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MOVIE REVIEW
'Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Is Possibly The Best Comic Book Movie Of The Year
By Dan Dubon | June 4, 2023 (UPDATED: September 23, 2024)
5 years ago, ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ was released and nobody expected that movie to be as good as it was. When not one, but two following movies were soon announced, I started to get somewhat worried (because after all this it's Sony we’re talking about). Thankfully the creativeness and uniqueness from the first movie is all still here which leads to us getting (arguably) what will be the best comic book movie of this year.
It feels good to get two great comic book movies back to back with 'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3' and this. The genre has been on faulty ground as we got a string of mediocrity and downright awful movies; with 'Morbius', 'Doctor Strange 2', 'Thor: Love and Thunder', 'Black Adam', 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever', 'Ant-Man 3' and 'Shazam: Fury Of The Gods'. So it’s good to see that there are quality comic book movies that can still be made, and that the genre isn’t dying, at least not yet.
After Fast X (two weeks ago), it was also really nice to see a well done Part 1 of a two-part film. This feels as inventive and visually revolutionary as the first one did five years ago, and it doesn’t skip a beat with the comedy and emotion. This is a two hour fever dream with not a single visually uninteresting moment. This honestly feels like it could go in so many directions when the second part arrives, and that’s how well done this movie is executed.
One of the key aspects of this movie is how it begins with Gwen, and how Gwen is essentially the co-lead in the movie. That is why, even though the movie ends on a cliffhanger, it feels like its own movie. The scene toward the end with Gwen and her dad functioned like an emotional resolution within the movie.
What elevates this and the first movie from pop visual spectacle to actual masterpiece are the characters here. Miles’ family life is so sincere and well done. We get introduced to fun new characters here; like Hobie and Spider-Man India. The streamlined way both Spider-Verse movies introduced us to different variations of Spideys is so effective because Spider-Man is a story, in broad strokes that we all know and love to see ourselves in. To give us so many spiders you can’t help but find the one that speaks to you the most.
I don’t know what the story is going to be in 'Spider-Man Beyond the Spider Verse', ( originally supposed to be set to release next year), but I do know is that if it sticks the landing and manages to be as good as the first two movies I think we’ll be soon discussing one of the best animated trilogies of all time and that any other Spider-Man related movie that gets released (I’m looking at you 'Kraven The Hunter', 'Madame Web' and 'Spider-Man 4') will have a hard time living up to these movies.
Grade: A
What are your thoughts?
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