An instant classic was born when Miles Morale hit the screen in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It was the rare movie that genuinely featured something for everybody from teens to parents to kids barely old enough to pronounce Spider-Verse. It even pulled off being one of the few non-Disney films that won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Five years later, Miles and company return to take us back to the Spider-Verse in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Across the Spider-Verse picks up a year after the events of Into the Spider-Verse, where Miles has continued to serve as his world’s Spider-Man while balancing his day-to-day life as your average Brooklyn teen. That gets turned upside down when he unexpectedly reunites with Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider and learns of a whole new world of Spider-Persons.
Perfection is a word often thrown about and seldom applicable, but Into the Spider-Verse undoubtedly lived up to it. Does Across the Spider-Verse have more Spider greatness in store, or is it a dive into the sophomore jinx? It doesn’t hit at the same level as Into the Spider-Verse, but Across the Spider-Verse comes awfully close.
At its core, Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t stray far from its predecessor. The formula of eye-popping animated action, heart-tugging parental conversations, and humor that reaches all ages that made the first film great hasn’t gone anywhere. Yet, this trip to the world of Miles Morales feels different.
This time, Lego Movie and Into the Spider-Verse duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller teamed with David Callaham to write a script that ramps up the more affecting aspects of the Miles Morales and Spider-Verse stories. There’s less emphasis on the fun and more focus on the characters’ connections to each family and each other.
That’s not to say it’s melodramatic because the writing trio crafted it in an honest way that’s relatable for both parents and children, thanks to some of the best dialogue you’ll hear in an animated film. It lets you know how high the stakes have grown for all parties involved and is a welcomed change of pace for those with a case of superhero fatigue.
Typically, that shift would dull a comic-based film, but series newcomers Joaquim Dos Santos, Oscar-winning scribe Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson work magic from their shared director’s chair. While they move the film at a pace that leans into those emotional aspects, the trio makes sure it doesn’t overtake the film by using various visual mechanisms to keep things exciting.
A heart-to-heart between Miles and Gwen seems normal until you realize you’re viewing it upside down. An argument between child and parent becomes more than teenage angst vs. myopic parenting when the animation style changes to reflect the moods and emotions.
At the same time, Dos Santos, Powers, and Thompson do not forget what we came to the Spider-Verse to see, and they do not disappoint there either. They use a variety of camera angles and animations to give arguably the best first-person perspective of what it’s like to travel as Spider-Man in any film based on the character. The Spider-Man PlayStation video games might be the only entity that rivals it.
They also use several well-placed easter eggs spanning all the Spider-Man media to keep fans of the character engaged. There’s one that only your most devout Spider-Man followers will get and *in Stephen A. Smith voice* it is something special.
On the voice-acting side, Across the Spider-Verse does no wrong. Shamiek Moore and Hailee Steinfeld once again prove they were the perfect choices to voice Miles and Gwen, respectively. Both continue to show a firm grasp on projecting the teenage thoughts and emotions that drive their decisions. Jake Johnson also impresses in his return as Peter Parker.
The best performances from the new voice additions are Oscar Issac as Spider-Man 2099/Miguel O’Hara and Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk/Hobie Brown but for different reasons. Issac doesn’t move too far away from the serious tone of his previous role, and it’s a nice counter to the generally light-hearted Miles story. Kaluuya, on the other hand, takes a departure from his usual roles and uses his natural speaking voice (British accent) to act as comic relief. It is hilarious when you can understand him.
Across the Spider-Verse takes a considerable risk by investing heavily into the emotional weight that comes with being a Spider-Person…and once again, it pays off big-time for viewers of all ages and fan levels of the Web Slinger.
This sequel doesn’t outright match the original, and the reduction in the visuals, action, and jokes that made Into the Spider-Verse beloved does scale down the amusement. However, Across the Spider-Verse’s deft handling of progressing Miles’s journey and world makes the return trip to the Spider-verse well worth it.
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