A review of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, highlighting its exploration of Spider-Man's maturity and the visual evolution of the multiverse.
The world of superhero cinema is filled with trilogies that delve into the personal journeys of their protagonists. Five years after the debut of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), we are introduced to a more mature and confident version of Miles Morales in Across the Spider-Verse. However, this film questions what it truly means to be Spider-Man, placing the hero in a trial that challenges him to prove his worthiness.
Through the story of Gwen Stacy in her own universe, the film illustrates that every version of Spider-Man undergoes trials and challenges. We meet Miguel O'Hara and Jessica Drew, members of the Spider-Society, who are responsible for preserving the integrity of the multiverse. Back in Brooklyn's Earth-1610, we discover that the villain Miles faces may pose a threat to the entire multiverse.
By balancing the narrative between Miles, Gwen, and other Spider-People, Across the Spider-Verse expands the character's mythology while maintaining the cohesion of the plot and Miles' dramatic arc. The movie reinforces the original comic book message that anyone, if unlucky enough to be bitten by a radioactive spider, can become the neighborhood hero with purpose, values, and willpower. Even with numerous visually distinct characters, the film harmonizes them in a way that justifies their roles in the story, creating a vibrant mosaic of visual stimuli.
To handle so many characters, the movie challenges itself to become a landmark in animation. The different versions of Spider-Man are represented with textures and colors inspired by comic book art, referencing specific artists and eras. This approach also allows for meta-humor, such as the 1960s cartoon Spider-Man struggling to move as fluidly as his more modern animated counterparts. Each universe is designed to reflect its unique attributes in the settings, making the film a constantly evolving visual experience. The audience is challenged to engage with this modulation throughout the 2-hour-and-16-minute runtime, rewarded by moments of calm that emphasize the family bonds central to Spider-Man narratives.
With great power comes great responsibility. Including so many Spider-People on screen demands special attention to diversity, and the film both embraces this need and makes clever commentary on it. The representation in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse does more than massively expand the first movie's cast; it also shows awareness of this inclusion, moving beyond mere virtue signaling.
In summary, for Spider-Man fans, this movie is a must-watch, and definitely worth the time!
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