It has to be said upfront that the Spider-Verse animated films are not targeted to me, a 61-year-old man. Nevertheless, the original Into the Spider-Verse film featuring the adventures of Miles Morales and his Spider-Friends was one of my favourite super-hero films of any type of ‘brand’, therefore, I was looking forward to the Across the Spider-Verse further adventure.
In some ways my anticipation was more than excelled but some ways it was disappointed.
The animation, voice acting, fun and excitement were again top-notch. Which coming from with the kinetic and brightly coloured nature of what is thrown at you on the screen is a high compliment. The bright colours and almost surrealist-style shapes which would normally have got these old eyes spinning and upset me just seemed part of the story and in keeping with what I was expecting. All good.
What perhaps held this particular film back from being as well-regarded by me as the first, I really did like that first film, is the running time. Did it really need to be over two hours long? I would say no and the part that failed the most was what I think the makers as the showpiece. When Miles gets to Spider-Verse Central and we see many, many versions of Spider-types. It was too much, with too many variants and became a little dull. I also feel it would have been wiser to make this, like the first, a self-contained story and not a part one. Seems a cynical money grab if I am being honest.
The humour throughout the film is spot on including the in-joke of having Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Issacs, being the only Spider-Person with literally no sense of humour or fun. It also helps, unlike a lot of Marvel output that this humour derives from many sources and is not just the central character being a ‘smartarse’ to the point where you start to dislike them.
This time I feel the animation, although fluid and impressive did not have as many variants but that might have more to do with my lack of observation than any failing on the part of the makers. The voice acting and casting is spot-on, especially Daniel Kaluuya going back to London, and frankly the film and performances drag you into such a point that you almost forget you are watching an animation, no small feat.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a fun action-packed adventure that adds to the first Spider-Verse film and takes nothing away. Fans and aficionados will love it and if a tired, seen-it-all old man can enjoy it then Lord, Miller et al have done their job well.
I will watch the ‘Part 2’ that is going to turn up and no doubt enjoy it. Just make sure you have a nice comfortable cushion to sit on before settling down.
After the stellar Into The Spider-Verse, returning to this wild animated world of Spider-Man was exciting. With the last film boasting creative play with the Spider-Man legacy and dazzling animation that broke the rule book on CGI films, there’s plenty of pressure for this sequel to live up to its predecessor. It succeeds with flying colors at outpacing the first movie, becoming one of the best Spider-Man movies ever made and one of the best superhero movies in general.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) has become more accustomed to being the new Spider-Man of his universe. He’s graduating through all the motions of adhering to the Peter Parker playbook. His life is busy as he dashes from class to crime-fighting, changing costumes in between. His relationship with his parents becomes strained due to his inability to keep his personal life on time. Things only get worse when the new villain, The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), proves to be a bigger threat than Miles first thought.
It’s not all bad, though. Gwen “Spider-Woman” Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) returns to Miles’s universe, and they reconnect well, spending some cute moments together on a web-slinging adventure around New York City. He will later be reunited with his old mentor Peter B Parker (Jake Johnson), who has improved his life greatly since their last meeting. And there are more colorful and cool Spider-Man variations Miles gets to hang with now, such as with the cool Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) and the chipper Spider-Man India (Karan Soni).
The greater conflict for this film isn’t just that The Spot becomes a threat to the multiverse but that Miles himself is posed as a threat to the multiverse. This doesn’t come from anything he specifically did; he’s merely recognized as being non-canon for being bitten by a radioactive spider from a different timeline. This causes the Spider-Man multiverse leader Miguel (Oscar Isaac) to target Miles and confine him for being a threat to all by breaking the chain of events every Spider-Man must go through. So Miles isn’t just fighting for his life here, but the ability to break convention and refuse to accept the pathos that the universe deems as a rite of passage.
The animation is even more vivid and experimental than before, due in no small part to the grander exploration of Spider-Man worlds. I particularly loved the style of Spider-Punk for the cut-out style of animation that constantly shifts colors. There’s a brief stop in a LEGO universe that is cute and still works well within the narrative. Live-action nods are present by addressing the Venom timeline, and Donald Glover’s cameo as Prowler was such a treat. Take special note of Gwen’s world with its painterly backgrounds that fit the mood and better paint the allegory of a transgender narrative so well.
The balance of humor and seriousness is so perfect in this film. Here’s a movie that can quickly go from embracing the absurdity of cats and dinosaurs with Spider-Man powers to an earnest tale of fighting for the right to break canon. There’s a fun flow that constantly keeps the viewer engaged, made all the more intoxicating by the mind-blowing animation that is always a treat for the eyes.
Across the Spider-Verse succeeds so well at being more of a postmodern superhero film that it makes the competition look like they’re in the paddling pool of comic book movie adaptations. It should be noted that this is the first part of a trilogy closer and ends with a To Be Continued moment. For some, that might be a hindrance, but I actually enjoyed this ending. It ensures that there’s more Spider-Man action coming soon. And if it’s even half as good as this film, this will surely be the best Marvel trilogy.