Be sure to swing by “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Photo: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is a visual masterpiece.

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is a visual masterpiece.

Back in 2018, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's” predecessor, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” blew everyone’s expectations out of the water with its beautifully creative visuals and charming storytelling. The Oscar-winner changed the industry forever and became the pinnacle of animation. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'' certainly had some big shoes to fill and, despite the high expectations, the movie did not disappoint.

The movie picks up in the aftermath of the events of the first movie — namely, the effects of ripping a hole in the time space continuum on the multiverse. The characters are still dealing with their own responsibilities of both being Spider-Man and living their civilian life. 

You'll see the main character, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), scramble through the streets of Brooklyn fighting the villain of the week all while texting his parents excuses on why he is late to a parent teacher conference. Meanwhile in another universe, Gwen Stacy’s (Hailey Steinfield) secret identity as a Ghost-Spider puts her and her father’s relationship on a tightrope. 

Other Spider-Men join them from different dimensions, adding their own unique personalities to the film. Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) is a rocking British anarchist that is straight out of the seventies punk scene, while Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni) is an care-free amateur from Mumbai who swings around a spider-web yo-yo.

Daniel Pemberton created a score that perfectly reflects the unique style of each character. The characters’ charming designs were a highlight, but their scores were the cherry on top that complimented their personalities. The movie's soundtrack was produced by Metro Boomin and featured many other top-level artists including Swae Lee, Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky and Lil Uzi Vert. These artists were amazing at capturing the atmosphere of each scene – whether they were quietly thoughtful conversations or hype action sequences.  

The Spider-Verse is thoroughly explored throughout the movie, with all the different universe animation styles coming together to share the big screen. The fight scenes were the best at combining all the styles of the different characters allowing them to clash (literally and figuratively) to create stunning sequences of pure art.

Watching the characters swing around their universe is amazing: through slips and cracks between skyscrapers, above bridges and buildings in the sky and across the bounds of time and space. Animated at 24 frames per second, the movie is outstanding for all of its runtime—any screencap from the movie would qualify as an artistic masterpiece. New York City upside-down is now a view that is forever engraved in my head. Every shape, line and color in the movie was chosen with thought: not a single frame nor second was wasted. 

Aside from the flashy action, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” also uses its art to emphasize the emotional moments in between. The background for most of the scenes are not realistic. Instead, they reflect the raw emotions of the characters. Conflicts are shown not just through conversation but through contrasting colors. The messier the emotions, the messier the background gets – anything that is irrelevant to the scene is disposed of.

It is remarkable that the film still feels down-to-earth and relatable even with all its supernatural elements. The conflicts which the characters deal with are ones reminiscent of the real world — the arguments that they have are ones that every teenager has had with their parents save for the superhero aspect. The dialogue written for it is incredible and filled with heart. The characters feel real and you find yourself on the other side of the screen truly rooting for them to succeed.

In animation, anything is possible and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'' perfectly took advantage of its medium. Every minute was used to its fullest potential. The whole film was an experience of a lifetime and one that only leaves audiences wanting more. It is a perfect sequel carrying on the legacy of Spider-Verse. 

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was released on June 2 and is now playing in theaters, including Regal Majestic Stadium 20 & IMAX, AMC Wheaton Mall 9 and AMC Montgomery 16.