Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

 

 5/10

 

Starring the voices of

Shameik Moore

Hailee Steinfeld

Brian Tyree Henry

Luna Lauren Vélez

Jake Johnson

 

Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson

 

The rating for this movie is high, with many thinking it’s the best thing since sliced bread. I don’t think so. I got tired halfway through, feeling like I’d seen all this before—not in Spider-Man form, but in other time-traveling and multiverse movies. The whole “I want everything to remain the way it always has been” mindset, and the willingness to switch sides from being a good guy to doing whatever it takes to stop another good guy from doing what feels right, felt overused. It was like watching every superhero or good guy versus his own kind movie rolled into one.

There’s always the one who believes their path will be different, so they challenge the norm. Then there are others—some picking sides with the status quo, others cheering for the disruptor. Heroes fighting heroes isn’t new, and neither is heroes fighting villains, but if you’re reusing the same old plots, it just feels stale. I love when movies put a fresh spin on familiar ideas, not when they just replay the same game where we all know the ending.

This multiverse craze is getting old. Both DC and Marvel are neck-deep in it, and honestly, I feel like I’ve seen it all before. So, when people rave about the idea of someone traveling to another dimension and stepping in as a replacement father for their counterpart’s family after their counterpart dies, I just sighed.

That said, the animation in this movie is stunning, as you’d expect. The way they weave all the Spider-Men from different universes together is something I always look forward to.

The story starts with Gwen Stacy, from the first movie, joining the multiverse team. Then we’re introduced to the new villain hunting Miles Morales. I call him Spots, and his ability to create portals lets him move around freely. He’s determined to get stronger and make Miles’s life miserable, blaming him for the circumstances that led to his own situation.

Gwen comes back to Miles, but we soon find out she’s on a mission to ensure that everything stays on course and the Spider-Men across the Spider-Verse remain intact.

When Miles learns about the plans these Spider-Verse variants have for his future, he revolts, trying to break free and protect himself and his family from a future filled with pain.

Not an amazing animation, but watchable if you have some free time and want to see something you and the children can watch on a weekend.