Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson direct this follow up to the fabulous Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Much has changed for Miles (Shameik Moore) and Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) now living in separate Spider-Verses. Gwen finds herself tackling a mysterious creature running rampant, when her battle is interrupted by some new spider-heroes. Miles meanwhile finds himself with a new nemesis, Spot. When Gwen turns back up in Miles life, while she wants to catch up with him, she is there to track Spot, a villian more dangerous than Miles realises. When Miles follows her across the Spider-Verse, the excitement of what he finds soon disappears as he realises that the life of Spider-Man not only comes with great responsibility but great heartache.

It’s predecessor was a breath of fresh air with its stunning animation and sense of fun. This sequel is a very different film. It has a broader scope, darker and more complex and it is long and of course only the first part of the story. This does present some issues with pacing, especially in the first half, where it can move very slowly.

That said, this film is still a fantastic bit of animation and storytelling. It looks incredible, mixing styles, spider-hero creations and worlds effortlessly. Including Mumbattan a mix of Delhi and New York, where the story is at its most colourful and fun. The voice cast, to numerous to mention, are universally flawless.

It shows Marvel animation can successfully be used to tell a complex and grown up story. Areas such as mortality and the price we pay to have the things we want are prominent.

This is not a fun romp full of colour and humour. Much of it has a noir feel with a dark underbelly. But it’s grown up and smart and that’s not a bad thing.

Across the Spider-Verse is not colourful animation fluff. It is long, at times slow moving as it presents a complex story. But it is also massive in its ambition, looks incredible, smart and doesn’t shy away from being grown up and dark. It’s a sequel that aims big and does not disappoint.