After the explosive and dazzling Into The Spider-Verse swung into theaters in 2018, it was only a matter of time until we were hit with a sequel. Now, nearly 5 years after the masterful animation, we get Across the Spider-Verse, - which serves as part one of this double album of a sequel we’re getting. Part 2, Beyond The Spider-Verse is due March 2024. So, thankfully we don’t have to wait another 5 years for that sequel. I can say, however, every second of that wait was worth it. Across the Spider-Verse, may honestly go down as one of the best sequels ever made. It expands on the multiversal ideas presented in the first film while also delivering character work that’s even richer than before.

 

To follow-up the events of Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales finds Gwen Stacy in a group of Spider-People who are trying to stop the multiverse from slipping into total chaos. We have a whole new gallery of Spider-People joining here with a fantastic cast of voice actors joining the ensemble. The returning cast members upped their game with energetic and emotional vocal performances, but the new edition that stole the show for me here was Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk. It’s a vocal performance that’s just cool as hell, and seeing how his character is incorporated into Miles’s arc was one of my favorite parts of the film.

 

The quality of animation here reaches the heights of becoming one of the best, exceeding what’s come before within this medium of storytelling. I cannot lie here. This is game changing. A collective of hard-working animators to deliver something so beautiful; every frame of Across the Spider-Verse is made with so much love and detail. Going back to Spider-Punk, he’s presented with a collage art style layered onto the 3-D animated world our characters are in, and watching how it all blends together is like seeing a magic trick. Not to mention the various styles thrown at us with each universe we visit; we spend a little time in Gwen Stacy’s universe, and it’s plastered with beautiful watercolor brush strokes that bleed and affect every fiber of the frame with the film’s wide emotions. It’s magnificent storytelling especially for this medium, and it’s just a true display of just how limitless animation really is.

As dazzling, electric and captivating as the animation is, the story never takes a back seat. It’s right there driving the whole experience. This film delivers even richer character work than before, and the journey Miles and Gwen take reminded me of such great sequels, such as The Empire Strikes Back, where the stakes are higher and the journey is much more complicated than the previous installment. If the last film was about how anyone can dawn the web, this one is about how you’re going to embrace your abilities. How is Spider-Man going to define Miles Morales? How much is Miles Morales going to define Spider-Man? With all the possibilities of Spider-Men, how is this trilogy going to turn out. It’s such an amazing story of self-discovery that I’m excited to see continue. As of this precise moment in 2023, Across the Spider-Verse IS the movie of the year.