SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Review - A Worthy Sequel To One Of The Best Superhero Movies Of All Time

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Review - A Worthy Sequel To One Of The Best Superhero Movies Of All Time

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is set to swing into theaters in just a few days, and now that the review embargo has lifted, you can find out what we made of Sony Pictures' animated sequel...

Review Opinion
By MarkCassidy - May 31, 2023 10:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Into The Spider-Verse
Source: Via Toonado.com

Audiences weren't really expecting much from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was announced at a time when all the majority of fans wanted was for Marvel Studios to regain the rights to the iconic wall-crawler, and viewed this animated Miles Morales movie with a cynical eye.

Perceptions soon changed when the film was released, however, and Into the Spider-Verse has since gone on to be widely regarded as not only the best Spider-Man movie yet, but one of the best comic book movies we've seen - animated or otherwise.

So, it's probably fair to say that Sony Pictures and first-time feature directors (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller only penned the screenplay this time) Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson were under a bit of pressure to deliver with this sequel - and deliver they most assuredly have.

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse New Footage: Miles, Gwen

Set almost a year after the events of the previous movie, Across the Spider-Verse picks up with a now 15-year-old Miles (Shameik Moore) as he continues his attempts to juggle his school and family life with the responsibilities that come with being Brooklyn's resident superhero. He has gained a few new abilities and become more proficient at taking down bad guys, but it's getting more and more difficult to lie to his increasingly concerned parents, and when a seemingly inept "villain of the week" named the Spot arrives on the scene, the young hero is thrust into the middle of an adventure that could have dire consequences for everyone he cares about.

This plotline could have become a tad repetitive, so the filmmakers wisely chose to split the story's focus with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), as we learn how Spider-Woman's tragic tale brought her into contact with an entire Multiverse full of Spider-people led by the stern - and very powerful - Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac).

Gwen pays Miles a visit, but has ulterior motives for travelling to his reality, and swinging by to see her friend sets off a potentially catastrophic chain of events.

If you thought the action sequences in Into the Spider-Verse were spectacular, wait until you witness what the sequel has in store. It may actually be giving too much away to go into any detail, since most of the scenes in question are so plot-focused, but there's some truly groundbreaking, mind-blowing stuff on display.

Across the Spider-Verse is every bit as stunning to look at as its predecessor, and may actually surpass its visual style by introducing multiple uniquely-realized worlds along with hundreds of new Spidey Variants. Of the debuting "Spider Society" characters, O'Hara, Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) and another Spider-Woman Variant (Issa Rae) stand out, but Shea Whigham as Captain George Stacy and Jason Schwartzman as the Spot also make big impressions.

Fortunately, Jake Johnson returns as Peter B. Parker, but there's no sign of another major highlight of the first film, Nicolas Cage's Spider-Man Noir... and he is missed. Across the Spider-Verse still contains plenty of humor, but if it falls short of the original in any way, it's that it's just not quite as funny. In a way, this is understandable, since we are dealing with slightly more intense themes and things take a darker turn in the final act.

No spoilers here, but it's definitely worth keeping in mind that this is very much a Part 1, and the story won't fully conclude until next year's Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (you're going to see a lot of Empire Strikes Back comparisons... and with good reason).

With its incredibly inventive animation style, ambitious, emotional story and pulse-pounding score (composer Daniel Pemberton outdoes himself), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a true feast for the senses. Noir's exclusion is a little baffling, and we can see one particular narrative decision being divisive, but it still emerges as a worthy sequel to one of the greatest superhero films of all time.

File:5 stars.svg - Wikipedia
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SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE Announces Directing Team - But When Will It Arrive In Theaters?

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regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 5/31/2023, 10:08 AM
Seeing it on Saturday w/ a special chocolate bar in hand 🍫
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 5/31/2023, 10:31 AM
@regularmovieguy - same! I've got a few edibles and gonna get my 2 beers from the theater bar, and enjoy!
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 5/31/2023, 11:41 AM
@TheVandalore

Love it.
ElvenKingSlayer
ElvenKingSlayer - 5/31/2023, 11:51 AM
@TheVandalore - My country doesn't serve beer at the movies so I always have to sneak mine in..
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 5/31/2023, 12:58 PM
@ElvenKingSlayer - only in the past few years did I find out there were theaters that served beer. For the majority of my life I was sneaking them in too lol still do for smaller movies
ElvenKingSlayer
ElvenKingSlayer - 5/31/2023, 1:13 PM
@TheVandalore - As long as they don't serve what we like we can do it with a clear conscience
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 5/31/2023, 10:09 AM
Still, Disney/Marvel sheep not present today in my theeater.

The difference is really observable.

This movies deserves to be seen.
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 5/31/2023, 12:34 PM
@vectorsigma -


*Still, Disney/Marvel sheep not present today in my theeater.*


WTF are you even talking about🤡?
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 5/31/2023, 12:47 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - haha, didnt articulate properly.

The usual people who amass during marvel movies are nowhere to be found on my screening. And this is a spider-man film

Makes me sad, really
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 5/31/2023, 1:45 PM
@vectorsigma -


Ah ok.


Yeah, it sucks. Every MCU die hard should be watching this film. I think they will come out this time. The projections are great and if it makes over 500 million then it's a hit💪💯🖖
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 5/31/2023, 7:56 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - maybe just a slow day.

Word of mouth will be crucial. It needs a good ow. The next 2 weeks are packed.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 5/31/2023, 10:11 AM
Going tomorrow night. NBA Finals first half be damned.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 5/31/2023, 10:19 AM
Great NEWS Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and animated movie. I wonder how much it will make at the box office. The first one Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) had great numbers.

DOMESTIC = $190,241,310

INTERNATIONAL = $194,015,620

WORLDWIDE = $384,256,930
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 5/31/2023, 10:22 AM
My main and only fear with this movie is them turning it into a cameo-fest, when it should focus on Miles and Gwen, I already think Peter B shouldnt be in this movie, and I love that guy.
Reviews so far are pretty good, but the whole "Empire vibes" makes me think Peter B is dead as balls by the end of the movie.

Also...why so mad about no Noir in this movie? he barely was in the previous one, and yes, lack of Nic Cage is always a negative, but you seem particularly mad about it.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/31/2023, 10:26 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - I mean, he was a major highlight of ITSV... maybe not everyone feels that way, but I definitely thought he was missed in this one. None of the new characters match up, unfortunately.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 5/31/2023, 10:33 AM
@MarkCassidy - He was great, but he had no impact on the story, it wasnt much more than a cameo.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/31/2023, 10:39 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 - He was part of Miles' team along with all of the others. Why is his impact on the story important? He was funny... his scenes stood out.
TheShellyMan
TheShellyMan - 5/31/2023, 10:35 AM
Hopefully, I'll see it next Sunday!
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 5/31/2023, 10:40 AM
Always wanted to see Spider-Man 2099 represented on screen and I’ve always loved Scarlet Spiders look. Looking forward to seeing this.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 5/31/2023, 10:45 AM
Just found out my college roommate worked on this too. Shout out to animator Frank Abney out if California!
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 5/31/2023, 10:46 AM
already have my ticket, managed to snatch the last good seat too, I ain't waiting for nobody to go see this.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 5/31/2023, 10:53 AM
Spider-Noir being a no-show is a bummer though. but if this other guy shows up, that would make up for it
MrDandy
MrDandy - 5/31/2023, 10:57 AM
Super excited for this one! I can’t wait
DocSpock
DocSpock - 5/31/2023, 11:05 AM


I still haven't seen the first one.

Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 5/31/2023, 11:26 AM
@DocSpock - Congratulations.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 5/31/2023, 11:50 AM
@Urubrodi -

Thank you.

vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 5/31/2023, 11:25 AM
Minor spoilers on music....








I think the only thing missing since part 1 was a hummable theme like what giacchino did in the holland films.


But that sm 2099 theme is creepy. Almost similar with the prowler theme in part 1
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 5/31/2023, 11:30 AM
Great to know. I could care less about the first one when it was announced. then i saw it and was blown away and 100% wrong... which i admit. this one i will be there Friday opening day and i can't wait
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