'Across the Spider-Verse' Review

by Taylor P.-H.

As Halloween comes to a close, students have been showing off their costumes and some have dressed up as the beloved arachnid-themed superhero Spider-Man. On the topic of the wall-crawling superhero, let's shift our focus to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

The film is a fun and compelling sequel, just as good as the first entry of the "Spider-Verse" franchise. With strengths that outweigh its weaknesses, the film's incredible visuals, captivating soundtrack, and engaging writing will keep you hooked, even if you haven't seen the original movie.

The film takes place a year after the events of Into the Spider-Verse, with Miles Morales now the main Spider-Man of his universe. After being reunited with Gwen Stacy, Miles travels across the Multiverse and meets a team of Spider-Heroes. When they disagree on how to handle a new threat, Miles is forced to redefine what it means to be a hero and save the people he loves.

One of the most obvious strengths of the film is the animation, which was a defining and influential trait of this and the 2018 original. The animation is reminiscent of 90s-era comic books, using panels, visual captions, and bold graphics. The visual storytelling that the film offers is powerful, with the actual visuals acting almost like a character itself. The film uses various mood colors to express the feelings and emotions that both the characters and the audience experience in certain moments, and they do so brilliantly.

The film's animation has had a lasting impact on animated films of the current decade, films like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Elemental, and many other animated movies that have diverged from the traditional styles of animation that have come out in the last few years have been due to the massive success that both films have had. The film's writing stands out as it portrays the super-powered characters navigating personal conflicts, making them more relatable and human as characters connecting with their struggles in their regular lives.

In addition to the writing and animation, the characters themselves are all remarkably unique in their own ways. Each of the main spider-heroes that we follow throughout the film come from diverse, culturally rich backgrounds; this is most prominent in Miles Morales, the main protagonist, who resonates powerfully with Latino and Afro-Latino audiences, and Miguel O'Hara, the first Latino Spider-Man, as one of the primary antagonists. There are also many other representations of cultures with characters such as Pavitr Prabhakar, an India-based Spider-Man; Peni Parker, a Japanese-American Spider-Woman; and many other different heroes of different cultures.

The opinions of the film from students have been fairly positive. Cristian S. said that the film was “a really good movie, due to its great plot and graphics,” and Machi B. stated that “it was great and better than Into the Spider-Verse. It had an excellent art theme and an even better plot,” showing his love for the film, “10 out of 10.”

The consensus of this movie is that it is well-liked amongst the majority, with thousands of Rotten Tomatoes reviews praising the film, like one from Jeffrey Lyles of Lyles Movie Files. In the review, Lyles sheds light on the internal relationships of the protagonists as well as Miles' role as a student struggling to balance his personal life with his duty of being his city’s own Spider-Man, "Both Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy are missing each other after their fast connection... Miles is also finding it increasingly more challenging to navigate being a student, a superhero and a son to his loving parents… Not only was there a mounting attraction, but both appreciated having someone else their age to talk about being a hero," stated Lyles. He and another reviewer, Whelan Barzey, found Across the Spider-Verse a well-executed sequel - "It's a brilliant movie and, like the first film, honestly one of the best superhero movies I've ever seen."

In conclusion, I give Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse nine out of ten. I’d highly recommend it if you are a fan of superheroes, stunning visual effects, captivating music, and thought-provoking storytelling; this movie, along with its predecessor, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, is a must-watch. It is available on Prime Video and was just recently added to Netflix on October 31.