Movie Review: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

The world of superheroes never ceases to amaze us with its breathtaking action and mind-blowing storylines. And when it comes to Spider-Man, we know we are in for a treat. The latest addition to the Spider-Man franchise, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse‘, brings back our favorite web-slinger in an all-new adventure. With stunning animation, an exciting plot, and a talented voice cast, this movie promises to be a visual extravaganza. But is it worth the hype? Let’s find out.

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‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Review

The Spider-verse continues to grow and excite audiences in various ways even after five years since the release of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

To be clear from the start, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” stood out as the top comic book movie of the past ten years.

“Into the Spider-Verse” defied traditional superhero movie conventions with its comic book-inspired animation and diverse cast of Spider-People. The film rejected the idea of a chosen one and showcased that anyone could be Spider-Man, even a graffiti artist from Brooklyn or a pig named Spider-Ham. This opened up limitless possibilities for the future of comic book movies. The movie’s energetic and upbeat vibe was perfectly captured by Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower.”

There was a lot of pressure on the Spider-verse to keep up with the success of the original five years ago. However, the world of the Spider-verse is still growing in exciting ways. The sequel, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, is a rare gem that shines just as brightly as its predecessor. The visuals are truly impressive, with colors dripping, inverting, and splattering in a dazzling pop-art pattern. It’s truly a sight to see.

“If ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ celebrated the mind-bending convergence of different universes, ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ intensifies the multiverse experience to another level – perhaps even ten times higher. Different worlds collide with each other like shoppers in a packed bodega, and Spider-Men and Spider-Women emerge from the chaos like clowns from a tiny car. The overall effect of this energetic and exhilarating movie is akin to a fast-paced web-slinging adventure that challenges you to keep up with its non-stop action. The sheer abundance of visual elements in the film can be almost overwhelming, but it’s a thrilling ride nonetheless.”

“Across the Spider-Verse” manages to stay down-to-earth as a story of growing up, despite the numerous events taking place. The writers and producers (Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham) impressively break convention and piece together the remaining fragments to create something that’s charmingly straightforward yet also deceptive in its complexity.

The second chapter of the film sees a complete replacement of the directing team, with Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson taking over. This time, the story focuses on Miles Morales, who is now 15 and has a better grip on his abilities to fight crime. However, he struggles with communicating with his parents, Jefferson and Rio, who are unaware of his secret identity and are worried about his unusual behavior.

Gwen Stacy (played by Hailee Steinfeld) faces similar problems as she has disclosed her identity as Spider-Woman to her father, the police captain (played by Shea Whigham), leading to a significant strain in their relationship. This is because her father blames her for the death of Peter Parker.

Miles and Gwen reunite after being trapped in different dimensions and swing together through the city, portraying more of a teenage duo with parental issues than a romantically involved Spider-Man team. As they sit underneath a ledge on the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower, overlooking a hazy and blue Manhattan, the mesmerizing image captures the essence of the thrilling and unconventional film franchise.

The movie “Across the Spider-Verse” explores the concept of exceptionalism in a chaotic and jumbled way. The characters, Miles and Gwen, feel that their problems are unique to being gifted kids. However, the movie repeatedly reinforces that they are not alone in their exceptionalism. When a pregnant superhero arrives on a motorbike, Gwen says “I’m Spider-Woman,” to which the pregnant superhero replies “Me, too.” This scene highlights that although they are supremely talented, they are not the only ones with these abilities.

Given this is a movie titled “Spider-Verse”, there are numerous Spider-Men present from different parallel universes. These include versions of Spider-Man from a Mumbai-inspired New York, a Lego world, and a terrifying alternate reality. The portals between these universes are opened by The Spot, a villain-in-training with a blotchy appearance resembling a blank page with ink spots.

Spot’s abilities continue to develop, attracting the notice of the Spider-Society, a group of Spider-Individuals dedicated to maintaining order across the multiverse. Among them, there are some noteworthy members, such as the effortlessly cool Spider-Punk portrayed by Daniel Kaluuya, a British rocker reminiscent of The Clash. Meanwhile, others like the leader Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) are more solemn and troubled.

When different universes come together, established storylines are disrupted. The multiverse allows for a wide range of possibilities, but Miguel cautions that there are certain rules that must be followed, known as Canon. These rules require certain key narrative moments to happen in some way for every Spider-Man, such as the loss of a beloved person.

Miles’ experimentation with these principles leads to a massive conflict throughout the Spider-Verse, pitting a film series determined to break down traditional structures against a more formulaic approach. Lord and Miller, known for their post-modern works such as “The Lego Movie” and “The Mitchells vs. The Machines,” have been preparing for this battle all their lives.

With numerous dimensions and Spider-Men, there is a risk of losing the significance of reality in “Across the Spider-Verse”. The multiplication of worlds may cause the movie to become overwhelming, but it still manages to stay authentic to the teenage emotions and parent-child relationships that fuel the multiverse chaos, even evoking emotional responses from the audience.

The latest Marvel movie left me with a strong sense of disappointment upon leaving the theater, which is a rare occurrence for me. “Across the Spider-Verse” is the first of a two-part sequel and concludes with a cliffhanger ending. The film’s ability to evoke such a response can be attributed in part to its exciting visuals, as well as the belief that everyone possesses multiple dimensions within themselves. As the principal character played by Rachel Dratch states in the movie, “Each individual is a universe.”

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which is distributed by Sony Pictures Animation, has been given a PG rating by the Motion Picture Association due to its animated action violence, some language, and thematic elements. The movie has a runtime of 117 minutes and has been rated three and a half stars out of four.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is a visually stunning, action-packed film that takes viewers on a thrilling ride through multiple dimensions. With its engaging storyline, lovable characters, and impressive animation, the film is a must-see for both fans of the Spider-Man franchise and those who simply enjoy a good superhero adventure. The post-credits scene also hints at even more exciting things to come in the future of the Spider-Verse. Overall, the film is a fantastic addition to the Spider-Man canon and well worth the price of admission.

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