By Matthew Moorcroft

Highest Recommendation

• Directed by Joaquim dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
• Starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jason Schwartzman, Oscar Isaac
• PG

Ever feel like you just witnessed cinematic history being made in the moment?

That’s what it feels like watching every minute of Across the Spider-Verse, the long anticipated sequel one of animation’s most bold and ambitious offerings of the past decade. And while animation is just catching up to that film in terms of the ripple effects – animation is, after all, a long and arduous journey in of itself regardless of style – Across the Spider-Verse has appeared on our movie screens and ups the ante once again. It has now become the cinematic equivalent of ecstasy in motion; a barrage of colours, movement, and designs so creative, bold, and in your face yet remaining easy to follow and focused in it’s intent. Never before has there been anything like it, and likely nothing like it will ever come after despite the imitators that have spurred up in it’s place.

Pop art, pastel punk, black and white sketch art, and cyberpunk aesthetics are just the tip of the iceberg here, as Miles Morales navigates the multiverse with his best friend and love interest and possible canon event Spider-Gwen. Said story is remarkably easy to follow in the grand scheme of things, keeping things centered on those two characters and their parallel stories. Sure, there are other little arcs happening in the background, but amidst the multiversal chaos, this is still Miles’ story and an exploration on him as a character not just as a person, but how fits into the grand “canon” of Spider-Man.

Into the Spider-Verse‘s meta leanings and deconstruction of the mythos is partly the reason that film worked so well, and Across the Spider-Verse‘s doubling down on those elements are partly why it works so well. When you have a multiverse of infinite possibilities and characters, why is it that we keep adhering to the same binary, dogmatic plot points over and over again? Shouldn’t this be a chance to experiment, come up with new takes and ideas? Or are the multiverses just an excuse for gags, one-offs, and fanservice pairings? Directors Santos, Powers, and Thompson, alongside returning writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (and Shang-Chi scribe David Callaham) seem to have some thoughts on the matter that range from “we get it and we love it” to “oh god fuck that ew ew ew”. Those complicated emotions come out in the film, which itself has no real easy answer to the questions raised here. And like another top tier multiverse film from last year, the infinite circular cycle is represented by the antagonist, whose connections to a bagel are both funny but representative of greater ideas under the surface.

A lot of this wouldn’t work without Lord and Miller, honestly, whose influence sweeps through the screen even though the directors all deserve praise in of themselves; Joaquim dos Santos in particular brings his expertise in directing action from Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra to great effect here. The writing is consistently fast, witty, and hilarious, which every character having quirks that make them likable and relatable. Both Daniel Kaluuya as the anarchist and cool Spider-Punk and Oscar Isaac as the no-nonsense to a scary fault Spider-Man 2099 (aka Miguel O’Hara) are the clear standouts here, bringing their characters to life in a way that pop out of the screen and deliver some of the film’s best moments. But where Across the Spider-Verse ends up surprising the most is in the small little moments – Miles and Gwen’s talk on a rooftop. Gwen’s arc with her with misunderstanding dad. Miles’ own struggles with his parents. Peter B. Parker’s embrace of being a father figure. In spite of the flash, Across the Spider-Verse remembers the real appeal of these characters and never stops reminding you that the best stuff is the character stuff.

And yeah, sure, Marvel superfans like myself are going to go frame by frame here to discover every cameo and reference, but that’s really not the point here and I don’t think it ever was. Instead, Across the Spider-Verse is as close as mainstream animation in the West has ever come to pure, fluid experimentation. Instead of owing it’s influence to Pixar or DreamWorks, it’s more like Don Hertzfeld or Masaaki Yuasa. Instead of sticking to established, quick runtimes, it’s as long as some live action adult blockbusters. Instead of being yet another rigid, “canon” installment, it’s as flexible and original as they come. And with another installment to go, I’m more excited not where they go, but how they get there.