest-rated animated films across all categories.
Animation releases typically achieve Metacritic scores somewhat lower than their live-action counterparts, partly because animated films are sometimes evaluated by different critical standards and partly because the animation genre encompasses a wider range of intended audiences and budgetary approaches.
The film’s 87/100 places it above most previous animated superhero films and even above many prestige animated features released by major studios. The achievement becomes particularly significant when recognizing that the film was a sequel to a property that, while successful, hadn’t previously generated critical acclaim approaching this level.
That an animated sequel could outperform the original film’s critical reception and achieve scores competitive with the highest-rated theatrical releases of any genre represents an unusual accomplishment in modern filmmaking.
What Does the Rating Suggest About the Future of Animated Superhero Films?
The critical success reflected in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s 87/100 rating helped establish that audiences and critics alike were prepared to embrace animated superhero stories told with sufficient creativity and technical ambition.
The film’s performance demonstrated that the superhero genre’s future wasn’t limited to live-action spectacle, and that animation could serve as a sophisticated storytelling medium for complex narratives involving multiverse concepts and emotional character arcs.
This validation likely influenced subsequent animated superhero projects and broader studio investment in animation quality for prestige releases. Looking forward, the film’s strong Metacritic performance establishes a standard against which subsequent animated superhero releases will inevitably be measured.
The score suggests that critical audiences respond most favorably to superhero films that prioritize distinctive visual style, narrative complexity, and character development—qualities that animated medium can deliver as effectively as live-action, provided sufficient creative and financial resources are allocated.
Conclusion
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse earned a Metacritic rating of 87 out of 100 based on reviews from 50 professional critics, making it the highest-rated superhero film on Metacritic and a benchmark for critical success within the genre.
This score reflects widespread recognition among critics that the film achieved both technical excellence and narrative sophistication, delivering a superhero story that transcended the typical blockbuster formula through its innovative visual approach, compelling character work, and multiverse storytelling ambitions.
For viewers considering the film, the 87/100 rating serves as a reliable indicator that critics found it well-executed and creatively ambitious, though personal enjoyment will ultimately depend on individual preferences regarding animation style, humor, action sequences, and emotional resonance.
The score remains relevant years after the film’s initial release, continuing to validate its position as a landmark achievement in superhero cinema and evidence that animation can serve as a sophisticated medium for prestige storytelling.
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