Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG. Common Sense says 9.
STORY: A-
Last time, the multiverse came to Brooklyn. This time Miles Morales swings straight into the multiverse. There, he meets an eclectic collection of other Spider-Folks who have been tasked with protecting the multiverse’s existence. But - as it usually does in stories - not all is as it seems.
Being Spider-Man means spending lots of hours feeling lonely. As Miles meets his multiversal peers, that loneliness disappears and explodes in streaks of neon, pastels and blurry Ben-Day dots. His joy and elation at finding his people spreads to the audience as this amazing story unfolds. Every time you think you know where the story is going, it zigs in a different direction. It’s always natural and surprising in the best way possible.
Despite a couple narrative misfires (that as time goes on bother me less and less), the story will wrap you tightly in its web and send you swinging giddily through the multiverse.
PEOPLE: A+
One of those storytelling hiccups is that we don’t actually see much of Miles for the first ten minutes. The beginning is still great, but we’ve been waiting more than four years to hang out with Miles Morales again. Frantically waiting ten minutes more made me realize how much I love him. Is there any character in the history of cinema easier to root for? I think not. His heart is never in the wrong place. And when he screws up, it’s in the most charming way possible. He carries all the same hopes and fears and dreams and worries that we all carry with us.
Gwen Stacy gets a bigger role in this film. Her backstory is heartbreaking and adds yet another emotional layer to an already unbelievably poignant story.
Most of the gang from the previous film is back, but one of the twelve thousand joys of this film is meeting the dozens of other Spider-People. Spider Punk is a hysterically cynical rebel. Pavitr Prabhakar contains endless joy and optimism. He reminds me of Danny Rojas from Ted Lasso. And Jessica Drew? Miguel O’Hara? I could go on and on. The Spider-People are stellar.
FILM NERD STUFF: A+
Filmmaking doesn’t get much better than this. The cinematography takes full advantage of the animation medium. The “camera” is often in spots that would be either difficult (like when Gwen first visits Miles from the multiverse) or impossible (like Gwen and Miles’s walk around the top of the bank building) for a real camera to be. Playing with perspective gives the film a bigger than life quality, creating a world where the impossible feels possible.
All these fantastic elements of the film feel grounded because of the stunning art design. The quantity of universes isn’t the most impressive thing. It’s the quality. Each world has its own unique style and patterns that reflect each individual world’s essence. The thought and care taken with the art design make the film feel physically massive, matching the immensity of its storytelling and emotion.
STORIES WE TELL (Elective Class): A
A good story needs a good conflict. Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse’s conflict is about stories themselves.
What makes us who we are? Is it our choices or our stories? If it’s stories, then whose stories? Our actual story, or the ones other people tell and/or believe about us? Are we locked into living out those stories, or are we free to choose another path?
Like a lot of us, Miles has a bazillion people telling him what his story should be. But no one else is the author of your story. You are. When it comes down to it, everyone writes their own story - not in pencil or ink but through our choices. It’s important to remember that.
FINAL COMMENTS:
It’s not easy making the follow up to the best animated film of the last decade. But making the second best animated film of the past decade definitely qualifies as a success. Spider-Man: Beyond the Multiverse is expected March 29, 2024. That’s 301 days from the day I’m typing this. Let the countdown begin.