A great movie, but a disappointing sequel
If you’re looking for the visual spectacle the first movie has to offer, this movie certainly delivers. However, Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t capture the same heart the first one had.
We seem to be picking up shortly after the events of the first movie, following Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) in her universe as she goes through a fallout with her father. This leads her to choose to follow Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) and Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), both fellow Spider-People, into a secret Spider-Society.
Meanwhile, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is saddened by the departure of Gwen and Peter B. Parker to their respective universes. However, when Gwen comes back on a mission, his concern for Gwen’s activities accidentally brings him into the fold of a secret society. He’s forced to confront his newfound nemesis Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a villain with black dots that cover his body and allow him to teleport to different universes on his own.
The complexity of the Spider-Verse is still easy to grasp and has some well-done fan service for fans of the comics and characters alike. Spot’s backstory is just silly enough without negating his villainy, and his arc into supervillain territory is fun to watch. The voice actors still do an amazing job bringing their characters to life. The story does seem marginally weaker, and it may be due to the final reveal [SPOILER?] that the story continues in the next movie. This leaves this movie with the difficult task of setting up the story for a finale, resulting in an overall weaker plot line.
Across the Spider-Verse touches on beautiful themes of family and responsibility, a common theme of Spider-Man movies thus far. Miles’ dynamic with his mother (Luna Lauren Vélez) and father (Brian Tyee Henry) really gets to shine, highlighting his mixed background in a great and relatable way. Moments with Miles and one of his parents are particularly touching, showing the different positive relationships he’s built with them both.
The ambition of the animation is palpable and phenomenally done. From the meld of 2D and 3D-style animation to the range of character design, there certainly was an improvement in the style and creativity of an already visually unique preceding film. The only aspect of the style that is less than stellar is unfortunately Gwen’s universe. It lacks focus on how the visuals tell the story, a stark contrast to the rest of the movie.
The soundtrack pales in comparison to its predecessor. While still having some good moments, there were many times the music seemed to clash with what was happening on-screen to a borderline distracting degree.
However, gripes aside, the movie is still a fantastic experience. Every element is still carefully crafted to be beautiful, and fans of animation, Spider-Man, and movies alike will have a great time watching.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
