Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits theaters this weekend. And it’s nothing short of artistically ambitious and beautiful. Each scene seems to be animated in multiple different styles, and the result ends up being a piece of art, even if it means they let other parts of the movie suffer.
The movie brings back Miles Morales as he’s getting a bit older and more into his teen years. His parents unsure what has changed are starting to wonder what he’s hiding when he starts to fight back and for a bit more independence. Of course, this means, Gwen Stacy comes back into his life and he finds out she’s been hiding something from him as well. Gwen, who now works for a special collection of Spider-Men is working on keeping the universe (and multi-verse) in check and controlling any variations along the way. All the while Miles wants to help, but he might be the biggest threat to the multi-verse yet.
Mixed with the bits of the original Spider-Man story, and the Morales’ own story twisted within it, the movie does have a lot of heart when the story is actually focused on. From crushes to feeling included and the importance of family. But these storylines seem muddled a bit and lost in the constantly changing artwork around them.
In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse you can expect to see a lot of familiar faces. While the last movie in the series had some cameos fans didn’t expect – this one has a lot more. If you have a favorite version of a Spider-Man character from different universes, then you can absolutely expect to find them in this movie. There are Spider-Men of every race, creed, and creature in the film and even features a pregnant Spider-Man character. If there is a version that you are hoping to see, be sure to check the background for them.
Along with the different Spider-Man Versions, the movie plays a lot into what fans are looking for. Yes, there are countless Spider-Man options, but some of the iconic moments, memes, and more are played out on the screen as well.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is nothing short of artistry and creativity bottled into a movie. While the animation style lends to either a dream project or a nightmare for animators – the movie does seem to drag in the story at times. That means, while the movie does only tell half of the story (be ready for a part 2 coming soon), there are definite moments that are slow and could have been eliminated from the movie for a better run time. Coming in at two hours and 16 minutes, Spider-Verse seems like it tried to focus more on the artistic animation style throughout the movie and the story suffered as a result.
Unlike other Marvel movies, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t have an after-credit scene. This could be due to the animated nature or the fact that it is a Sony/Marvel production. Despite our years of training waiting for a bonus scene, this time audiences can leave once the credits start to roll.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters.
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About Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man™: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
