Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Rating: 9.3

TL;DR - I promise this is not hyperbole: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Not only that — one of the all time great sequels that surpasses the original (think Empire Strikes Back). It’s a stunning work of art that is one level above masterpiece. Every frame is a painting. An insane, creative, groundbreaking feat of cinema — it will go down in history as an all time great! When I say this is beyond extraordinary, I mean it.

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Film Info:

Premise: Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.

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Sony Pictures Animation

Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers & Justin K. Thompson

Written by Dave Callaham, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, Jake Johnson, Luna Lauren Velez, Brian Tyree Henry, Jason Schwartzman, Daniel Kaluuya

Runtime: 2hr 20min

Rating: PG

Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

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IMDb Rating: 9.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

RT Audience Score: 96%

RT Critic Average: 8.7/10

RT Audience Average: 4.8/5

Metacritic Score: 86

CinemaScore: A

Letterboxd: 4.7/5 (currently one of the highest rated movies on Letterboxd)

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Fun Fact: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller revealed that they told Sony the sequel would be the same size as Into the Spider-Verse, but it ended up having the largest crew of any animated movie ever with around 1,000 people working on it. They added that it has 240 characters and takes place in six universes.

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Review:

written by Tyler Park

I am in awe of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

To call it a masterpiece would be an understatement. It is beyond extraordinary, a staggering work of art!

This might be the greatest comic book film of all time, and if not it is certainly in the conversation because it isn’t just a great comic book movie — it’s a great movie. Truly one of the greatest films I have ever experienced — and I say experienced because of such a rush of excitement, emotion, vivid, eye-popping colour, and a rich, bombastic soundtrack. It sits alongside some of the greatest sequels ever made — The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather Part II, and The Dark Knight as one of those all-time great sequels that manage to live up to, if not surpass their respective original films. You may think I am exaggerating, but trust me when I say this is an insane, creative, and groundbreaking feat of cinema, I mean it!

What more can I say to convince you to see it? Like I just gave a movie some of the highest praise I can give, but might as well continue at this point. To me, the film was flawless right from the beginning! This is one of the best films I have ever experienced — and I say experienced because this was such a wild ride. I genuinely did not expect half of what happened in the movie, it managed to really surprise and delight me the entire time! I didn’t even expect it to be this good, never mind that it would actually manage to surpass the incredible original film! Across the Spider-Verse does not attempt to replicate the success of its predecessor. It aims to elevate, expand, and reinvent this franchise and the medium of animation in general.

Why did it work so well? Not only because of the multiple Spider-Man cameos and easter eggs (those were fun), but instead because it tells a dark, more mature story that, even in part one form, is pretty heartfelt and moving. There are some really wonderful emotional beats. The story is 100% rooted in character and relationships, with emotional depth and real conflicting ideologies that you believe. The first half of Across the Spider-Verse genuinely had some of the most authentic and human scenes ever presented in a comic book film. Shots linger on characters as it focuses on their struggles and drama. It’s filled with a blend of sincerity and epic spectacle that redefines what superhero storytelling can — and should — be. The multiverse story is quite complex — but thankfully the story is told by truly gifted storytellers so the film really makes it seem so simple, leading you through it all with one foot in front of the other.

And the animation… OH MY GOD! There is no other way this story could have been told. This film excels because it uses animation to its highest strength; it could have only been told in this medium. Across the Spider-Verse is truly a testament to what movies can achieve with animation. Animation is the perfect medium for these stories, it allows for completely unbounded imagination and really creative artistic designs that make the concept of a multiverse a lot more compelling and interesting than we have ever seen before. Not to mention, the animation is gorgeous. It is so richly detailed, blending many different styles in one frame. I loved how each universe and character not only looked completely different but were animated and coloured in extremely different styles. There are so many shots that blew my mind; I would love to break this movie down frame by frame. Every frame truly was a painting. This is one of the greatest achievements of American animation, an incredibly groundbreaking film the likes of which I’ve never seen before. It truly is a work of art and artistic genius, really pushing the boundaries of what can be done with animation. There is truly more to be said about the visuals of this film than we’ll probably ever be able to say. The animation is astounding, but it’s even more fascinating to consider how it’s deeply layered into the emotional core of the film. The hues and design often change - within the same scene - as the emotion swings. And the results are breathtaking.

Imagine the transcendent experience after seeing Snow White back in 1937, the cinematically emotional aftermath of The Empire Strikes Back, and the love people have for Spider-Man in every sense of the word: That’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. I love this movie! I went in with very high expectations and it still exceeded those! I felt the same way after Across the Spider-Verse that I did after The Last Jedi! So many interesting thematic questions were posed and many surprising twists have left me unable to predict how this will be resolved in Beyond the Spider-Verse next year!

Words can't explain how big of an accomplishment this movie is for animation, cinema, and just media adaptations as a whole. This is truly the best of the best. If you're even remotely a fan of this genre you'll remember where you were when you experienced this — I know I always will. There’s so much soul, creativity, and pure love for Spidey. I was smiling ear to ear for so much of it simply because it understands this character so much. Such a beautiful movie visually and thematically, it absolutely fills my heart with joy.

The cool thing about it is that the visual energy and imagination are cranked so high and the whole thing is so thrilling that I would sometimes forget to blink and/or breathe. It flies by - thanks to some perfect pacing, and is riveting from beginning to end. The action is fantastic, the visuals are beautiful, and the musical score by Daniel Pemberton is absolutely insane. I love how gorgeous, complex, creative, ambitious, and full of heart it is. I’m just purely floored, this was a masterpiece. It blows the original out of the water for me, it’s one of those special films that showcases how powerful animation, as well as good storytelling, can be. It was perfect — one of the most energetic and artfully animated films I’ve ever seen!

It’s a scary time for the film industry, where it seems like studios have turned originality and ambition into the enemy. It’s such a joy to see films like Spider-Verse released that represent the art form at its most imaginative and, as a result, impactful. AI could not have made Across the Spider-Verse. There’s humanity in every frame, line, musical note, and emotional beat. So thank you to all the artists who contributed to this phenomenal film, it could never have been half as good without all of your hard work, creativity, ambition, and dedication! I’m truly at a loss for words at how good this turned out, and will be seeing it many, many times over again!

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Trailer: