02 Jun Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Review

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

dir. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Stenfield, Oscar Isaac, et. al

Set 16 months after the events of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales settling into his life as both Miles the son and student and Earth 1610’s Ultimate Spider-Man. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Miles is introduced to the concept of the multiverse, encountering Spider-Men of different dimensions. Upon meeting Miguel O’Hara, a clash of ideologies finds Miles at odds with every other Spider across the web. On his own, Miles has to find a way to thwart the Spider-Verse to save the ones he loves most.

Featuring the return of the main vocal talent of the first Spider-Verse film, Across the Spider-Verse has given the actors the opportunity to further explore the characters and this deepening of understanding has resulted in richly layered performances. Shameik Moore continues to delight as Miles Morales, less precocious than his initial outing and more fully inhabiting the role of your typical middle teenager attempting to navigate life while adhering to the ‘great power/great responsibility‘ ethos that inhabits all who don the Spider mantle. Moore still continues to charm both the characters and the audience while also handling the weighty elements. Similarly, Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy shoulders a large slice of the drama as well. With the story’s opening focusing more on her (this is just as much her movie as it is Miles’), Steinfeld rises to the challenge, giving us a conflicted Gwen that pulls Miles into a larger world. Oscar Isaac is properly menacing as Miguel O’Hara, Spider-Man 2099, the most tortured and driven member of the Spider collective. This is Isaac as unhinged as he’s been in a film, animated or otherwise, and seeing a new facet of his performance is exhilarating.

Unfortunately, Isaac’s O’Hara is almost a little too effective. His introduction into the movie near the halfway point completely overshadows the film’s main villain The Spot, voiced by Jason Schwartzman. Starting out with a villain-of-the-week status before graduating to something more sinister, he’s instantly likeable at the film’s outset as a minor nuisance, pulling petty jobs to survive. His growth in stature might be one of the few weak points of the story; too much attention is paid to Miles and his various relationships to both his parents and Gwen, and not enough to The Spot. Spinning out of the events of the first Spider-verse film in a way that doesn’t seem ham fisted, The Spot’s back story is solid enough but his leveling up through the movie seems more an afterthought than an element worth focusing on.

In a number of instances when a project has multiple credited writers and multiple credited directors, that can spell disaster. Too many cooks in the kitchen is an oft quoted phrase and for the most part it’s true: even when well intentioned, clashing ideologies, differing interpretations of the source material, and personal wishes can collide to create a final product that’s unbalanced or downright sloppy. Such isn’t the case with Across the Spider-Verse; the combined talents of Phil Lord, Chris Miller, David Callaham, Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson are in near perfect harmony, delivering a story that manages to balance character work and action. While differing animation styles coexisting on the screen may seem jarring at first, the blend is done in such a way that allows the characters to inhabit the same space while highlighting their origins. From a technical standpoint, this film will be the one all other animated stories chase. From a narrative focus, while not as enriching as the first movie, the writers have set the bar for an emotionally charged, high stakes sequel.

Overall, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is easily one of the year’s most creative and entertaining films. Again, Lord and Miller, along with David Callaham, have provided a story that is not only wildly creative, but remembers to keep the characters and their relationships at the center of everything. With great vocal work from the returning cast, as well as the addition of Oscar Isaac, Jason Schwartzman, and Issa Rae, Across the Spider-Verse has set the standard for animated films going forward. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently in theaters.

Review by Darryl Mansel