The Starlight Journal

Alright, let’s do this one last time…. Again.

Since my earliest childhood memories, the character of Spider-Man has played an important part in my life. Be it the Sam Raimi films of the 2000s, the 90s animated series that made me fall in love with superheroes, or the modern Spidey films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s very little pieces of my life where the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man isn’t there. 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse changed how I looked at the character, and comic-book films in general, I consider it to be the finest film the genre has ever produced. Needless to say, Across the Spider-Verse had the lofty goal of following up one of the most acclaimed films ever made. Yet, with the near sky-high expectations and hype surrounding it, Sony Pictures Animation delivered another masterpiece as they continue the story of Miles Morales.

Across the Spider-Verse takes many aspects of its predecessor and expands upon them, from the multiverse concepts and variety of Spider-People that populate the film, the Easter Egg feast that Spidey fans will eat up on a silver platter, and the visually stunning animation styles that build upon the revolutionary animation of the first Spider-Verse film. The movie’s animation is just as much of a character as the hundreds of members of the Spider-Society, each dimension having its own unique style of animation, bringing life to every scene, character, and just about everything that fills up each frame of the film. From the punk rock, neon colors of Gwen Stacy’s universe, to the Eastern influence of Spider-Man India’s “Mumbattan”, each dimension feels different, not simply palette swaps of the same universe, it feels as though each dimension is animated like its own separate film, and as a result we connect more with the different worlds and characters Across has to offer. Seeing this on an IMAX screen was a euphoric experience. Admittedly I was taken aback by just how different some of the animation was from its predecessor during the early portions of the movie, but similar to the first film, once I adjusted to the new animation styles, I was ready to experience the visual masterpiece that this movie truly is.

The marketing of the movie showcases many new Spider-Man variants that are new to the film, and all of them are just an absolute joy throughout. From the aforementioned comically perfect Spider-Man India, to the charismatic presence of Jessica Drew, to the anti-establishment, fascist hating Spider-Punk, you are introduced to a new favorite Spider-Person every few scenes. The “Spider-Society” in itself is something to behold, warranting a rewatch simply to figure out all the Easter eggs that occupy the headquarters scene (and trust me, there are some ALL-TIMER moments here for Spider-Man fans). Things I just never expected to see on screen happen here, and I lost my mind in the theater. The multiverse in this film is Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: No Way Home on steroids, but it works to where it is more than simply hollow fanservice, everything feels like it’s part of the experience – which is a perfect way to describe the film. It’s more than just a movie, it’s an experience.

Not unlike its predecessor though, the characters and their journeys throughout are the webbing that brings these Spider-Verse movies together into magnum opuses of the genre. Miles and Gwen’s story is just wonderful, you can see just how much the two care for one another in each scene they share, and as someone who shipped them from the first scene they shared together, I was in my glory throughout. Both have their own versions of the iconic “Leap of Faith” scene from the original that made me an emotional mess. I just love the two of them so much.

The Morales parents have expanded roles this time around, especially Rio, as they struggle to deal with their son growing up while unaware of his double life. Miles’ biracial heritage is also given a lot more spotlight in this film – many conversations with Miles and his mother are spoken in both English and Spanish – which was very nice to see given the vast representation Miles’ character has for both Black and Latino kids out there who get to see themselves in this wonderful character. While he is back for more, I wish we had more of Jake Johnson’s Peter B. Parker this time around, although his mentor role for Miles is still just as lovely as it was in the 1st film, and each scene he shared with his infant daughter Mayday was adorable beyond comprehension. Oscar Isaac continues his Infinity Gauntlet of superhero franchises by bringing Miguel O’Hara to life – the no-nonsense leader of the Spider-Society who comes into conflict with Miles throughout, and Jason Schwartzman steals the show as the Spot, introduced as a seemingly comedic “villain of the week” who turns out to be so much more. The ensemble this time around has more characters to focus on, and while I feel it doesn’t quite have that magic balance that the first film had, they still do an amazing job of getting us to care about all of these characters, there’s no weak link here, they’re all a delight.

At close to two and a half hours in length, this is the longest American animated film in history, and at points it shows. With so much story to tell, its long runtime is felt compared to the brisk pace of Into the Spider-Verse, though not a second is wasted – each scene feels important and nothing I would’ve left on the cutting room floor. As the film was originally intended to be the first part in a two-part story, I expected some type of cliffhanger here, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the ending we got. I truly don’t think an ending has hit me this hard in years. I screamed “you can’t end it here!” in the theater, it makes me very happy Beyond the Spider-Verse will be out in less than a year because I simply cannot wait any longer. It felt like how I imagined it felt to experience the ending of The Empire Strikes Back in theaters when it first released. 

Sony and Marvel, my therapy bill is in the mail.

Do I think Across the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man story ever? No, I still would rank Into the Spider-Verse ahead of it, but the film reached its sky-high expectations and delivered an all-timer for both animated and comic-book films that needs to be seen multiple times on the biggest screen possible. Time to order my tickets for Round 2!

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) is in theaters now.

The Starlight Journal is a new project of mine I’ve been wanting to get off the ground for a long time now. If you are interested in reading more of my thoughts on movies, I journal every movie I watch on my Twitter and Letterboxd accounts and would love it if you’d join the fun.