In 2018, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released and completely took the animation world by storm. With its clever use of multiple styles of animation and music, it gave us a Spider-Man story that connected with so many fans. The movie also introduced Miles Morales to millions of people that might not have been familiar with him and gave many Latino boys and girls a superhero that they can connect with. Since the movie’s release, there have been many multi-verse stories that try to capture the magic that this animated film did and fall a bit short. The closest movie to get there was Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The movie starts this time around with a focus on Gwen’s story (played by Hailee Steinfeld) which we caught a small glimpse of in Into the Spider-Verse. This time around we go more in-depth into this story and see how her being Spider-Woman affects her relationship with her father. There is a fantastic action sequence that takes place where we are introduced to two of the newer Spiders in this movie and then we get the title sequence. I mean, this movie shows you from the beginning that there will be a lot of action and a lot of heart, so you better be prepared for the ride you are about to go on.
Next, we are taken to Miles Morales’ world (played by Shameik Moore) and we see how he has developed as Spider-Man. He is going through some of the similar things that kids his age go through: attending school, getting good grades, and getting along with his parents, but on top of all that is being Spider-Man and trying to fit in with those around him. While Miles has all this admiration from the city for the good he does, he still feels lonely and that there is no one who can relate to his issues. The only people who can relate to him have not contacted him since their last adventure. We see this parallel with Gwen in her world and how she sees Miles as her only friend.
One of the things that we know about any Spider-Man movie is that they are always running late to a function because they put their superhero duties before everything. This happens to Miles on his way to a meeting with his parents and guidance counselor. On his way, he stops to take down a new enemy called The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). It seems that the two have a history that we find out as the movie progresses. We also learn that Miles is not the only one that is trying to take down The Spot.
Who else is chasing down The Spot? We caught a glimpse of Spider-Man 2099/Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) at the end of the last movie and it seems that he has assembled a group of Spider-People to stop the Spot. This Society of Spiders takes in Gwen and together they track down the Spot to Miles’ world and Gwen goes there to capture him. Through a series of events, we see that The Spot is a lot harder of a foe than they thought and they must all work together to bring him down. This leads to incredible action scenes and moments that will take your breath away.
The animation this time around is otherworldly! If you thought they pushed the envelope in the last movie, this time they basically kicked it into another dimension or in this case another Spider-Verse. Each character’s world highlights their color scheme and the movement of the colors make each scene look like a work of art. Speaking of characters, we are introduced to hundreds of Spider-People in this movie and if you are a fan of Spider-Man you will be pleased with what you see on the screen. There are plenty of easter eggs in this movie and it will take multiple viewings to catch them all. If you have watched all of the Spider-Man movies in The Spider-Verse (live-action and animated) you will see something familiar in their headquarters.
Out of all the new Spider-People introduced Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) has to be the breakout character in this movie. From his introduction to the animated style he is presented in, Spider-Punk will become everyone’s favorite by the end of this movie. Whereas Miles and Gwen are trying to find belonging, Spider-Punk knows who he is and is a great influence on these two.
Although the main villain of the movie is The Spot, Miguel O’Hara comes in a close second due to his beliefs. We have seen this type of mindset with Iron Man in Civil War. The mindset is that the bigger picture is more important but Miles does not feel the same way. Miles is still trying to figure out who he is and doesn’t feel that he should be put in a box because of where he came from. This movie is about finding yourself and Miles and Gwen are on that journey in this movie.
The last thing I will say about this movie is that while it is a great movie, it does touch on certain issues that hit close to the initial reception to Miles Morales. There is a moment when Miguel is berating Miles, calling him a mistake. He says that no one wanted his version of Spider-Man and that he should not exist. While this may seem like just a part of the movie I feel it is the creator’s way of telling those that initially hated the introduction of Miles that his story is still important. Miles Morales means a lot to children of Latino heritage and we all saw how his story resonated with everyone when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse expands on the original and gives us all a story about finding our inner strength and not letting those around us tell us where we belong. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham have given us an amazing story about belonging, family and finding yourself. At almost over 2 hours the movie zooms by and gets you prepared for the next installment, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which releases on March 29th, 2024.
Final Thoughts: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a fantastic continuation of the Miles Morales saga. The animation in this movie expands from what was shown in the first one and perfectly brings the new characters to life. The action sequences are amazing and there is plenty of heart in this movie. Across the Spider-Verse is the Empire Strikes Back to this incredible trilogy: funny, action-packed, and ends in an amazing cliffhanger.
Kid-Friendly: The movie has the same vibes as the previous movie. Younger kids might find some of the scenes with Miguel O’Hara a little frightening. There is talk about death and what must happen in their lives to become Spider-People that might go over the heads of younger fans.
Violence: There is a lot of animated violence in the movie that is similar to the violence in the first movie.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man™: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Loved the Spidey-cat !