Title – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Directors – Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers & Justin K. Thompson

Cast – (voices of) Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Jake Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry

Plot – Miles Morales/Spider-Man (Moore) is back, journeying across the Multiverse meeting other iterations of the web-slinging superhero as the various heroes must learn to work together to protect the Multiverses very existence. 

“Being Spider-man is a sacrifice”

Review by Eddie on 02/06/2023

Not even the most optimistic of pundits could’ve ever predicted the glowing reception and success that came the way of 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, slinging to almost $400 million at the worldwide box office, critical praise and a spot entrenched in the upper echelons of the IMDB’s Top 250 Movies of All Time list, too say that the first iteration of the Spider-Verse animated universe was a roaring and unexpected success would be a huge understatement. 

Fast forward these close to 5 years on and expectations for teenager Miles Morales/Spider-Man next adventure are sky high but proving that lightning can strike twice, the creative team behind this colourful Spider-Man series overseen by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have once again delivered a frenetic, energetic and most importantly entertaining animated epic that will likely cause much debate as to whether or not this is a case of a rare sequel that may in fact be better than its forefather. 

Still featuring the oddball humour and near endless parade of in-jokes, homages and side gags that made the first Morales venture such a delight outside of its visual spectacle, Across the Spider-Verse also feels like a much more mature outing this time around, with Morales himself more world weary and battered, coinciding with the film as a whole dealing with some heavy issues and subject matters that at times brings on an unexpectedly sombre tone, with credit going to the creative team here for not being afraid to make their film skew further from the young audience that may not quite understand the nuances on display here all the while allowing older audience members to feast on a film that is far from all style and no substance. 

Clocking in at close to two and a half hours, Across the Spider-Verse is one of the longest animated films ever widely released into cinemas and there are segments throughout the film where it feels as though we are covering off similar narrative ground on more than one occasion but when Morales adventure into the Multiverse swings into the sky it takes us on an often unforgettable journey, whether it be to a New York done the way of Mumbai or a Spider-filled version of Earth, Across the Spider-Verse has enough imagination and spark to fill countless other animated rides that would be desperate for even a portion of the creative magic on display here. 

As also was the case the first time around in 2018, this 2023 Spider-Verse features another array of on-song voice performances from its talented cast that works in tandem with the incredible artistry on display throughout, led once more by Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld, new additions to the voice cast here such as a scene-stealing Oscar Isaac as  Miguel O’Hara, Jason Schwartzman as The Spot or Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart Brown all bring their A-game to this big budgeted affair, making this an all-round package that has not only lived up to the legacy of the first instalment but arguably surpassed it. 

Even if there’s a feeling of being teased by possibilities once the credits begin to roll here, the hype is going to be overflowing for next years Beyond the Spider-Verse which is setting out to prove that lightning can indeed strike more than twice.  

Final Say – 

People may bemoan the amount of Spider-Man themed films we’ve had slung our way over the past 20 years but if the quality of these outings remains as strong as what we get here with Across the Spider-Verse, they’re going to be complaining for a long time yet to come. 

4 Chai tea’s out of 5