Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Note: This review contains spoilers for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Of the more well-known superheroes from Marvel and DC, Marvel’s Spider-Man is one that’s no stranger to adaptations across TV and film. Some have had a lasting ripple effect, like Japanese Spider-Man inspiring the giant robots in Super Sentai (aka Power Rangers) or how the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man (2002) movie helped make superhero films more viable at the box office. Recently, 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse made a huge splash in the world of animation thanks to its well-written story and its unique art style that perfectly replicated a living comic book and demonstrated that a CG film with such an approach could succeed at the box office. Into the Spider-Verse’s success has inspired experimentation in other animated productions, as seen in Sony Animation’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines and DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, as well the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, to name a few.

While time will tell how well other films inspired by Into the Spider-Verse will age, the film itself has remained enjoyable every time we’ve seen it, thanks in part to the continued discovery of new details in both the animation and story. Naturally, we immediately had an interest in the sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, from the millisecond we saw the original trailer (the one that initially labeled it “Part One” before that style of release fell out of favor), leading us to do what we normally haven’t since COVID-19 and watch a film on its opening weekend. Fortunately, Across the Spider-Verse proved itself worthy of its pre-release hype, though its nature as half a full story does affect the experience.

After the events of Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) has undergone changes, both physically through puberty and socially with balancing his life as Spider-Man versus his role as a son. Unfortunately, he’s had a hard time with the latter, which only gets further complicated with the arrival of The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), who considers Miles his archenemy, leading to a lengthy battle which ends with Miles believing he has captured his foe. Soon after, Miles is reunited with Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld) and discovers that not only has The Spot evaded capture, he’s traveled into the multiverse. In an effort to find The Spot, he encounters the Spider Society, a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse’s very existence. Unfortunately, Miles doesn’t quite see eye to eye with their leader, Miguel O' Hara (aka Spider-Man 2099) (Oscar Isaac), on how to handle the new threat and becomes a target himself.

Compared with its predecessor, Across the Spider-Verse has a more ambitious story, with a longer 140-minute runtime to boot. On top of Miles’ struggles with being a good son and fighting The Spot, which includes his unknowing hand in the villain’s origin, Gwen Stacey has her own arc involving her relationship with her father and the audience gets a much more in-depth view of the multiverse. The heavy focus on the multiverse brings about not just higher stakes, but a noticeable shift from delivering a powerful message about how anyone could be Spider-Man to a discussion of the shared backstories between all Spider-Men and whether or not one of them could successfully defy their fate.

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore, left) and Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld, right)
have to contend with The Spot (Jason Schwartzman).

Although there’s a lot more going on, the story does a pretty good job of tying everything together. Gwen’s increased prominence means she’s fleshed out a bit more than in her first appearance, which makes sense since her relationships with Miles and her father, a police chief, are more important here. Interacting with Miles lets her learn enough about herself that by the end of the film, her decisions feel justified and her ending feels earned. Miles goes through a parallel arc in navigating his relationship with his parents, especially in seeking independence to reach his goals his own way, although it’s made clear by the end that his character arc won’t resolve in this film. While he’s not the main protagonist, Miguel O’ Hara still plays a very significant role and his actions behind the motivation to maintain the order of the multiverse gradually blur the line between hero and villain in a subtle but effective way.

Then there’s the multiverse angle, which greatly expands on what little the audience knew from Into the Spider-Verse. Previously innocuous details like the number 42 are given greater significance and the idea of every incarnation of Spider-Man following the same story beats is a major plot point that’s handled better than in other stories like, say, BioShock Infinite. Miles also learns and experiences the consequences of his own actions, with a hint at the end that he still has yet to fix them on his new goal to defy the fate that’s written for him.

While one could talk at length about the different aspects of the story, if not for fear of spoiling the experience too much, fans will be glad to know that the humor is still very much on point. Any scene that isn’t dead serious, of which there are enough, doesn’t waste any opportunity for jokes, be it through dialogue or visuals. Thankfully, just about every joke landed and many made us laugh out loud.

Where Into the Spider-Verse already pushed the envelope for CG animation through its artistic experimentation, Across the Spider-Verse somehow pushes the envelope even further. The end result is nothing short of breathtaking, seamlessly and consistently blending multiple styles and aesthetics that make each and every Spider-Man, as well as other characters, look and feel distinct from one another while perfectly capturing their personalities. Each universe also carries a unique visual style, such as how Gwen’s universe is animated in a way that complements her emotional journey. Like the previous film, several shots look frame-worthy and it’ll be interesting to see just how much of an impact Across the Spider-Verse will have on future animated productions.

Across the Spider-Verse pushes CG animation to even greater heights;
Pictured: Miguel O' Hara (Oscar Isaac, left), Vulture (Jorma Taccone, right)

As with Into the Spider-Verse, the voice acting is simply amazing, with even more emotional performances than before and a good sense of comedic timing from the entire cast. Unlike many other recent films, some of the score actually stood out, as do a few sound cues like the one that acts as a leitmotif for Miguel during his chase with Miles. That said, although we saw the film in Dolby Atmos, the sound mixing felt off in some scenes, which made some dialogue harder to make out.

Since Across the Spider-Verse is actually a “Part One” meant to conclude with a “Part Two”, Beyond the Spider-Verse, criticizing it isn't as easy, though not impossible. Despite his prominence in ads and the first act, The Spot noticeably takes a backseat for the Spider Society plotline until the third act, where it’s made clear that he’ll come back much stronger in the sequel. While the animation is incredible, it may require more than one viewing to really take everything in, as there are so many little details and captions that it would be nearly impossible for someone to catch everything the first time around. It doesn’t help that while there are now the occasional helpful Editor’s Notes, much like in comics, they are mildly distracting when they appear and can go by too quickly for some to fully process. Similarly, the Spider Society portion of the film is filled to the brim with so many cameos and easter eggs that, while funny, won’t have nearly as much impact for more casual Spider-Man fans who haven’t touched many of the character’s extensive library of films, TV shows, comics and video games. I didn't feel as disappointed about the inconclusive ending because I knew going in that this film was a "Part One", but I did feel the length during the last few minutes as I anticipated the cutoff.

If you enjoyed Into the Spider-Verse, or are even just a fan of animation in general, watching Across the Spider-Verse is really a no-brainer. Even if you’re not a diehard Spider-Man fan or have only seen Into the Spider-Verse, which is a hard prerequisite, there’s plenty to love about the experience. Now there’s just hoping that Beyond the Spider-Verse can provide a good payoff for everything that this film sets up.