Spins a deeper and more layered story

Review: ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018) caught everyone off guard with its critical success, raising the stakes with sky-high expectations for a compelling follow-up. Safe to say ‘Across the Spider-verse’ exceeds them all; however, this is a deeper, more mature and complex sequel.

The Morales family dynamic continues to be critical to the story, and Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) plays a more significant role this time. Shameik Moore presents a more mature version of Miles Morales, who is constantly challenged with escalating consequences for his actions. Gwen Stacy’s well-deserved backstory is given much depth through Hailee Steinfeld’s voice work. Still, it makes the opening act a bit of a mixed bag, especially with its pace and initial impact. After a somewhat stretched-out start, the film’s plot gradually takes shape to fire on all slingers, with those character beats paying off in spades.

Amidst a staggering number of Spider-People, both new and old, Spider-Punk (voiced by Daniel Kaluuya) and Pavitr Prabhakar (voiced by Karan Soni) are both memorable. The latter deserves more attention, not just for his desi vibe but because the story calls for it. Oscar Isaac’s militant take on Miguel O’Hara brings a level of darkness not often seen in mainstream animation, while Jason Schwartzman elevates Spot to well above ‘villain of the week’ status with a sneaky subtlety.

The visual aspect of this film is staggering, as the animators and artists continue to bend the limits of the medium. Each Spider-Person has its distinct visual style, extending into the universe they hail from. Embracing the comic-book style even harder this time, there’s an astonishing amount of detail in each frame and character design that sometimes gets overwhelming to absorb, but in the best way possible. Art and animation students will refer to these films for years to come.

‘Across the Spider-Verse’ takes the multiverse concept and pushes it to a place unprecedented with other films of its ilk. It has so much to digest with multiple stories and visual artistry that it’s impossible to assimilate everything in one viewing. Yet, the easter eggs and surprises never come at the cost of the overall plot or by pandering to fans. While setting up an essential third outing, this sequel immerses us in a far deeper and more layered story that promises to be rewarding.