Tonight's Movie: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Somehow half a decade has passed since the release of the superlatively creative Oscar-winning Best Animated Film SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018).

The long-awaited sequel, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (2023), has finally arrived and it was worth the wait.

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) has been Spider-Man of his universe for over a year. Things are going okay, but at times Miles struggles with loneliness, as no one else has a clue he's Spider-Man; indeed, his loving parents (Luna Lauren Velez and Bryan Tyree Henry) are sometimes baffled by his mysterious behavior.

Miles particularly misses "Spider-Gwen," Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfield, who starred as Kate Bishop in HAWKEYE), and as it turns out, Gwen also misses Miles. After struggling with her own relationship with her father (Shea Wigham), Gwen left home to join a group of, well, "Spider-People" who work to keep the universe functioning.

Gwen pays a visit to Miles's universe...and things get messy. What happens if you disrupt a universe's "canon," the things which are absolutely supposed to happen? Can you change fate without destroying the world?

There's so much packed into this film it's hard to go any deeper describing the plot, as Gwen and Miles suffer existential crises in between battling the bad guys. I particularly appreciated the way the film focuses not just on the teenagers saving the world but on several parents of superheroes who are trying to navigate exceptional challenges -- including, in one case, parenting a very cute Spider-Baby who calls to mind Jack-Jack of THE INCREDIBLES (2004).

Along the way there are old friends, such as Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and interesting new characters, such as the motorcycle-riding, pregnant Spider-Woman Jessica Drew (Issa Rae).

ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is an incredible artistic and technical achievement in animation, taking the unique look of INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE and running with it; if possible, it's even more visually innovative than the first film.

One of the things I loved most is that the different worlds of this multiverse are differentiated by varied visual styles; for instance, Gwen's universe was inspired by the colors of Disney's animated CINDERELLA (1950). There's a moment when she hugs her father and the colors change which is truly profound.

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE may be a sequel on a character who's been the focus of many films, yet it's as original and thoughtful a movie as one could imagine. The remarkable visuals are paired with a rich, multi-layered story.

My only complaint about the film is that it's too long at 2 hours and 20 minutes; I knew it was a Part 1, and the film has multiple "false endings" where it continues just when it seems as though it's over. The filmmakers should have reworked things and saved some of the material for Part 2; it's all excellent, but no one needs an animated film that runs nearly 2 and a half hours, especially after sitting through 20 minutes of trailers.

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE directed by Joaquim Dos Dantos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.

Parental Advisory: Like the original film, ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is rated PG. Some of the themes get heavy regarding loneliness and loss, and the subject matter may not appeal to young children, but otherwise it's fine for the family.

The trailer is here.

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