Five years after we first entered the Spider-Verse, the visually dazzling second chapter has exploded at the box office.
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is every bit the equal of the groundbreaking first entry, continuing the story of our teen Spidey, Miles Morales. Brooklyn's friendly webslinger is dealing with his last years of high school, the promotion of his policeman father (who still doesn't know his son is Spider-man) and his Mom Rio (Luna Lauren Velez) who's not quite ready for her son to leave the nest.
Miles meets a foe whose quest for power will spread far beyond our world, gaining the attention of a massive network of Spider Heroes that protect every corner of the splintered multi-verse.
Spot (Jason Schwartzman) creates dark holes that he disappears through, popping up somewhere else nearby. When Spot realizes power sources make him grow as fast as his ego, a neighborhood foe becomes a galactic threat.
Gwen Stacy (well voiced by Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit") pops back into town to help Miles. She's now a rookie member of a legion of Spider folk, many of whom we know well. Like the underrated "The Flash" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" before it, ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE entertains and surprises with an unending cast of Spider-People. But unlike those two, the cameos are more enjoyable and tinged with a sly sense of humor that plays perfectly against the real danger that Miles has released.
Visually, this second chapter tops the inventive and groundbreaking look of the original, shoving you face-first through traditional animation, Anime, a Lego world (actually animated by a 14 year old fan), tangible real-life characters and hallucinogenic, technicolor wormholes between dimensions.
It's a WOW.
Credit returning writers Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (The Lego Movies) and new directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thomas for expanding the story line and emotional impact of the story while providing plenty of big laughs and thrills.
All five have already committed to the third chapter "Beyond the Spider-Verse". Yes, this is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series, a pivotal middle section that delivers a punch and leaves you hungry for more.
As my grandson said, "They fooled us, there's another chapter!", which he and his cousins are hungry to see on the big screen.
When I was his age, no one was challenging Disney in the field of animation. There was certainly nothing as interesting or resonate as what's on screen here. Built for kids of all ages, the Spider-Verse is one of the best divisions of the Marvel world, and probably the most interesting Marvel path at this point in time.
The cast is excellent.
Shameik Moore is a flawless Miles, Brian Tyree Henry is terrific as Jeff Morales and Mahershala Ali (True Detective) delivers as Uncle Aaron. Jake Johnson (New Girl) is back as the older Peter Parker, now hilariously with a baby in tow. Oscar Issac, Issa Rae and Daniel Kaluuya (Nope) add power to their voice roles and Rachel Dratch from SNL delivers big laughs in her role as Miles' High School counselor.
At the height of a major action sequence, the filmmakers take a perfectly timed moment to spoof the notorious meme with three Spider-men pointing at each other. It's a huge laugh perfectly delivered as the action roars around you.
With 240 characters and six universes in play, the action flies quickly, feeling nothing near it's two hour and twenty minute running time.
With a $150 million budget and over $575 million at the box office in its first month, the Spider-Verse will clearly continue. That's great news for fans of family and adult-friendly stories & animation.
Like my grandson, I can't wait to see what happens next.
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE slings an A.
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