Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.

  • Released: 2023-06-02
  • Runtime: 120 minutes
  • Genre: Action, Animation
  • Stars: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Vélez, Rachel Dratch, Jason Schwartzman, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham, Daniel Kaluuya, Greta Lee
  • Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers
 Comments
  • boss-981-447297 - 2 June 2024
    Solid Spiderman flick, but not nearly as great as many would say.
    I'm a bit late for this review. I watched it last weekend (june 2023) in a good IMAX theater, and again, I have to say that this is the way to watch it: in the biggest theater you can find, with the largest highest resolution screen available, and with the loudest sound system possible. You will want it to cover the children screaming during the session.

    My initial reaction was, "Wow, this is great!". You won't regret going to watch it in a good theater. It's a feast for your senses. The animation, again, is gorgeous. They expanded what they did in the first movie and went overboard. The action sequences, in particular, are fantastic. Even after dozens of Marvel movies, this one does feel fresh and exciting to watch. I will definitely re-watch it on Blu-Ray.

    The technical aspects are mostly great. The direction is good. Editing is good. The casting is spot on once again. Soundtrack, visual effects, etc. There's not much to complain about here, mostly nitpicking.

    Now, the story gives me pause. And to be fair, this is chapter 1 of a 2 part story. So many elements here need the next movie to see if they'll pay off.

    One example is the shift in Gwen's role. In the first movie, she was a very good support character. But in this second entry, they moved her to protagonist territory. One can argue that this movie is as much about Miles as it is about Gwen. It's a bold move, and Gwen is really a good character. But again, I hope they don't screw her backstory up with unnecessary politics, as some theories have been arguing over TikTok. I don't think they would be stupid enough to waste a billion-dollar franchise in stupid niche politics, but again, we need the finale to know for sure. So her story will only pay off if they keep they don't side-track her.

    On Miles's side, they wanted more character development, but they tried too hard to make us like his family. For example, they wanted us to think of his father as "endearing," but they shot too far and almost came up as "goofy" to me. The mother, they wanted to make her look wise, and they gave her the "with great power comes great responsibility" part. But it was many paragraphs long. Super long speech that I think shot too far. It was a bit too much. They could have cut some of that. It was not too much to the point of exhaustion, but it was too close.

    I really liked Oscar Isaac's take on Miguel O'Hara. I remember reading the 2099 series in the 90s when they were released. And they make it justice here. But again, I think they went a bit too far in the "justified totalitarian" approach. It's just half the story, however. We need the next movie to know for sure.

    There were many comic reliefs, such as the Spider India guy. That sequence was great. Completely unnecessary for the story but entertaining nonetheless.

    Spider-Punk walked a fine line in politics between being cool and another mindless ideologue. As with Miguel, we need the next movie to know which. He stole the scenes he was in, though, that's for sure.

    Now, we have to hold our breaths here. One way this story could go very wrong is to argue that maybe spiderman doesn't need a traumatic canon event, maybe there's a compromise, like Spider India. If they do that, they destroy spiderman. The way for the 3rd act to go on is to validate that yes, in order to be the best spiderman, one has to endure the most traumatic loss and stand up. That's the core of the character. They better keep it intact, otherwise this whole series becomes automatic nuclear trash.

    All in all, it's an overall very well-balanced movie, with good character development, backstories, and action sequences to spice them up. It had the cruel job of being the middle of the road, paying off the first movie and setting things up for the third act. I don't think it's Empire Strikes Back level, but it's not too shabby. It's a very competent second act.

    I think it's a very solid 7 out of 10. And this score can change depending on the third movie. If it pays off, it becomes an 8 out of 10. If the storytelling betrays the expectations set in this episode, it flops to a 5 out of 10.
  • granstonmenyelek - 6 May 2024
    Gretest Movie of 2023
    I completely understand your excitement and enthusiasm about this movie. It is truly a remarkable gem that has captured the hearts of many viewers. The storyline, characters, and overall production are just flawless. It's not every day that you come across a movie that leaves such a lasting impression on its audience. And it's even more rare to find an animated movie that can compete with live-action movies. But this movie has done just that, and it has set a new standard for animated movies. It's no wonder that you can't wait for the third movie to come out, as the second one has already exceeded your expectations. I can only imagine how much more incredible the third one will be. I hope that it will continue to live up to the high standards set by its predecessors. Overall, it's fantastic to see a movie that has the ability to bring so much joy and excitement to its viewers.