I'm still slightly annoyed that I never got the opportunity to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in cinemas. Because I was blown away when I finally saw it.
So, believe me when I say that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse knocks that first movie completely on it's ass as far as visuals are concerned.
It is not hyperbole to say that legitimately any single still from this movie is an absolute work of art. You could also play this movie with no sound or no dialogue (well, maybe keep the music) and it would not only work, but it would be beautiful to look at.
Also, something something, there will be spoilers of a mild variety.
I can very much track the moment when I realised "oh, this movie is going to be breathtaking"... and that was when the Da Vinci Vulture showed up in Spider Gwen's universe. It's not a spoiler, it literally happens almost at the start of the movie.
But just looking at every single different art style that is blended and merged and overlaid and still feels like a coherent visual theme but at the same time being legitimately different and unique. They did it with the first movie, but that was other styles stepping into the consistent world of Miles' art style. This is taking Miles and the others into multiple different universes and realising that Spider Gwen's universe is water colours (there is a moment when her backgrounds start to run... that is... breathtaking), whereas Miles lives in a halftone dots universe, but it's also the tiny things like the very specific way that Jessica Drew Spiderwoman's eyebrows are drawn, or basically everything about Spider Punk and the total 90's shit show that is Ben Reilly's Scarlet Spider. And that's just the beginning.
I also love that this story is more centered around at first Spider Gwen, then, when we get to Miles and his universe, it's more about the relationship between him and his mother rather than him and his father like the last movie.
It should also be pointed out that I did not know going in that this was the first part of two part story, hence the movie ends with a "To Be Continued" screen. I was not expecting it and that legitimately made me throw up my arms and say "WHAT?!" somewhat louder than I'd intended. Which did get a laugh from the entire row of preteen boys in the back of the theatre.
But as such, it doesn't feel quite right to judge this movie too harshly on it's story, since it's essentially the first half of longer story. It doesn't wrap the story up, it legitimately stops with plot still in motion, things unresolved, tasks still yet to undertake.
Having said that, compared to what we have right now in Across, the story of Into the Spider-Verse is a tighter, more well crafted one. Not least of all because it takes just under two hours to tell a complete story. Across the Spider-Verse is going to take at least four or five hours to tell it's story, taking into account the probably length of the Beyond the Spider-Verse movie to come. Will they work as well when they're combined? I don't know yet. But I do know that they'll never be as tight and concise as Into, just because they can't be.
Also, once again, from someone who never really notices music in movies... the music in this movie is fantastic. Could I point to an actual song and say "I know what that song is without looking it up"? No, no, I could not. But as with Into, the music in Across definitely fits the vibes of the movie.
Everyone does a great job with the voice acting, from Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld as Miles and Gwen respectively, through to Luna Lauren Velez as Rio, Miles' Mom, Karan Soni as Mumbattan Spider-Man, Daniel Kaluuya as Hobie Brown/Spider Punk and Jason Schwartzman doing his very Schwartzman thing as villain Spot.
Visually, this movie gets 42 out of 5. Because, you know... well, actually, if you know, you know. And the story is good, I just don't think it kicks that element out of the park in the same way as Into. So, while they will get the same score, consider this one below Into on the list. I reserve the right to adjust that opinion after Beyond comes out.
It is though, the most visually stunning Spider-Man movie... or possibly just movie, full stop, period... I've seen in a very, very long time.
yani's rating:5 Spider-Persons out of 5
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