Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Spider-Man Lives: A Miles Morales Story" is a 9-minute (7 without credits) short film from about a month ago, in which Peter Parker had been killed (we don't find out how or by whom) and a young African-American named Miles Morales is about to take his place. The writer and director is Ivan Kander and looking at how he has been really prolific in film over the last couple years it's disappointing how this turned out. I guess it's quantity over quality in his case. Not a good movie. The protagonist apparently knows immediately how to deal with his super-powers, something that Parker had to learn for a long time. And the dramatic impact of the usual identity crisis (can I or can I not be Spider Man?) is nothing new or convincing the way it is shown here. Weak short film. Not recommended.

twotrybe So, the premise is that Peter Parker aka Spiderman is dead as a news broadcast explains. Over dinner, a father, a cop, has no love for Spiderman as he has observed a young 14 yr. old drug dealer going about in training someone even younger than him. His son listens but his feelings are ambivalent as he sports a puncture wound on his hand. No explanation is given but one must take a broad leap that perhaps this is a bite wound. This film is under 10 minutes so they make due with the time that is allotted. On the street, the young black man sees a woman running from someone as she sprints past him. Cut to an abandon warehouse and she is surrounded by several bad guys. She attempts to fight back and apparently she has some sort of power as her hand produces a glowing ring as she balls up her fist. But it quickly goes nowhere as the head bad guy outs out the glow like a candle wick. Enter the young man who was reluctant to get involved at first is now fully committed. Hos powers are more enhanced than Peter Parker as he has cloaking abilities in addition to Spidey strength. It's produced on a modest budget but if they wanted to sell this as a feature, this would serve as a test case about diversity. The actor isn't that bad and the plausibility of him being the Spiderman works as he dons the costume in the final scene that's black and red, not blue and red.