What’s it rated? PG
Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Park, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande, Sunset Drive-In
Editor’s note: Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal and Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote Split Screen this week while Glen and Anna Starkey attended the Live Oak Music Festival.
Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), Brooklyn’s newest Spider-Man, comes face-to-face with a Spider-People-filled world that’s more colossal than he originally realized. New threats, timelines, and dimensions hurtle him into a tough place and force him to choose between saving the universe and protecting his very existence. (180 min.)
Bulbul No superhero franchise has been as consistently superb, in my opinion, as Spider-Man’s. I’ve been a Tobey Maguire loyalist ever since I watched him portray the web-slinger in 2002, but the animated Spider-Verse series is a masterful upgrade to a beloved childhood classic. Taking place right after the events of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse opens with Miles Morales enjoying his fresh celebrity-hero status in New York anonymously as the city’s reigning Spider-Man following the death of Peter Parker. In an alternate dimension, his counterpart, Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld), struggles with her role as Spider-Woman. Separated by universes, the two teenagers miss each other and both wrestle with letting their respective families in on their superhero secret. Spider-Woman soon joins an elite strike team comprising Spider-People from different dimensions, serving different versions of New York. Morales is desperate to join but his membership threatens the fabric of humanity’s existence. Together, the two are ready to defy and subvert the expectations of superheroes. The film is a visual treat packed with Easter eggs for hawk-eyed and casual fans alike. Each Spider-Person comes with a new animation style, helping Across the Spider-Verse live up to its name by showing graphic forms like punk art, watercolor treatment, and even a Lego-themed scenario. Make sure you catch it on the big screen just for the art.
Caleb Of all the different realities the film explores, Stacy’s is my favorite. Her world gets the watercolor treatment Bulbul mentioned. It’s an eye-popping approach that reminded me of the painting-esque yet lifelike imagery in Richard Linklater’s experimental drama Waking Life. During each frame of Across the Spider-Verse set in Stacy’s dimension, it feels like we’re simultaneously in the world she inhabits and her own mind, as the foreground and background colors are either subtly changing or rapidly shifting depending on Stacy’s mood. It’s as if fresh watercolor drips down the screen like tear drops, for example, during a somber exchange between Stacy and her father (voiced by Shea Wigham), a police officer who is ironically hell-bent on arresting Spider-Woman. Each animation approach included in the film feels like a character-driven choice and suits its respective Spidey effectively. Style aside, the storytelling is so strong that had Across the Spider-Verse been live action, this film and its predecessor would easily amount to the best live-action Spider-Man iteration since the Maguire trilogy (I’m also a Tobey loyalist). But the animation heightens the material and makes the film feel like the most literal embodiment of “a comic book brought to life” in cinematic history.
Bulbul Across the Spider-Verse is a witty introduction to how vast Spider-Man lore is to not only Morales but also to us. It’s almost a menu of which version of Spider-Man you want to learn more about through the comics. Every major new Spider-Person debuts with a citation of the comic book they were first featured in. But there’s substance in the film, too, with a plot that’s both smart and compassionate. Almost every major character grapples with their powers’ impact on their families, and that heartfelt element grounds a story that could have totally flown off the rails. Be prepared for some thrilling twists and pulled heartstrings. This film achieves something rare in a series: It surpasses the original. Sticking to an easy-to-follow storyline, it sidesteps the potential of being burdened by all the graphic experimentation. While the first movie confidently dipped its toe into the world of breaking the boundaries of graphic design, Across the Spider-Verse rides that creative wave. If nothing else, take it from the little girl I overheard as we stepped out of the theater: “This was the best movie ever!”
Caleb What I’ll say about my experience walking away from this movie is I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so satisfied with an ending yet craving or Kraven—Spidey pun intended—more at the same time. No Marvel film is without a cliffhanger nowadays, but this film’s gripping finale really caught me off guard. It opens the door for what could be a very intriguing continuation of the series without feeling like generic sequel bait. This latest entry in Spider-Man’s cinematic pantheon is definitely worth seeing on the big screen for its mesmerizing visuals, an electrifying soundtrack from Daniel Pemberton (who scored the original Spider-Verse as well), and well-spun story that seamlessly weaves together poignant themes and laugh-out-loud humor. Δ
Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal and Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote Split Screen this week. Send comments to gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jun 29 – Jul 9, 2023.