Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Film Review

Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Oscar Isaac

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson

Synopsis: After spending a year fighting crime as Spider-Man, Miles Morales reestablishes a connection with the multiverse and a whole society of Spider-People who must prevent a new threat from destroying the multiverse…

Review: It is no exaggeration to say that when Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse swung its way onto the big screen back in 2018, it was a game changer, not just for animation, but the broader superhero genre itself. The vibrant and colourful animation felt like it was ripped straight from the pages of a comic book and the animation itself was so groundbreakingly impressive, every studio in town has had to since raise its game while its influence has been noticeably apparent in a handful of subsequent films. Furthermore, the film was ahead of the curve in terms of the plethora of live-action superhero films which have adopted multiverse travelling shenanigans. Five years later, these creative geniuses have only gone and done it again.

It’s been over a year since the events of Into the Spider-Verse and Miles Morales (Moore) has settled into his life as his universe’s Spider-Man. Though he’s desperate to see the likes of Gwen/Spider-Woman and Peter B. Parker (Johnson) again. When he encounters the mysterious villain known as The Spot (Schwartzman), it sets Miles on a new journey where he encounters a whole web (pun definitely intended) of Spider-People, who seek to neutralise the threat before it breaks the multiverse apart.

Given the many incarnations of this iconic character we’ve had over the years, what made Into the Spider-Verse so special was the way it took the familiar origin story of how the bite of a radioactive spider transforms a young man into a superhero and honoured it. Yet at the same time, it breathed new life into it by telling said origin story in a manner which felt unique and original, with some genuine laugh-out moments and hugely inspiring acts of heroism and awesomeness, such as the now iconic Leap of Faith sequence. Across the Spider-Verse picks up where its predecessor left off with Miles balancing his superhero duties with the tricky decision of where he wants to go to college and the even trickier decision regarding his future aspirations. While the previous film really homed in on Miles’ relationship with the other Spider-People, the script by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and David Callaham allows the relationship between Miles and his parents Jeff (Tyree Henry) and Rio (Velez) to really flourish.

Both can sense Miles has a lot on his mind, but as the old saying goes “Mother knows best” and it is in these personal moments between Miles and his mother which helps keep Miles’ feet on the ground. As well as taking its time to explore his relationship with his parents, the film allows room for Miles’s relationship with his love interest Gwen (Steinfeld) to develop even further, while allowing time for her tragic backstory to take centre stage. The voice work across the board across the board is once again exceptional, especially for Steinfeld given the added emotional gravity of her story and how, like Miles, her role as Spider-Woman has caused the relationship with her father to break down.

Alongside the returning Peter B. Parker (Johnson), the film introduces a number of new friendly multiverse Spider-People, including Jessica Drew (Rae), Indian Spider-Man Pavitr Prabhakar (Soni) Spider-Punk Hobart “Hobie” Brown (Kaluuya), and the leader of the Spider Society, Miguel O’Hara (Isaac), who is determined to prevent The Spot from tearing the multiverse apart at all costs, though the manner in which causes Miguel to frequently clash with Miles. Speaking of The Spot, on face value, he is a villain whose name and appearance could have lent itself to ridicule, but by weaving his origin story into Miles’ previous multiversal adventure, he proves himself to be a powerful and threatening antagonist to the Spider-Society.

Given its predecessor broke new ground in terms of its animation, you would think there is no way they could surpass themselves here. Yet, somehow, these animators have outdone themselves. There are simply not enough superlatives to describe just how astounding it is. Each new world the film explores provides the film’s team of animators to scale new heights and provide a unique look and feel for each different world and utilises a plethora of different animation styles, while once again throwing down the gauntlet for other studios to aspire to be at the level these animators are at. The bar has once again been set at a new height, and the expectation will be at sky levels when the final instalment of this wonderful story, Beyond the Spider-Verse, takes the leap of faith into cinemas next year. Should it stick the landing, we will, without any question of a doubt, be looking at one of the finest trilogies of all time.

Picking up exactly where its predecessor left off, combining stunning animation, a flawless combination of exhilarating action, and a character-driven story to leave the audience on tenterhooks for the concluding chapter of this amazing story. A perfect sequel.