What to Watch This Weekend – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the continuing story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). Being Brooklyn’s one-and-only Spider-Man is lonely. Miles grapples with his identity as his police officer dad (Brian Tyree Henry) and nurse mother (Luna Lauren Vélez) sense their son is hiding secrets. The tension boils over so when a surprise visit by Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) presents an opportunity for some fun, Miles jumps at it. During their routine act of swinging through the city and saving civilians, they encounter The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). A newly self-minted nemesis, The Spot can travel between dimensions causing chaos and catching the attention of the Spider-Society—a group of heroes responsible for maintaining stability in the universe. As Miles discovers more about his fellow spider-people, he must decide how much of his own destiny has already been written.  

What works in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the art direction and character depth. When Pixar began debuting films, it outshone the traditional 2d animation that had dominated for decades. And now Sony Animation makes Pixar look pedestrian. Across the Spider-Verse is a living painting full of stylistic arrangements and palettes that dazzle. Words cannot do justice to the gorgeous display of artistic talent as Miles moves between universes, each with a distinct look and feel. The visuals directly complement and enhance the fantastic story from writers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie), and David Callaham (Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings). Building from the story established in the first film (Into the Spider-Verse), this sequel takes a close, hard, and raw look into what it means to be Spider-Man. This includes all the expectations and sacrifices that affect Miles and Gwen, and Across the Spider-Verse finds its heart by holding nothing back.

People who are either a) new to Spider-lore or b) tired of Spider-movies won’t enjoy Across the Spider-Verse as much as others. While technically a standalone story, Across the Spider-Verse expects its audience to have some pre-existing knowledge of Spider-Man. The film is filled with references and homages galore from obvious to obscure. For those wholly unfamiliar with the superhero’s history and multiple iterations, the vast quantity of easter eggs may feel overwhelming or inaccessible. Finally, the animation is incredibly frenetic. While this is a conscious decision to accentuate the hyperactivity of the plot, some may experience slight disorientation with all the fast movement and cuts.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse had a high bar to clear, coming on the heels of Into the Spider-Verse which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. With a story that is rich and powerful, this first sequel meets and occasionally even beats those unreasonably large expectations. Highly recommended for all ages.

Recommended if you Enjoyed: Mitchells vs. Machines, The Lego Movie

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is available exclusively in theaters starting on June 2nd.

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