“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Review

hits every note. It is dramatic, well-produced, and seamlessly integrated.

Rating Grade: A

When “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” came out in 2018, it was hailed as artistically innovative, breathing new life into both superhero-genre movies and animation. Future films from Sony Pictures Animation followed the style, like “The Mitchells vs. The Machines.” All of this is to say that the sequel had big shoes to fill. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” couldn’t be too stylistically different from the original, but it also couldn’t ride off of its success and novelty. “[‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse] was not really anything like it,” said senior Stella Hergenreter. Luckily, “Across the Spider-Verse” threads the needle successfully. It incorporates new styles without having any elements feel too out of place. No matter how you feel about the film’s story, the art direction will sweep you up and take your breath away.

Senior Evie Hergenreter agreed with the hype and said, “Not a huge superhero fan, but the last one was one of my favourite movies of all time. I liked the animation and the story line.” The film opens with Gwen Stacy/SpiderWoman (Hailee Steinfeld) as she continues to grieve her universe’s Peter Parker. To blow off steam, she takes up drumming in a band. The way the animators seamlessly blend the music and art showcases how far the art direction has come. This opening feels like one cohesive, breathtaking unit. The anger, guilt, and sadness Stacy feels is so palpable, even without any words being said. This is not only a fantastic introduction to the art, but also Daniel Pemberton’s score, which (pardon the pun)

As the film goes on, Stacy soon encounters a legion of Spider-People who focus on keeping the multiverse stable, led by Miguel O’Hara/ Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). Stacy is reunited with Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) when he faces off against The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a villain who has the potential to break the Spider-Verse.

Stacy and Morales encounter a multitude of Spider-People, and the character design of each is phenomenal. Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) is an excellent example, with his aesthetic fittingly reminiscent of punk and underground zines. While the integration is a bit out-of-place, it feels intentional, fitting his rebellious attitude. Kaluuya and Schwartzman shine through as the best actors. Schwartzman balances the Spot’s chaotic and worldending, yet occasionally hilariously pathetic self. Kaluuya, despite having a decentlyrecognizable voice, disappears into SpiderPunk, which can be a difficult task for actors who don’t typically take on voice roles. Senior Else Dinsmore is also fond of Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk, and said, “Spider-Punk is just one of my favourite [Spider-People]... I literally screamed every time cool characters came on screen. [It was] a [expletive] banger of a movie.”

Overall, as a sequel, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” definitely exceeds the first movie. Senior Matthew Higgins agreed, “It was better than the first one.” While the ending may be cause for concern for some, any superhero comic book fan would tell you that dramatic cliffhangers are a staple of the genre, and it is supposed to be a love letter to the medium.