directed by Kemp Powers, Joaquim dos Santos and Justin K. Thompson
written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham
This review, like my viewing of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, is a bit of overdue, in part due to my soon-to-be-ex internet service provider, and in part because I actually struggled a little with what I wanted to say about this movie, which I honestly found brilliant but a significant part of which I actually found problematic. I won't be able to discuss that without spoiling plot points, so I'll keep my review short and post the usual spoiler-review follow-up.
In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which takes place a little over a year after the events of the first film, Into the Spider-Verse, we find Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) adjusting to his life as both Spider-Man and a high school student, when he encounters a new foe, the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) a former scientist who was apparently transformed into a living portal gun by the events of the last film, and who has since turned to a life of crime. Because of the Spot's ability to create portals into other dimensions, he has also come up on the radar of Gwen Stacy, aka Ghost Spider (Hailee Steinfeld) who, in the beginning of the film, joins up with a society of Spider-Men from multiple realities, led by Miguel O'Hara aka Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). She tracks the Spot back to Miles' home universe and cannot resist the urge to meet up with Miles, even as she tries, and fails to catch her quarry. Miles, who has missed Gwen and his other Spider-friends terribly since the end of the last film, follows Gwen back to the Spider Society's massive headquarters and even accompanies them on their mission to capture the Spot. When Miles does something that apparently violates one of the central tenets of the Spider Society, things degenerate fast. Will Miles be able to get home in time to stop the Spot from carrying out his nefarious plan?
The film is superbly made and is a visual masterpiece. After changing the game with the first movie, it was hard to imagine how Sony would be able to top themselves, but they managed to just the same, and everyone involved basically brought their A-game, from the directors and animators, to the voice actors like Moore, Steinfeld, and Isaac, to composer Daniel Pemberton. The artistry on display here is simply second to none. It's not just like watching a comic book come to life; this basically feels like an entire art gallery.
That said, well, there was a story beat that I found out of place, but I dare not discuss it lest I spoil several key plot points. It should be said, though that even in the face of this problem I have with the story, I'm only docking the movie one point. It's simply that good.
9/10
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