By https://twitter.com/SpiderVerse/status/1651254816025313281/photo/1, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72536149
Okay people let's do this one last time..My name is Anirudh and for the past so many years I've been the one and only reviewer writing great reviews without giving away the plot so that you folks can go and enjoy the movie as the experience is meant to be, without any spoilers. I've not written reviews for the last 2 years. I saw Oppenheimer (well made but done in by Nolan's own tropes) and Mission Impossible recently (strictly average by mission standards) and I didn't feel compelled to make a comeback to the review writing but Across the Spiderverse is such a bold statement in movie making, that I simply had to - even though I might be the last person who is seeing this in the hall by this time. (And if you didn't get why I started the review like this - you need to watch the first one - I reviewed it here and its an absolute thrill ride).
Into the Spiderverse ticked most of the boxes - it was the quintessential hero's journey, with a generous dose of humor, new panel like animation that makes a movie feel like a comic book and is just scintillating to watch and a linear progression to a multiverse universe that simply made sense. When I saw the first trailers of Across..I was pretty convinced the sequel is just going to feed off of that goodness and be a do-over with some bells and whistles. I wouldn't have blamed them either - it would've been a fun watch still and it was the smart thing to do. Across the spiderverse though - goes far beyond anything I would've imagined possible.
Across..is what you get when put passionate, dedicated writers without a time deadline to dream a script that takes the same beloved characters and spins a storyline that elevates everything - their journeys so far, the new challenges and realities they confront and the story it tells to a whole different level. Telling a multiverse story can be hard. (Ask the Marvel movies - they haven't made any sense post Infinity War). However, this movie's script has more depth and thought than the last 5 Marvel movies combined, and that's not saying much. There are moments that are so poignant, that you'll shed a tear or two, it just makes you want to root for those characters - and I am not talking about Miles alone. In fact, this is as much a Gwen movie as it is about Miles Morales, even in terms of screen time - and that is so refreshing! The central theme, and it takes its time coming to the fore is truly core to the superhero saga, you wonder how come it hasn't been leveraged this way before. I've always believed that a great story needs a formidable villain but this one debunks that myth as well. It has a villain but the greater emphasis is on the demons closer home. I'll stop at that.
And then there is the animation.I am possibly not even equipped to talk about the animation. It feels like every kind of animation/ art style/ design choice has been incorporated into the movie at some point or another. Its like an artist going bezerk on their canvas without a care in the world and the result is nothing short of astounding. There is an insane amount of action and it all comes believably together and you are able to follow it because of how it is presented. Pixar has some serious competition in just the creativity and presentation these guys are bringing to the table and that's no mean feat.
Is it better than the original? It is definitely a step up in most departments. There is less humor than the original and the attempt to copy the funnier content from the original actually falls flat. However, its a deeper story. There is more at stake and you are more invested. It is such a thrill ride that when you actually reach the ending, there is a deep sense of frustration and you don't want the fun to stop. To tell more would give away something that you may not already know so very reluctantly, I'll refrain.
Suffice it to say that Across the Spiderverse expands on some already stellar work with the original and is truly the must-watch everyone has been raving about. If you haven't seen it already - don't wait for it to come on Amazon Prime, go watch it in the hall.
