After more than a decade of superhero and comic book movies, 2018 saw the peak of the genre with Marvel Studios releasing Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War back to back, Sony trying their hand at expanding their Spider-Man portfolio with Venom and DC releasing the much-delayed and awaited oceanic hero Aquaman solo movie. But one movie no one saw coming, and in the animation form no less, was the 2019 Best Animated Feature Winner Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse by Sony Animation. A movie so substantial and impactful, it changed and redefined the trajectory of animated filmmaking leading studios to blend 2D, 3D, 2.5D and various art styles in rapid succession in their upcoming portfolio of animated feature films. One such good example of this change is the 2022 Dreamworks feature Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. And this was just one year after the disastrous and widely critically-panned 2017 animated movie, The Emoji Movie, made solely for advertisement and asinine product placements. But, disciples can only follow the master, but the master only knows the depths of his expertise. Sony Animation came back to prove that again with Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse in 2023, a movie four years in the making, wildly ambitious, drastically more energetic, emotionally resonant and dynamically bombastic, with the threequel Beyond The Spider-Verse coming in less than a year. (Following review is totally spoiler-free to preserve the sanctity of experiencing this film)
The Consequences of Being Spider-Man
Much like its predecessor, Into The Spider-Verse, Across pulls no punches with its story beats and themes. Where the first movie is all about Miles becoming Spider-Man, this one is an all-out brutal introspection of the ramifications of living a double-life between New York's one and only Spider-Man and an aspiring physics graduate. There are also the themes of belonging, not fitting in, being a "mistake" as cruelly put by one of the main antagonists of the film and so on. But all dull is no joy. And Miles is no slouch other. He is the definition of not backing out. His resolve to breaking the rules of Spider-Man to make sure to save everyone, not "as much people as possible", but everyone, genuinely makes him endearing and lovable to the point where he is now among the greats of comic book characters. Similarly on the other side of the coin, in a surprising move, this film takes one of the most inconsequential and ridiculous villains from the comics and turns him (it?) into one of the most horrifying entities in Spider-Man canon, nearly eldritch in aesthetic, all-consuming, all-reckoning. And while this is the first venture of a two-parter, the cliffhanger itself is not just riveting, it's a celebration with a musical score that comes back full circle from the very beginning of the movie, all tying up in a nice, if-yet-to-be-finished, bowtie. And speaking of the soundtrack
The Face Of A True Hero
He Does It Again, People
One of the best aspects that really brought together Into The Spider-Verse was Daniel Pemberton's energetic, riveting, emotionally enriched score. Drums, synth, percussion, hip-hop all were infused together to nail home the sound of the film. So it is a welcome fact that he comes back again to rework the wheel. It's not just better.... It's fantastically better. There are goose sounds remixed in Miles' theme for crying out loud. And as aforementioned, there's one track that comes full circle in the end. There are other tracks too, just as good, which I cannot disclose so as not to give out spoilers. But bottom line is, the score is fantastic.
Last, But Certainly Not The Least
Across puts the animation industry to shame. It's no surprise the movie took 4 years to make, because it is brimming with colors, details, personality, style, splendor, visual storytelling. Not one frame goes to naught, each of them painstakingly, lovingly crafted by only the most talented people, who have nothing but unabashed love for the animation medium in their hearts. As the name of the film suggests, the movie doesn't shy away from exploring the universes of different Spider-People, and the animators, all the same, don't shy away from giving each universe their own, different, vibrant, personal look. The amount of patience, tears, blood and sweat this endeavor must have taken is, simply put, beyond my comprehension. And I have nothing but the utmost respect for everyone who worked on this work of art.
Love Them As They Love You
I cannot put into words how much I love this movie. To anyone who's a fan of not just superhero movies, not just Spider-Man, not just animated movies, but movies as the art form as it is, I have nothing but 9 words for you; "Watch it in theaters while you still can". Anything else will be a disservice to yourself. No rating of numbers or grades will put into perspective how fantastic this movie is. You truly have to see it to believe it.