Film Review - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Images courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Looking backwards, Spider-Man movies have acted as something of a barometer for the evolution of the superhero genre. Tobey Maguire’s trilogy – unaware of the cinematic arms race 2008’s Iron Man would trigger – was campy and playful, fully embracing its comic-book roots. Andrew Garfield’s two films – desperately trying to appeal to their aging demographic – were filled with teenage angst and visual effects. Tom Holland’s trilogy – made at the peak of the Marvel boom – was innocent, self-aware, but grittier than the previous iterations. And now, with the modern superhero landscape facing something of an identity crisis, it feels fitting that the latest friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man movie - Across the Spider-Verse – arrives to save the day.
A sequel to the widely acclaimed 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the movie re-joins Miles Morales (Moore), fellow webslinger Gwen Stacy (Steinfeld) and their myriad of cross-dimensional Spidey-friends a year later. Morales is taller, smarter, and has settled into the webslinger suit, but struggles to balance his new responsibilities, school, and the expectations of his loving parents. This family dynamic leads to some of the funniest interactions in the movie – particularly when an incognito Morales has to interact with his Police Chief dad – but also acts as the backbone of the film. Simply put, this is the smartest (and most wholesome) exploration of the philosophical dilemma facing Spider-Man – having to balance the good of the many versus the good of one’s self, and having to do it all in isolation. This is further communicated through Spider-Gwen’s expanded backstory, as we learn about her difficulty balancing family, identity and loss without any help. However, this hearty subtext doesn’t reduce the film to a simple “family movie” – instead, it’s a mostly frantic adventure as Miles is pulled into a cross-dimensional fight.
Joining “an elite unit with all the best Spider-People in it” (including an adorable Lego Spidey, a British punk-rock Spidey, and an Indian Spidey), Miles must stop an increasingly dangerous arch nemesis. Now, on face value, the phrases “cross-dimensional-fight” and “dangerous arch nemesis” would have me rolling my eyeballs, but Across the Spider-Verse is so self-aware of villain fatigue that the baddie is both hilarious and mostly inconsequential. He’s dangerous, yes, but he is also the least confident superhero villain ever put to screen, becoming the punchline in a lot of jokes, and therefore acting as a parody of an intimidating villain.
Finally, the animation here matches, if not surpasses, the breathtaking intricacy of Into the Spider-Verse. Arguably two of the best-looking films ever made, the big screen was made for this sort of craftsmanship, and reflects the attention paid to all parts of the production.
All-in-all, there have been ten stand-alone Spider-Man movies since 2002. They’ve all been pretty good, but Across the Spider-Verse is the most ambitious, most beautiful, and most satisfying one yet.
Check out Jack’s website, Instagram and Letterboxd.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.