The following contains spoilers for Entergalactic, now streaming on Netflix.
Netflix's Entergalactic was compared to Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse off the cuff. It came as no surprise, as both have groundbreaking visual styles, teasing animation as a realm of limitless possibilities. Both invited that new, innovative comic book look where design and style are given more importance than accuracy or realism.
It's why the award-winning Spider-Verse elicited so much emotion, going on to be considered the current standard in the industry. And make no mistake, Entergalactic is just as gorgeous, with an infectious spirit thanks to nods to the Spider-Verse's facial line work, 2-D hand-drawn effects and stylized rendering. However, as beautiful as Entergalactic is in paying homage to Miles Morales' story, it doesn't nail one key component.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Was Kinetic
Miles' story showcases slick, crisp versions of pop art, taking what live-action could do and making it more bombastic. It wasn't just about fantastic comic book poses or bending physics; the film had substance in its kinetic base. It's why, when comic book sound effects were incorporated into sequences and comic panels made out of webbing were used in shots, montages and background action, even in dialogue or still moments, the film felt dynamic and like something more than concept art.
In that sense, the movie wasn't limited by the restraints of reality in an even bigger way than other animated efforts. So whether it was Kingpin's tragic backstory with his family, or Miles' emotional speeches with his inner circle, as complex as the frames were, nothing was too choppy. Everything was quite smooth, with aggressive clarity, making good use of half-toning and line-hatching to create this pioneering vivacious brand of art that never stopped fizzing with energy.
Entergalactic Felt Too Blocky and Static
Entergalactic isn't an action-comedy; it's more of a drama with Jabari (an artist) and Meadow (a photographer) trying to figure out if they're soulmates in New York City. However, life gets in the way, as well as Jabari's ex, Carmen, complicating things. From a technical standpoint, the animation is 3-D that's made to look 2-D, with Google Maps interestingly being used to model the world Kid Cudi envisioned for this project. The problem is, the painterly look (achieved with zero motion capture, just illustration) doesn't have as much fluidity.
Apart from a few scenes, the overall look is too static, which takes away from the emotion of the film. One would expect scenes of running through the rain or a romantic, tasteful love scene to feel less stiff and less robotic. Granted, the facial expressions, especially during key arguments, are on point, but the overall motion of the bodies is a stumbling block.
It's a shame because the landscapes and environments are clean and in focus, but there's not that deep clarity to the movement within this gorgeous world, which feels like the final part of the puzzle is missing. Ultimately, NYC has that sense of speed to it, so while slowing down these characters in nuanced moments, indicating love stops the world, does work, the moments outside of that should pop more. It'd truly give the impression that everyone's lives are fast-paced, and that when they do take a break from the hustle and bustle with each other, time is indeed frozen. That'd create a consistent look, feel and essence, which is the overall uniform aesthetic Spider-Verse nailed to perfection.
Entergalactic is now streaming on Netflix.