Miles Tests His Fate 'Across the Spider-Verse' in Sprawling Sequel: Review

Having to follow up Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which is arguably the best Spider-Man movie (and comic book movie) to date, must have been a daunting task. But five years, and multiple multiverse movies later, the creators have returned to bring another unique take on the Spider-Man mythos and end up being mostly successful. I wouldn’t call it “the best Spider-Man movie ever,” as one patron did on the way out of the theater, but it still is an artistic achievement that deserves to be celebrated for its own merits.

Writer-producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller return once again, but Across the Spider-Verse gets a trio of new directors this time around. The addition of Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers (Soul) creates a moodier tone than the first one. They set the story one year after Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) saved the Multiverse, where he is struggling to balance the responsibilities of being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, a good student, and a trustworthy son. You know, standard Spider-Man stuff.

But the animators breathe new life into every character by using different frame rates to animate them in their respective comic book eras and styles. For example, particular attention is given to Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld) by using watercolor textures and pastel colors to match her mood during emotional scenes, like during a jam session or when arguing with her disapproving father. Her way of swinging is also more graceful and balletic than the other Spider-Men in this movie.

Pavtir Prabhakar (Indian Spider-Man) uses gold rings as projectile weapons with his webs, and Hobie (Daniel Kaluuya) is animated with a British punk rock aesthetic outlined by newspaper clippings made famous by bands like The Sex Pistols. Issa Rae’s Spider-Woman takes care of business while pregnant on her roaring motorcycle, and Oscar Isaac plays a moody Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, who is in charge of the Spider Society, which corrects anomalies across the Spider-Verse (MCU fans might think of them as the TVA from Loki but for Spider-People).

When one nemesis turns out to be more than a “villain of the week,” it is up to Miles and the Spider Society to stop him before the multiverse is once again in danger of collapsing. The villain, Spot, is voiced brilliantly by Jason Schwartzman, and all of the voice acting from the ensemble is once again pitch-perfect. This includes Jake Johnson’s return as Peter B. Parker and Miles’ mom Rio voiced by Luna Lauren Velez. Whereas the first movie was more about Miles’ relationship with his dad and uncle, this one gives him more time to bond with his mom, who is worried about his erratic behavior.

What makes Across the Spider-Verse stand above from other multi-verse movies, and even Spider-Man: No Way Home, is the way it effortlessly weaves the different characters into the action to where they feel like an essential aspect to the story rather than cheap fan service where the movie waits for you to clap for a cameo. I won’t spoil the fun surprises, but fans of any generation of Spider-Man will have something to appreciate in this movie as they pull from the endless history of the character. (It’s reminiscent of the reverence The Lego Batman Movie had for its protagonist.)

The filmmakers raise the stakes from Miles’ home in Into the Spider-Verse to every Spider-Person’s home. This can be overwhelming for some, but the emotional core is still present with Gwen and Miles trying to rekindle their friendship (it’s hard when your best friend lives in another universe) and their relationships with their parents. And the animation is even more impressive this time around.

Spider-Punk and Gwen’s drumming added a punk rock attitude and aesthetic to this film as well as progressing the hip-hop styling and needle drops of the first movie. Into the Spider-Verse completely changed the face of animation, and Across the Spiderverse continues to push the boundaries beyond that instead of being complacent with their already groundbreaking achievement.

Some of the best examples of their creativity include a Renaissance-drawing style Vulture wreaking havoc in the Guggenheim Museum and the way that Spot is made up of black ink blots, making him feel liquid and able to escape any situation. Almost every frame of this could be hung up on a wall in an art museum, but one that has stuck with me since seeing the film is Gwen and Miles sharing a moment together by staring at the skyline while hanging upside down (pictured above), cementing their unique bond with each other even when they live worlds apart.

Yes, this is a comic book movie aimed at children. But it also isn’t afraid to ask larger questions of determinism and belonging. Whether all of the superheroes we love are destined to a tragic backstory or whether there is another way to become a hero. Is that a possibility in any of the Spipder-Verses? Miles seeks to find that path, and while the third act is more of a setup for the next installment, there is more than enough to appreciate about Across the Spider-Verse to make it worth seeing on the big screen.

*As of right now, the release date for Beyond the Spider-Verse is March 2024, but pending the writer’s strike, among other factors, I seriously doubt it will be out that soon.