Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Film Review
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a huge critical and commercial success back in 2018 and swept the animated categories during awards season. The sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, had a lot to live up to and it somehow manages to be just as awesome, if not better.
The story is set sixteen months after the events of the 2018 animation. Miles Morales/Spider-Man (voiced by Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) are now separated and back in their own dimensions. However, they have to team up once again after the arrival of Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a scientist who has ended up with interdimensional portals on his body following the earlier explosion of the collider.
This movie is an outstanding technical achievement. It’s a vibrant, one-of-a-kind visual experience. I was blown away by how it seamlessly incorporated so many different visual styles, often within the same frame. There’s comic book style, London punk vibes, watercolours, computer animation, and classic hand-drawn characters – it’s all in the melting pot. It could have looked like a big mess yet it blends together in a stunning and unique way (even though it’s busy at times). I’ve never seen anything like it and it is such a treat for the eyes.
This story expands upon the narrative told in the previous film, presents us with so many multiverse variants of Spider-Man and challenges what we know about Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s lore. There are some amazing action moments and a standout sequence involving many Spider-People in a HQ. It carries an emotional weight and major dramatic stakes and yet manages to be very funny too. Thanks to comedy geniuses Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who wrote the script with David Callaham, the film is filled with so many jokes, sight gags, and laugh-out-loud moments. It ticks all the boxes story-wise and has a banging soundtrack to boot.
Moore and Steinfeld are as dependable as ever but Daniel Kaluuya steals the show as the newcomer Hobie/Spider-Punk, a Cockney geezer with Sex Pistols vibes. He is hilarious! Schwartzman also is great fun as the hapless villain and Karan Soni is an entertaining new addition as Pavitr/Spider-Man India.
I have seen loads of reviews calling this a masterpiece and giving it 5/5 stars. It is very good but I didn’t think it was perfect. There is a lot going on in this film and it can be overwhelming at times, and at 2 hours and 20 minutes, it felt way too long. Plus, it’s not a standalone film; it is part one of two even though it hasn’t been marketed as such.
Despite those niggles, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a groundbreaking, inventive movie that feels like a dead cert for the Best Animated Feature Oscar next year.
In cinemas from Friday 2nd June