There's no way they could top the first.
...but then they did
Miguel!!! Miles!! The other miles!!! Peter B. Parker!! Why is everyone so hot???!!!
I rarely assign the highest possible rating here, but "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" simply blew me away. The first movie was almost perfect, with an incredibly varied animation style, good characters, and an exciting and humorous story. The sequel is now a flawless expansion of these elements. This time, for example, even more different animation styles are blended, and the result is simply stunning.
The voice actors are also strong again. I was especially pleased to see Spider-Gwen's (Hailee Steinfeld) role expanded significantly, as her story perfectly complements Miles' (Shameik Moore). And the return of Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) provides a good laugh or two. Oscar Isaac as Spider-Man 2099, the Indian Spider-Man (Karan Soni), and the villain The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) are also clear highlights. There are also numerous Easter eggs that can't all be discovered during a single viewing. For fans of the comics, "Across the Spider-Verse" is one hell of a treat.
This is not least due to the fact that the story is once again very strong. While the first part was perhaps held back a bit by the fact that it was also an origin story, there's no holding back this time. The focus is on the multiverse, and it has never been done so well and creatively in any Marvel movie. Amidst all the spectacle, there is also time for smaller moments and character development. Scenes with Miles and his family, as well as Gwen and her father, stand out in particular.
Overall, "Across the Spider-Verse" is a perfect Spider-Man film. Looking ahead to the sequel, which will fortunately already be released in March 2024, my expectations couldn't be higher.
This movie is unbelievable. I could write a whole book explaining how insanely amazing the animation, the plot, the details, literally everything is. I think you already know it all.
I truly believe we are witnessing a literal revolution of movie animation.
This is automatic Oscar material, don't even bother having other candidates because it would just be embarrassing to put them against this.
Hands down, one of the best movies I have ever seen.
The Animation, the Story, The characters, The Music, and everything else, is just perfect.
To put in one word, this move is "Jodd"
Spider-Man across the spiderverse is top tier.
Visually amazing, great unexpected story & loads of nostalgic flashbacks.
This is how you make a multiverse movie folks. Take notes Kevin Feige. Can’t wait for part 2!
everyone involved should be so incredibly proud, such a fantastic film and experience. A M A Z I N G
Come for the animation and stay for the plot, themes, and music.
Greatest Animated, Spider Man, Comic Book Movie ever made...:100:/:100:
I actually wished it didn't end. it was beautiful.
Obviously, the animation was the best part. It was a character by itself. It was dynamic, influential, and adaptive. It told so much for each character. The music adds to that too, the small motifs that call to each spiderman. And not to mention the amount of spiderpeople too, some comic references that I absolutely was happy to see on the screen, including 2099. The characters we do see each have a very strong and dedicated story arc, even ones who come in very quickly get their personal intro that gives us enough to tell them apart from the basic Peter Parker. What I really enjoyed was that this film does not start as a Miles Morales film, it starts with Gwen and then goes to Miles and then it becomes Miguel's story until finally at the climax, Miles grabs the story back into his hands and says it too. There is no "leap of faith" moment here, and it does try to copy it but with less effect, instead there's the moment where Miles says no to all the Spider-man stereotypes and says he'll do it his own way. That's hype.
The only thing I can say bad about this is how long it is, it feels like the movie is half way over before things start rolling, but that's because this is a two-parter. And it's a two-parter for a good reason, I don't think this is just a cash grab to have another movie. It deserves another part, not enough screen time to tell this story. Actually I also think the dialogue audio in the beginning of the movie was hard to hear. As the movie progressed, I don't think this remained an issue.
This movie is fan service but even for new Spiderman fans, this movie is hype. It's not all hype tho, there were a lot of parts of the film that I could relate to as a normal person (isn't that the whole point of spiderman?). This is what made the animation so good, it wasn't just the different styles for different characters, it was the different colors for different emotions and moments. It was the blanking out or inversion of colors to show different opinions. It was the changing of colors in the same scene to represent discomfort or tension. Hyper-styled, this movie was hyper-styled animation.
Sony Animation has hit a home run again, this is better than the first one and it's completely on purpose. The theater was a riot too. Love to see some representation of my home country as well representation of many minority lifestyles and races too.
Even after a day I can't help but think back to the conflicts of each main spiderman. The canon events, the breaking of them, and the forcing of the story onto someone who didn't ask for any of this more than the normal spiderman doesn't. Miles Morales is Spider-man.
edit: I don't like to be political on social media but I saw a lot of people say Gwen is trans. If so, that's great! But I think both her and Miles were allegories for queer acceptance for audience members to relate to (I felt that Miles was enacting the gay coming out process). The characters themselves may not be queer themselves but we can relate to their coming out process and conversation irl as fellow queer members of society. I think it was very well done, respectful, and purposeful. So I won't disagree with anyone who says Gwen is trans, why should I? I simply think her portrayal was a vessel for us to relate to. Gwen is coming out as a Spiderperson, but the audience can see her coming out as a Spiderperson and/or as trans, and that's great for representation, we stan a trans queen :crown:. Multiple watches of the scene also have made me realize that her specific speech sequence is bathed in trans colors, and when isolated from the context of the scene, it can be understood as a coming out speech too. Well done. So tbh it doesn't matter what I think, it matters what trans people think and what they took away from that speech. If she was trans for them, then yes Gwen is trans. For everyone else, regardless of what you think, that scene and Gwen are a trans allegory and it cannot be denied just because you think she's cis, even if she is cis.
So good!!! Oh my god!!!
I don't even know how to start. Hands down the best movie of 2023. No not just animation, movie. Give them the Oscar of best picture, i mean Barbie is nominated and BirdMan have won so why not, lets be creative.
I have expressed my frustration about multiverse many times but here we witness a masterpiece. Yes sorry other movies, this redefines animation, this redefines everything. The plot the story the music the quirky and extremely funny dialogues OMG the last 20 minutes of the film!!! 2 hours and 20 minutes and i didn't move a muscle. again OMG the last 20 minutes.
What a captivating and a masterpiece written story and plot, why can't marvel deliver this in real life but instead they release "The Marvels". Who wrote this ? who directed this ? Take them and make every movie of Marvel.
I have stop watching "adults" animation or Finding Nemo and Toy Story stuff but here is a reinvention of the animation and this style of animation.
I just can't get it out of my head since last night. What a joyride, so entertaining it blew my mind.
This film is a eyegasm for me everything is so pretty the Animation is so smooth the world feels alive low-key the best spider man
It's a goddamn masterpiece.
My personal rating:
-Plot (Story Arc and Plausibility): 9.5/10
-Attraction (Premise & Entertainment Value): 10/10
-Theme (Identity & Depth): 9/10
-Acting (Characters & Performance): 9/10
-Dialogue (Storytelling & Context): 10/10
-Cinematography (Visual Language & Lighting, Setting, and Wardrobe): 10/10
-Editing (Pace & Effects): 10/10
-Soundtrack (Sound Design & Film Score): 10/10
-Directing (Vision & Execution): 10/10
-The “It” Factor (One-of-a-Kind & Transcendent): 10/10Overall: 10/10 || 97.5/100
Film of the year so far.
A movie so good it even overcomes it’s copaganda. It’s a visual feast for the eyes, every frame of animation immaculately crafted, and the Easter eggs made with love both in how they’re animated and where they’re used, but never to the detriment of its main cast. Miles and Gwen both have hard hitting arcs, Miguel is a captivating tragic antagonist, and the Spot gradually goes from a funny joke to a tragic and nightmarish abomination all while being an immensely fun character to watch in action.
I loved the trans subtext, I loved Hobie and Pavitr, a certain cameo gave me life and closure, I love the metatextual element with Miles, and the whole movie is such a delight. Just Gwen’s backstory at the start got me tearing up, and the quality didn’t let up from there. I know people give it some gruff for being a ‘part one’, but so is Empire Strikes Back and you all love that. Miles and Gwen, the two main leads, have very clear arcs that resolve in this movie even as it sets up the plot for the next one, and I’m very excited for it. These movies started the multiversal trend in earnest, and nobody does it better, because the multiverse is not the point or sole draw. It’s a tool to show why Spider-Man is a concept that means so much to people, how iterative it can be, and how it can enrich characters and stories instead of being a distraction from or substitute for them. No Way Home was good enough, but it wishes it was this.
Absolutely stunning visuals... using colors to depict emotions in the backdrop was the stand out thing that I loved in Spider-Gwen's universe. Everything about this film I adore. I was purely amazed at every frame! (+plus all the lovely little Easter eggs and memes)
Just wow... huge props go to the thousands of dedicated artists on the film!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
My god, what a masterpiece. Really sad it ended on a cliffhanger (although we should’ve expected it to be honest) but even if this is only the first part it was a phenomenal experience.
I love how Miles is even more developed as a character and distinguished from the rest of the characters, how this movie explored what it means to be Spider-Man, and whether it’s morally right to sacrifice one person for many others. What also resonated with me is how the movie explored finding acceptance and how parents struggle when their kids reach adulthood. Gwen’s father and Miles’ parents were amazing in this movie. But the main highlight was definitely Miles and Miguel’s beliefs clashing and Miles taking the courage to become his own person. Together with the amazing visuals and the score I was just sitting in the theater thinking “Yeah, this is cinema”.
On a technical level, it was of course pretty amazing, although I have to say it’s also kinda taxing to watch because they spam all kinds of colors so much and especially in action the camera is going absolutely nuts. The good thing is that it didn’t detract from my enjoyment too much and it captures the quirkiness of Spider-Man in a way that live-action movies never manage but once the movie was done my head was about to explode lol.
When everybody said they thought Into the Spider-verse was their favorite Spider-man movie (and some even favorite SUPERHERO movie!) I didn't really understand it. It was a good movie, with great animation, but I didn't think it was GREAT exactly. If people are going to say that about this movie... NOW I get it. This movie was incredible. It blew me away. I was on the edge of my seat almost the entire time, and can't wait for the next one!
That was so freaking, it’s literally my favorite Spider-Man movie, the animation was beyond good, i really can’t wait for part 2, you have to watch it :sob::heart::heart::heart:
Why are people complaining about too many stories?! You're in multi verse, all spiderman has to contribute something. I know we love Miles but gotta respect the vision and motto here. People really lack patience and attention these days. IMO it was a great movie. waiting for more.
:heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart::heart: - Can not wait for the number two
10:heart:- Masterpiece :100:
9:heart:- Excellent
8:heart: - Amazing :ok_hand:
7:heart:- Great :sun_with_face:
6:heart: - Good :thumbsup:
5:heart: - Average :head_bandage:
4:heart: - Bad but watchable :octagonal_sign:
3:heart: - Bad :sob:
2:rage:- Awful :face_vomiting:
1:face_with_symbols_over_mouth: - Bull Shit
That's just AMAZING! I'm absolutely speechless!
How will Beyond top-this I have no idea.
Literally the definition of beauty.
Wow...
Really great story line and I liked the different styles of animation. I am really looking forward to where the story goes from here. There are some parts that a nods at other spiderman movies - that was a lot of fun.
My husband couldn’t watch the animation because it triggered a headache, so be forewarned.
had a feeling this was gonna be a 10/10 before i clicked play, turns out i was correct
For some reason I heard people complain that nothing happened in this movie. And that it was all just an ad for another 3rd movie?? I disagree so hard. It was all so good and coming together so well. The art, the different spider-people, I love all of them and all of it. I was so happy and excited I went to the cinema's showing twice! Almost went a third time but I was a little too broke for that haha. This movie is a treat that I'd like to expeerience again and again.
I haven't seen such a good movie in all aspects in a long time.
Rated a Connor 10, normal 9.7
Fracking great movie. Makes it hard to understand why Marvel doesnt do more like it
Absolutely amazing, 10/10 for me. The animation, history, everything truly top notch, so kudos to everyone involved. I'm really annoyed withthe "to be continued..." since it got me off guard, didn't know that and now I need closure :joy: can't wait.
When I watched Multiverse of Madness I thought it's not that bad, but then I watched Across the Spiderverse... I couldn't be more wrong. This is how you do multiverse period
Ps I'm never not watching on HD again, I don't want to miss on beautiful visuals like this.
the only bad thing is that it doesn't last 4 hours.
man oh man! what a ride, can't wait for part 2
That did not feel like 2 hours. I want more!
Just watched the movie at the cinema and ngl this is pure peak!
Everything is just better, it feels like the first movie but on steroids. The art is amazing and the way the story flows is awesome. It feels like there is always something important happening.
All the new characters are good and add up to the story and the ones that come back feel even better/more iconic.
The way that the villain grows up is natural and hella cool.
If we need to put a defect on it, it definitely has to be the way it ends, still feels like it deserves the 10.
As good or better than the first... good story, the images from the classic (comic) to the very subtle current effect, I exist almost flawless.
The sequel to the amazing movie Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. It had a lot to live up to, and it delivered on every front. The journey that not only Miles Morales goes on is one that everyone needs to see. The visuals, soundtrack, and story itself work together cohesively to deliver a perfect experience for viewers. Needless to say, watch this movie.
I had heard nothing but the highest of praises going into this film, so naturally, my expectations were set insurmountable high. Yet, hours after my watch, I still sit here, absolutely blown away by what I saw. I just don't know how to put words to this that will give it justice.
Probably the most beautiful movie I've ever seen. Superb movie, with animation that has love in every frame.
I have always known that movies are art, but this is the first time that I have actually thougth about that while watching a movie. A true masterpiece.
Easily one of the best superhero movies ever made. Both the drama and action/superhero sides to the story were handled well, and the writers also skillfully sketched the supporting cast in a way that allowed the world to feel quite full and alive. The emotional beats are strong but the catalysts are so well crafted that they don't feel overwrought, as they may well have been.
My primary issue with the ending is that it doesn't; it ends in a very abrupt, Dune-esque way. This doesn't make it bad, and it still works as a singular price of art because one could easily guess what happens next, but I wish it ended on a more satisfying note.
Very few sequels can claim to have the same impact as the original.
Top Gun: Maverick was one and now you can add Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse to this exclusive list too.
The animation is top-notch and even more arty and comic booksy this time around.
Loved the way the creators used music to convey themes and emotions (love the scene between Gwen and Miles with Mona Lisa playing in the background)
Simply put: ATS-V is ITS-V on steroids.
Oh, the movie ends on a cliffhanger and will end Miles’ story with Beyond The Spider-Verse
And the Oscar goes to… Sony Animation has done it again.
Hailee Steinfeld's performance is by far the best, Oscar Isaac's Miguel O' Hara was pretty good too.
The animation was beautiful, like true eye candy. It had just the right balance between good action, good characters, and emotional scenes. I've never had this much fun watching an animated movie before. I had seen the first one but this second one is far better in my opinion but the first one set things up pretty well.
This movie just DOESN'T STOP. Hoping to watch it again before it leaves theaters.
This is straight up fire.
SpidermanAcrossTheSpiderverseReview
My Rating : :star::star::star::star::star: (96/100)
Across The Spiderverse is a spellbinding and mesmerizing experience and passes the sequel test with aplomb. Starting from developing the endearing characters we loved from the first part, it adds a few solid new ones which are written as brilliantly as we can expect. The dazzling cinematography and animations leaves you tranfixed and the thrilling plot shifts leave you floored. Spiderverse is expanded vividly with the captivating work of humour, emotions and keeps you excited for what next throughout. The loudest hooting when Pavitra Prabhakar , our very own desi Indian Spider-Man comes on screen got me exhilarated. With almost all emotions getting evoked with the drama, tension and elevated climax, the cliffhanger makes me thrilled for the final act. Magical experience.
The writing is superlative and introduction of the new concept of Canon event definitely opens up new possibilities. Miguel's Spiderman is terrorizing and adds more seriousness to the plot. While the emotional moments of Miles and Gwen with their family add to the list of winsome moments during the course of the runtime. Manhattan is now Mumbattan and Pavitra Prabhakar made us go crazy. The action and visuals are enthralling to say the least.
Overall, if you likes the part 1 stop reading ahead and go watch this epic spectacle asap and if you haven't then its the right time of this weekend to catch up both parts and join in the community of Miles Morales fan club.
Instagram & Twitter : @streamgenx
words haven't been invented yet to express and stress how much i LOVED this movie.
i fell in love with the 2018 movie and ever since, i've been dying to see another one, the day has finally come, and i want to truly thank the universe and everyone who put all the hours and hard work that went into this movie, i want to thank every single one personally;
from the moment the movie started, with the glitching effects of the usual intro animations of the marvel logo, then Qwen's hearth wrenching & emotional backstory, i loved it all
every. single. frame.
every. single. transition.
every. single. musical note.
all of it. just. perfect;
every second of this movie, and i mean it with my whole heart, every single frame can be a painting, i can seriously feel how this movie was the product of a team full of passion and love for what they do, and they executed every detail to absolute perfection;
some of my favorite moments:
-Gwen having her Spiderman moment, where she acts quick and puts up a whole field of webs to stop that helicopter from falling and saving the people on the ground (reminded me of the Toby train scene, or the Tom Holland one where he holds the boat together, in that sense)
-the inclusion of those small scenes, from the original 2000's Spiderman with Toby, as well as the Andrew Garfield ones
-obviously the upside down scene where they both sit on that building, Miles & Gwen
-if i don't stop here i'd just end up mentioning the whole movie basically, i've had goosebumps throughout the entirety of it
i'm so glad that this has been my first ever animated movie that i got the chance to experience in a cinema, and i don't regret a single moment of it, i was truly left speechless
& also, staying all the way to the end for the end credits was so worth it, i just HAD to hear that metro song after the movie ended, it completed it so well
i'm truly out of words, and i don't KNOW how they could possibly top this movie with the third one, but i know; i know that they will
Rated a Connor 10, normal 9
A great emotional rollercoaster. That takes awhile to get going but is fantastic when it does.
It's a 10/10
But did not have it's "leap of faith" moment. Don't think they can match that ever. Piece of art man, piece of art.
The animation is pure art. I didn’t blink for 2 hours.
It's the art style and animation for me. Different from all the other Pixar inspired animated movies from the triple A productions out there. It's like this one has it's own identity, its own brand and feel.
In terms of the movie itself, its pretty different from the first one, but at the same time, tries to follow the rhythm the first movie set. The multiverse concept is picture perfect, the characters just class. 9.
Surprise! It's a 2 parter. Can't wait for part 2- "Beyond The Spiderverse" soon enough
Perhaps the multiversiest film ever! Now we just need the next movie to cross over with The Flash, and the singularity will finally be reached...
As someone that LOVED the first, there was no way the sequel could live up to my expectations. Welp, it managed to subvert expectations and stand wonderfully on its own. The animation is top tier animation across any movie ever. The action is awesome. There is simply so much care put into every single scene (verbal, non verbal, scene focus, scene background) that it’s hard to portray what specifically makes this film incredible. If you love Spider-Man, you will love this!
Rating: 5/5 - 9.5/10 - Highly Recommend
It's how you wear the mask that matters.
This is unironically the best thing marvel has ever done, AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is an absolute triumph that takes everything we loved about the original film and cranks it up to a whole new level. This stunning sequel is a true testament to the power of animation, storytelling, and the enduring legacy of everyone's favorite web-slinger.
This isn’t just any animation this is THE animation.
Truly one of the best films I’ve ever seen. A true masterpiece, a sensory overload in the best possible way.
Boy oh boy, hands down to Hobbe, My man.
We don't have the power of the state. We don't have the authority on our side, the cops, or the media. What we have are angry hearts. Clenched fists. Love and rage... and 15,000 watts of punkrock, - Hobbe Brown
The good stuff:
- Animation and score were straight fire!
- Gwen/Dad moments were touching.
- All the action sequences were straight-up breathtaking, especially that sick chase and the Nueva York train scene.
- The Spot was a boss character, for real.
- The ending had a nice double twist.
The not-so-good stuff:
- Too fanservicey sometimes, with those unnecessary live-action meta references.
- Miles/Parents scenes dragged on too long.
- Miguel's origin was overlooked and his plan contradicts Spider-Man's core beliefs.
- Why does Peter B. Parker keeps taking his daughter everywhere with him???
Overall, 9/10
THIS is how you do a multiverse film. I could not be happier as an avid Spider-Man fan right now
one of the BEST spiderman movies tbh but WHY WAS IT LEFT ON A CLIFFHANGER :sob:
[8.8/10] The cliche for any sequel is “more”. Take what the audience liked from the first installment and just keep piling it on. On the surface, you could mistake Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as suffering from the same pathology.
Its predecessor, Into the Spider-Verse had seven spider-people. Across the Spider-Verse has a hundred. Into the Spider-Verse gave us a glimpse of a handful of alternate realities. Across the Spider-Verse spends meaningful time in scads of them. Into the Spider-Verse clocked in at less than two hours. Across the Spider-Verse spills twenty minutes over that benchmark and demands another outing to finish its story. To the casual observer, this surfeit of cinematic real estate and the spider-beings who occupy it could be mistaken for second-installment bloat.
Except that Across the Spider-Verse is not mere excess. It is, insead, redolent with added ambition. Its predecessor stunned with a distinctive, cel-shaded art style, occasionally pierced by denizens with more anime or Looney Tunes-inspired aesthetics. Across the Spider-Verse elevates the visual brilliance to jaw-dropping, superlative levels.
Miles Morales’ cel-shaded digs return. But so too does Spider-Gwen’s watercolor world. The futuristic metropolis and impossible geometry of Spider-Man 2099’s headquarters. The parchment-styled weathering of a da Vinci-inspired Vulture. The bustling, South Asian-inspired environs of Spider-Man India. The Zine Queen cut out look of Spider-Punk. The transfixing and occasionally disturbing visage of The Spot as his form grows more and more frazzled and medium-defying the more interdimensional energy he absorbs. 2-D. 3-D. Stop Motion. Live action. Digital designs. Ink and paint creations. Comic panels. Old polygons. New pixels. The new Spider-Verse entry is a triumph of medium-blending glory where the milieu is part of the text and subtext and themes at the heart of the piece.
The same goes for the action. Into the Spider-Verse featured all manner of memorable sequences. Avatar: The Last Airbender veteran Joaquim Dos Santos is among the film’s co-directors, and it’s hard not to feel his influence as this follow-up feature ups the ante. Miles has a comical but brilliant “Now that’s thinking with portals” skirmish with The Spot. The omnibus all-comers spidey-fight is the pinnacle of arachnid spectacle it should be. The kinetic and frenetic energy, rife with medium-mixing action, remains a staple of the movie’s cinematic grammar.
But it’s just as winsome in quieter moments. The way the light brightens amid a hug between Gwen and her father. The way she and Miles share a peculiar perspective as they gaze upon the skyline of the city together. The look of pain in her and Peter B. Parker’s eyes when Miles learns the truth. There is an expressiveness, a commitment to using every last inch of every last frame to make you marvel and gasp and feel the meaning behind each moment through imagery alone that would be worth the price of admission even if Across had nothing else to offer.
Thankfully, it also has a plot that is remarkably ambitious and untroubled by traditional forms. Despite its multiversal bent, Into the Spider-Verse is a remarkably tight and focused film. That’s to its credit, taking a wild-eyed story, anchoring it in both the universal and the specific, and making it feel deceptively simple.
As a follow-up, Across the Spider-Verse is epic, multi-faceted, even messy. There are scores of moving parts. Two reintroductions and brief “While you were gone” recaps to orient the audience. All of space-time is at stake once again, but the solution is not as straightforward as stopping the big bad machine. It’s to resew the fabric of the universe as tears emerge in the wake of the last solution. The villain is an overlooked consequence of the first movie’s adventures swollen to eldritch horror proportions; and the villain is one of your own, sacrificing the noble principles that your kind are founded upon in the name of preserving the status quo; and the villain is...well...you, denied the good fortune and cosmic protection you inadvertently stole. Oh yeah, and it’s only part one.
Despite the scope, the movie never feels like too much or anything less than self-assured. There’s a lot going on here, narratively, personally, and thematically. But it all feels built to fit together, designed to build toward a greater whole, while embracing a complexity and ambition that few films are willing to entrust general audiences with.
Part of what keeps that kaleidoscopic plotting accessible and comprehensible is that it’s always grounded in the emotions and psychology of the characters. This is, on the surface, a story about myriad reflections of the Web-Head crashing down on one another. But it is, at heart, about two adolescents struggling with their relationships with their parents as they try to “find their tribe” and their place in the world as budding adults.
The great claim-to-fame of the original Spider-Man comics was that Peter Parker was a hero who fought colorful bad guys on rooftops, but who also had real problems like family and rent, just like you. Across the Spider-Verse carries on that spirit. Amid the reality-shifting dramatics, the film is spurred by Gwen suffering when her loving father learns her true identity and recoils. And it’s spurred by Miles wanting to grow up and grow away from his loving but enveloping parents, so he can venture off and find a community that he thinks will understand him and help him to follow his dreams.
The circumstances are extreme. But the conversations between parents and children are real. There’s an almost shocking verisimilitude -- borne by writing, performance, and animation in concert -- to the back and forths between Gwen and Captain Stacy, and between Miles, Jeff, and Rio. The tone of being reluctant to accept the love of someone you worry won’t fully accept you. The frustration of failing to live up to your parents’ standards while still trying to define your own. That definitively Spider-Man quality of feeling as though you’re trying so hard and still letting everybody down. Peer down into the bottom of this film, and you will find truth, gushing out of each frame as much as the aesthetic glory.
You can feel it in the way Gwen and Miles relate to one another, two kids on unique journeys who feel like the world doesn’t understand them. You can feel it in the words of parents like Jeff, Rio, Captain Stacy, and a gloriously returning Peter B. Parker, who think the world of these kids but worry about their future and how to keep them on the right path. And you can feel it in that universal, youthful sense of longing for a new adventure worthy of the new you, and in the equal and opposite chastening that can come when you realize it’s not always less complicated or as warm as the comforts of home.
This is an epic film, full of big ideas. But it never floats away or gets lost amid its own dizzying scale. Because it keeps those real feelings at the center of everything it sets out to achieve.
Those ideas give the movie ballast though. The premise of the film is that Gwen has joined an interdimensional “Spider Society” whose mission is to repair the anomalies caused by Kingpin’s collider in the first film. The twist is that Miles cannot join her there, because he is, in many ways, the original anomaly. His spider bite came from an arachnid meant for another universe. He wasn’t meant to be Spider-Man.
The reveal works on so many levels. There is great power in making the practical and emotional obstacle of the piece a statement to a mixed race child that they don’t belong. He receives nothing but rejection from a community he thought would accept him, because of what he is rather than who he is. In a film with people of color prominently in front of and behind the “camera”, that comes with a particular resonance.
To the same end, there is a meta commentary on the nature of Miles as a character and his place in the broader Spider-Man media franchise. Considering the real life racist backlash to the fancasting of Donald Glover as Spidey (which gets a nod in the form of his cameo as MCU Prowler), it’s easy to read those sentiments about him as being an aberration or a mistake in the light of fans who rejected Miles because he wasn’t Peter, because he was Black and Latino, because he didn’t fit all of the standard tropes that had been cranked out for Spidey across hundreds of projects.
I trust the rebuke of these things will come in time, but textualizing the backlash Miles’ champions have had to fight in real life, with the same sentiment Miles must combat in a fictional one, dovetails with the sharp meta commentary that has come with these films to date.
And last, but not least, it’s worth noting that at the core of the dispute between Miles, who wants to chart his own path apart from both mom and dad and the Spider Society, and Miguel O’Hara, its ostensible leader who wants to repair the foundations of the multiverse, is characterized as a dispute over “preserving canon.”
There’s a striking notion baked into that framing. The film posits that certain events that have recurred across time and mediums for Spider-Man -- things like a mentor perishing, the death of a noble captain, and other iconic Web-Head moments -- are fixed points in any Spider-Man story. They must occur, lest the bounds of reality be shattered and everything be lost in their wake.
In a less complex film, that could be taken as the bare oppression of conformity (one sure to be dismissed reflexively by Hubie Brown, the film’s infectiously entertaining anti-authority punk Web-Head). More to the point, it dovetails with themes of established gatekeepers telling a mixed race child that the status quo must be maintained, and comics purists rejecting alternate takes on the traditional (mostly white) vision of Spider-Man.
But the purveyors of these ideas are not facile straw men. They are, for one thing, Miles’ friends. The thing that spurs Miles to resist is the sense that this adherence to canon means his soon-to-be-promoted-to-captain father must die. Peter B. Parker makes the case, one made in countless Spider-Man works before, that loss is difficult, but that it helps spur Spider-people to be who they need to be, to accept the responsibility that comes with the great power and be a force for good in the world.
As much as he is the film’s antagonist, Miguel O’Hara is a poster child for someone who tried to disrupt that idea, and lost everything in the process. He lost his family, and pulled a Rick and Morty (whose influence is keenly felt here) by hopping into another universe where his alt-reality equivalent died to take his place. The rush of images we see suggest the universe rejected him like a human body rejecting a new organ, and the whole world, including the daughter he wanted so desperately to reunite with, was lost. He has walked the path of putting your own happiness and desires above “the way things must be”, and he’s seen the consequence.
More than that, the shocking tease at the end of the film is a clever depositing of Miles into the universe whose spider he inadvertently stole. He sees the consequences of a world without a Spider-Man. He sees the hardship and misery, for his family and for his community, that his own self-actualization is accidentally built on. These are not easy things to reject or ignore, but rather strong counterbalances to our natural sympathies for Miles.
And still, despite that, there remains great sympathy for the defiers of canon. Much remains to be explored and vindicated in the forthcoming third film in the series. But signs point to validating our heroes even if they stray from the usual or accepted arachnid touchpoints. If Into the Spider-Verse seemed designed to prove that anyone could be legitimate as Spider-Man so long as they take in his ideals and refuse to give up; the two follow-ups seem poised to suggest that you can, in fact, chart your own path away from what has always been, and be no less valid, no less real, no less worthy.
The other main poles of the story exemplify that. The delightful-turned-horrifying Spot is a “villain of the week” determined to flip the script and become a true nemesis and fearsome destroyer of worlds. Spider-Gwen is a version of a character who is, in the vaunted canon, meant to be one of those tragic losses that wounds the Web-Head but ultimately sharpens his resolve; and she is, instead, the hero who lost him and decides to keep going. And Miles is an accident, someone who became Spider-Man by happenstance and deviation rather than by inertia or fate, who nonetheless validates his place in the silky firmament of arachnid tales with each choice he takes to vindicate the good they fight for, and the good in himself, whether or not it fits with what came before.
To encompass all of this in one-hundred and forty minutes is remarkable. To try to accomplish it in double that time still seems like a lot. But as kinsmen like Everything Everywhere All at Once (which receives a small shout-out here) demonstrates, there is great transcendence to be had in weaving together text and metatext and character and commentary and stunning visual acumen into a greater whole.
Across the Spider-Verse is certainly that too. It is a worthy successor to the 2018 film, maintaining the same comic air, remixing energy, and emotional depth. But it also raises the bar, letting its palette, its ideas, its characters expand and grow more complex with the added mandate and leeway that comes with such a success. The creative team behind the film have arrived with something that does not simply go for more. It goes achingly deeper, jaw-droppingly wider, and poignantly further than anything we’ve seen before.
Across the Spiderverse redefines what animation movies can be. A perfect blend of style and subject, painstaking detail in animation and universally relatable themes make this one of the best movies in the last couple of decades.
Since Into the Spiderverse is about Miles accepting himself, Across the Spiderverse is about his friends and family accepting him, I shall assume Beyond the Spiderverse is about the multiverse accepting Miles. Add to that the reveal in the climax and we got one hell of a movie coming up.
Watching it a second time literally makes it better idk how but it does :sob::sob:
This movie is an amazing movie with lots of detail and heart put into every part. I'm going to get the first, undeniable thing out of the way. The animation, art, details, voice acting, and similar things are all 10/10. They are fucking brilliant. Many unique art styles; when Gwen hugged her dad and her world became much brighter, it made me smile. I liked a few new characters like Miguel and Hobie, though I felt they were not explored much. We have a brief insight into Miguel, so I personally don't think he is an amazing character or anything. The two stars of the show here are Gwen and Miles. I really liked the intro with Gwen, and I liked her as a character in this film. However, there were points where I was pissed at her and her decisions, but at the end of the movie, I come to see her ways. Miles was incredible in this film, and the best character. I really liked the entire idea of him challenging fate and fighting for his own life; "I'm gonna be myself". This writing of having the fucking multiverse against him and an entire group of spidermen against him was awesome. It was him versus everybody, and he managed to escape. He could have disappeared during that entire chase scene, but whatever. I really loved the part on the rocket against Miguel where he was the original anomaly. He was never supposed to be bitten. It was very interesting, but it shows how he got to the point where he is. I love how his entire thing of being himself, which I am guessing is a part of Miles and his character since I played the PS5 game, is connected to the multiverse and anomaly stuff. This Miles was never even supposed to be a Spiderman. He was supposed to be a regular guy, or maybe even turned into the Prowler. Anyway, I am basically saying Miles and his role as a person who challenges fate was my favorite part of the movie honestly. Eventually, he gets sent to the wrong dimension, which is a cool concept. At the end of the movie, it is implied (I think) that Gwen realized the canon can be broken. Her dad quit being a captain, so I am pretty sure Miguel's entire thing is wrong. How was the universe Miles set in also not sestroyed. I know they say that is why the other Spiderman died or whatever, but I still think Miguel's assumption is wrong. Anyway, the biggest flaw for the movie in my opinion was the ending. I didn't feel satisfied or hyped, I felt disappointed. At least the movie won't come out in 5 years. Before I say one last thing, I also want to mention how this actually felt like a sequel since a lot of things like Spot and Kingpin's interactions affected the future. It actually felt like there were consequences. Speaking of Spot, it was cool how he became more powerful overtime. Finally, I wanted to point out why my enjoyability score was low (for this movie at least). That is because, well, I didn't enjoy watching the movie as much as I did when compared to other movies. I really wanted to like the movie more in parts, but I don't know why I did not. This could be because there were annoying kids and a fucking baby at my screening. The kids were yelling and making noises at some parts. Maybe a rewatch would change that, but for now, I'm leaving it.
At the Time of Review:
Low 9/10
Story and Characters: 9/10
Presentation: 10/10
Enjoyability: 8/10
THIS is what I mean when I say I love animation. I love the beautiful, crazy, unique, artistic things animators can do, the characters they can create, the way their art can depict emotion and feeling on a different level. I’m so so happy this movie exists, if only for that reason. Here’s to a new era of animation.
So much better than the first with some quality animation, love the work they’ve done on this one, bring on part 2!
This film is pure joy. One of the greatest pieces of animation ever put to screen.
Please release the next part immediately! I want to see it right away!
wooow !!
remember what you loved about the first movie? well, prepare yourself for something even better!
A truly fantastic film! The animation is beautiful and impressive, while the story is captivating. The characters are well developed and extremely interesting, making the viewer want to know more about their stories. It is certainly a film that awakens curiosity and the desire to explore more of this world.
Miles Morales is back in action alongside all of the characters we know and love from the first film, but this time, he is the one traveling to unfamiliar lands and trying not to glitch out of control. Though I think I like the first one slightly more, this movie does a wonderful job of avoiding the typical sequel slump. The story is riveting, the characters are true to themselves, and the twists keep the audience interested until the very end. Thank God they left it open for another one because I am not ready to leave the Spider-verse.
The story is not as strong as the first one, but the animation is superb, feeling I'm watching moving art on screen.
Just as good, if not better then the last.
It’s easy to paint all superhero movies as equal, but this is about as good a counterexample as any. There will be people who refuse to recognize it because it is animated, or because it is a Spider-Man movie. Their loss. The animation is god-tier, easily some of the best you will ever see. And the way each world uses different animation styles that reflect their characters is so well thought-out. The score is stunning. But beyond all of that, the reason it remains in my top movies of 2023 is the character work. The twin perspectives of Gwen and Miles work in tandem to explore both blood and found families, to explore what it means to truly have values and the conviction to stick with them even when it is not easy, and to fight against the very idea of fate. Gwen Stacy in particular was the real highlight for me, with her storyline really resonating multiple times throughout.
Honestly I was having a great time and then it ended. Knocking off a whole point for the unnecessary sequelisation
The story is strong with this one.
You know it's not just the story... artwork, music, animation, scenes, fight sequences, grey areas. It is an excellent movie for sure.
Every 8/9/10 rating here says what I want to say.
Love this spider-man.
I really liked the plot and the ideas it presented. The animation was solid and they do quite a lot to develop Miles' character.
On the bad side, Peter B Parker was criminally underused and I dont appreciate him endangering his daughter.
The cliffhanger ending also let a bad taste in my mouth, but I am certainly excited to see how it ends!
The very beginning is quite confusing with so many things happening and the movie is a little longer than it could be due to the scenes to entertain the kids, but other than that it is as perfect as the first one. Storytelling, animations and soundtracks are so damn well done, truly an art. I am hyped for the third.
Really great follow up, and wish they had forgone that extreme cliffhanger, since it'll be so long until the next one. They wasted a lot of time in the first part of the movie on useless things - some of it I did quite enjoy.
Voice acting was fantastic, was great as usual to see and hear such an awesome cast.
The characters and spider-people are awesome - loved the wheelchair one.
Enjoy the jokes, and I happen to not think they are trying too hard, and it doesn't come off as annoying, like most supehero films, which I can't usually stand anymore.
Of course the animation was incredible - the art alone in this warrants so much praise, the fact the studio created a new medium for these films is nothing short of amazing - though I really missed the way they did the subtitles from the last film. Having shitty hearing, and the talking being difficult to hear in this, especially, it sucks reading subs at the bottom - it takes you out of the experience. I absolutely LOVED the way they did them in the last film like a comic book, they only did a couple in this film and I was just disappointed.
All in all, I really love the movie
"Miles, being Spider-Man is a sacrifice. That's the job. That's what you signed up for."
Sequels are always tricky because you want to go bigger and surpass expectations. I would say they were able to do this in every way and it truly is a beautiful film. It might be on the verge of being overstuffed, but they keep it fresh and end it where it needs to, and leaves us wanting more.
Lives up to the hype! Visually it is amazing. On that front alone it's worth seeing. But it's also a completely engaging watch. If not for the ending this would be close to a perfect superhero flick. Not to give anything away, but know that this ends on a cliffhanger with no real resolution to the problems laid out throughout the nearly 2.5 hours before it. That left me a bit frustrated, but everything else was spectacular.
Great movie, immediately a must-watch!
Why did it have to stop at a cliffhanger! The story was so good.
the art in this movie is just phenomenal
The only thing preventing me from giving it a 10 is the fact it's a two-part story.
Damn good movie. I was rather shocked how I fell in love with it. We got to make that third movie a Billy in theaters ,I'm sold.
My only complaint about this movie is that I really should have waited a year, so I could have watched the second part of this back to back. I'm now disappointed that it's so long until the conclusion.
Never thought the animation and music (both soundtrack and original score) could get any better. But they went even crazier with this one. Such a spectacle.
True blue Spider-Man fans will go gaga on this with the bevy of Spider-People, the lore, and endless Easter eggs throughout the movie.
Oscar Isaac shined in this film. Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld were brilliant, as expected.
Into the Spider-Verse got dethroned as the best Spider-Man movie of all time by this film. Looking forward to Beyond the Spider-Verse.
I watched this movie on an ambilight TV and I came several times.
Watched with Miles and Mason. Great time was had by all.
How is it possible that EVERY SINGLE FRAME in this visually stunning adventure is so gorgeously animated? I LOVED IT FROM START TO FINISH. Is a thrilling, epic, funny, mindblowing story with a cliffhanger that was just pure evil... still, an epic setup that we will have to wait til god knows when to see it all unfold.
The movie improved the cinematography of the previous one. The fan service deserves to be applauded and each scene deserves to be watched again. However, the script unnecessarily prolongs some arcs so that the third film can exist in the future.
To talk about Spider-Man is to talk about webs, spiders and taunts as he beats up the villain of the day. But it is also to talk about the spiderverse, or the "Web of Life and Fate". For those who do not know what we are talking about, it is precisely what has given rise to the adventures of Miles Morales, although it comes from far away. And it's a marvel.
Because whether you like Morales or not, it is impossible to deny that Across the Spider-Verse is a delight. It is to enjoy versions of dozens of versions of Spiderman, each one better than the last. It is to contemplate different types of drawing per universe, to analyze the color palettes, to see how the tempera blurs as one of the characters bares his heart. Across the Spider-Verse feels more like an art studio TFG than a movie.
It can get confusing, let's not kid ourselves. Too much information at once can distract us from the story, and as they say, there's a lot to cut through here. The Spanish dubbing is excellent, but asks for a review in the original version to appreciate the talks between Miles and his mother or Miguel o'Hara.
It also has excessively slow moments that break the rhythm and can become boring. It gives the impression that, as it is a "first half" of a larger work, the creators have allowed themselves to put in as much content as they wanted. And that's not always a good idea.
But it's worth it. Very much so.
I think it's hard not to compare this movie with the first one, and in my opinion, this one can evolve in a lot of aspects specially the animation styles, and in same time, it doesn't lose the essence and it keeps the transition between the comics and the movie.
In this movie, the foci is not the discovering and acceptance processes of Miles as Spiderman anymore, but his maturity as a human being/superhero, and his relationship with the others characters, making Miles to have his own difficulties (different of Peter Parker's), but always being Spiderman, what bother me here and made me think the first is better was (not just I had connected better with the first movie) the fact of this one being more dependent on a continuation... I didn't know it was finish in that way, it is even something that bothered me in another movies like in Dune...
Didn't think the sequel could come close to the first movie. But damn, I'm so glad I was proved wrong. This is even better!
9/10
amazing, the whole movie is amazing, good job
This was amazing except the ending! More adult, more emotional and visually incredible!!
Shout by ChilkaraVIP 10BlockedParent2023-06-01T21:42:28Z— updated 2023-06-06T18:07:17Z
Different from the first in all the right ways while expanding its own identity. The villain becomes secondary to a larger plot in a natural way.
This sequel takes even more liberties with the art style and uses each dimension’s art to set them apart beyond just structure. Gwen’s universe in particular uses constantly shifting colors and focuses to show character emotions visibly, which I appreciated more the second viewing. The story, this time, still features Miles but isn’t only about him. At first, I was upset, but the film came to balance all the threads. I kept fluctuating between hating and loving other characters (Gwen). Also, this film isn’t afraid of silence and pauses, which was refreshing in this ‘constantly stimulated’ day and age.
Incredibly rare for the first and second to be this highly rated by me. The first is more emotional, second brings more conflict and group dynamics.