Spoiler Warning: Light spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ahead!
Much like 2018, it seems like 2023 is turning out to be a killer year for Spider-Man. As a friendly reminder, 2018 gave us Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in theaters and Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PS4 (with Avengers: Infinity War offering some extra Spidey goodness as well). This year, we get Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and while we still have to wait a little longer for the latter, the former has thankfully given us plenty to enjoy in the meantime.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse dropped last Friday, and ho-ly shit, this film is one for the history books. As of the release of this review, I’ve already seen it twice, and I hope to see it at least once (or maybe twice) more before it leaves theaters. I had high hopes going in, and I’m glad to report that my expectations were met and then some. While I figured it was going to be near impossible for the team at Sony to top Into the Spider-Verse, they came damn close to doing it.
So, rather than me wasting too much time pontificating at the start of this review, let’s just jump right in, because there’s a lot to talk about.
Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy)
First things first, let’s discuss storytelling. As expected, the story in Across the Spider-Verse is far grander than its predecessor, which isn’t surprising at all. I mean, where else could this narrative have really gone? The previous film introduced six different Spider-People right off the bat, so it only makes logical sense that the studio would go even bigger this time around. And for the most part, taking the risk to go bigger paid off in spades.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse continues the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). It’s been a year and four months since the events of the prior film, and since then, Miles has stepped up his game big time, having truly grown into his role as Spider-Man. That said, he hasn’t entirely gotten a firm grasp on the whole superhero life vs. regular life thing just yet. But he’s trying his best, despite the constant pressure of his parents and the nagging sensation that he so desperately misses his Spider-Friends.
However, when a new villain known as the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) arrives on the scene, Miles’s whole world, along with the rest of the multiverse, is thrown into jeopardy. Thankfully, he’s not alone. Returning faces from across the Spider-Verse, like Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), are on the scene to back Miles up. Joining them is a whole host of friendly neighborhood newcomers, like Spider-Man 2099, aka Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac); Spider-Woman, aka Jessica Drew (Issa Rae); Spider-Man India, aka Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni); and Spider-Punk, aka Hobie Brown (Kaluuya).
Except, as it turns out, not all of these Spider-People are exactly on Miles’s side. In fact, for a while, it seems like basically none of them are. As Miles digs deeper into the true workings of the Spider-Verse, he discovers that his role, and perhaps the role of every spider, is essentially destined for grief and despair. It obviously doesn’t all sit very well with Miles, and his differing views put him at odds with Miguel O’Hara and his Spider Society. All of this leads Miles to choosing once and for all what kind of Spider-Man he’s going to be.
And then, you know, the film ends on a banger of a cliffhanger, because this is only the first in a two-part Spider-Epic (in case you didn’t know that for some reason, even though the film was originally announced as a “Part One”). But man oh man, did this first part bring the heat.
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) and Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O’Hara)
There’s so much to take in here with just the story alone. For a tale as large as this one, which balances numerous ongoing threads (pun intended) and characters, it’s surprisingly well-paced. It’s not perfect, but there’s hardly ever a dull moment. Even when the movie decides to slow things down, the drama is consistently endearing, and the humor is always accurately timed, so you’ll never be bored watching. There’s an astonishing amount of delightful character work on display here, too, to the point that it’s baffling how fleshed out the main players feel.
I love that Miles has truly become his own character. Honestly, over the course of these two films, he’s probably left a greater impression on viewers than he has throughout his now extensive tenure in the comics. The Spider-Verse version of Miles is so uniquely defined as an individual, with his own problems that make him feel grounded as an overwhelmed teenager, and he still completely captures what it means to be Spider-Man. Above all else, I’m just glad Miles isn’t a quasi-copy of Peter Parker anymore, which he sort of was when he first showed up way back in 2011 in his original comic book run.
Other characters, like good old Peter B. Parker and Miguel O’Hara, stand as strong linchpins in the story, though their roles are somewhat limited overall. Likewise, newcomers Pavitr and Hobie, though they also don’t stick around for too long, practically steal the show in every scene they’re in. Then, of course, there are the hundreds of other unique Spider-Men and Women who are drizzled throughout the latter half of the film. Most of them are included just for a minute or so at best, but it’s still so cool to see so many of them all in one place, especially when you consider that the animators created more than 400 individual Spider-People for the film (more on all of the animation stuff in a bit).
I’m also a colossal fan of how much attention is given to Spider-Gwen in this film. We didn’t get to see too much of her last time around, but Across the Spider-Verse makes up for that tenfold. A lot of people online actually consider this movie to essentially be her story, and they just might be onto something. After all, the first 10 to 15 minutes are all dedicated to her, as she battles with her own sort of identity crisis and her ailing relationship with her father. This argument is further supported by the fact that she’s probably the only character in the entire film with a full arc, which ties back to the point that this movie is only the first of two parts.
There are so many fantastic pieces here that provide all the potential for a stellar finale, like Spot’s hectic rise from being a goofy criminal to being a titanic, multiversal threat, or the grander ramifications of how Miguel and his Spider Society view the “terms and conditions” of being Spider-Man, but we simply haven’t gotten any of the payoff yet. It seems like all of that is being saved for the next film, Beyond the Spider-Verse.
For that reason, while I think the overall narrative here is highly entertaining, it’s hard to say for sure if the whole thing works, because, again, we don’t have all the pieces just yet. Even still, what we get here is undoubtedly enjoyable, and the fact that it all works as well as it does is a testament to the writing talents behind the scenes.
Plus, not only did we get a really touching story, but there’s also loads of Easter eggs and fan service for die-hard viewers to enjoy. Seeing Spectacular Spider-Man from the old animated show and Insomniac’s video game Spider-Man was a blessing, and the inclusion of Donald Glover as the live-action variant of the Prowler was a jaw-dropper. And then there’s the inclusion of so many memes and gags from throughout Spidey’s history, which were all fun to watch, though maybe they could’ve skipped one or two of them to save some time. Because you’ll almost certainly feel the nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime of this movie on your first viewing, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but still something to keep in mind.
The Spot
Luckily, even though the movie might feel long at times, the animation is out of this world. If there’s any one part of this movie that makes it better than its predecessor, it’s the animation. Like, Jesus Christ, I can’t believe some of the things they did in this film. Across the Spider-Verse effortlessly blends numerous animation styles together to create a true masterpiece of animation. At times, it almost seems a bit self-indulgent, but even then, it hardly matters, because it’s all still utterly gorgeous.
Whether it’s specific, prolonged shots, crazy transitions in the action, or general movements of any other given scene, there is not a single wasted frame in this film. Every shot is used to either slap you in the face with some downright mesmerizing imagery, to convey deeper character emotions and actions, or both.
The unique vibe of each different animation style is most prominent in the characters themselves and the worlds they come from. For example, Gwen’s world is dripping with pastel watercolors, whereas the Renaissance-era Vulture who accidentally invades that world at the start of the film looks like he was torn straight from one of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches.
Spider-Punk and Spider-Man India are perhaps the best representations of this whole animation smorgasbord. Spider-Punk himself looks like a constantly shifting piece of blocky pop art, with darker colors and hues to match his grungy attitude, and the snippets we see of his world match that energy. Spider-Man India, as well as his hometown of Mumbattan (like Mumbai but in Manhattan), features a smoother, more tonally flashy style, and the character’s movements are based on Kalaripayattu, one of the oldest martial arts styles in the world.
The Spot, however, gets what is probably my favorite scene, visually, in the whole thing. His triumphant villain moment is basically a haunting cascade of blacks and whites flashing across the screen, and it’s impossible not to be utterly enamored with it all. And as Miles faces down his new nemesis, you can’t help but share in his dread.
Details like this are literally scattered throughout the film. Seriously, there are so many great details to be found all over. There’s honestly too many to list; we’d be here for hours, if not days, if I tried. So, rather than me doing that, your best bet will probably just be to go see the film yourself.
And when you choose to do so, you’ll also get to enjoy the film’s incredible score and soundtrack. Similar to Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse features a brilliant blend of heroic themes and smooth hip hop, with a few extra musical tones thrown in for flair.
Sound design and mixing are key to this film (although I will say, some of the dialogue could’ve maybe used a volume boost at certain points). Gwen Stacy is a drummer, so the music often stirs up with more pronounced drumbeats to accentuate her actions. Spider-Man 2099 is typically accompanied by crazy synths, with a theme that is reminiscent of the old Spider-Man Unlimited cartoon. If I had to pick a favorite tun from the film, though, that honor would definitely go to “Mona Lisa” by Dominic Fike, which is featured during a really fun scene with Miles and Gwen.
Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy
In the end, all of these pieces come together effortlessly to create what is arguably one of the greatest accomplishments in animation of all time. This movie is a spectacle comprised of substance, heart, and sheer beauty. And while it’s sort of tough to judge Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on the whole—since the story isn’t quite finished yet—I still have to give it my highest recommendation.
So, do yourself a favor and go see this movie in theaters pronto. I promise it deserves your money, as do all the incredibly talented people who worked on it. And if you’re bummed about the whole thing ending on a cliffhanger, don’t worry. Beyond the Spider-Verse comes out in less than nine months (barring any delays), and I’m positive the wait will be well worth it to see the finale of this amazing epic.