Spiderman : Across the Spider-Verse

Genres : Superhero, Action, Thriller 

Writer : Surya Turaga 

Date : 13th June, 2023 

I initially left the movie feeling nothing extraordinary. But as I thought about it, I began to realize how amazing of a film this was. It’s been a while since I’ve seen anything as entertaining as this. ATSV (Across the Spider-Verse) is a brilliant sequel. 

If you haven’t seen Part 1, ITSV (Into the Spider-Verse), I’m giving you a SPOILER ALERT. This is a review of Part 2, so there may be some unintentional spoilers. I will do my best to keep it spoiler free, though. That won’t be particularly hard to do since the key selling points of ATSV are the storytelling and the visuals. 

ATSV is about Miles Morales, the spiderman of Earth 1610, one of the universes where he got bit by a spider. As he tries to balance his work and personal life, keeping things a secret, he gets caught up with a danger, and meets the Spider Society, a multiversal team of Spidermen. And then crazy stuff happens, not gonna spoil it. That’s the best way to describe it. 

What I like about this film is that it takes you back to the prime of superhero films. It doesn’t try to push some political agenda or propaganda. It just narrates a good story about a person and his struggles. The vibe of the film and its references to relationships and family really relates to our generation. I didn’t get it much, but I somehow got the feeling that was a ‘me problem’ lol. 

The theme was interesting. Rather than just extend the story from ITSV, ATSV did what a sequel should do. It created a new story with a new theme that is still built on top of the original. That was done very well. Part 1 was about discovering yourself, and Part 2 extends on that to make us wonder who really defines us, us or the world? I hope they carry it forward properly in Part 3. 

The plot was certainly detailed, intricate, and entertaining. Things kicked off and became a crazy and chaotic ride in the second half of ATSV. The first half was supposed to be open and not revealing. But it got too aimless every now and then, tugging the plot unnecessarily. Fortunately, the movie wasn’t messed up or anything. It just felt a little spread out in those few moments. 

The story had some plot holes to ponder on. But hey, what multiversal movie doesn’t nowadays? Still, these holes were small ones that could have been easily rectified. The most significant aspect of this film is that the main theme of free will vs destiny is nothing new at all. It’s been around since The Matrix. 

But it’s the artistic and entertaining way they carried it out that really made the difference. The film put emphasis on emotions and character development / relationships while showing the action. Such a balancing act is very easy to screw up. This film was near perfect in doing it, because it used a simple plot and took its time to add many details to it. 

I will say, though, the film didn’t really develop the way it should have. The climax was a bit scattered and unclear. That was very much intentional as part of this new style of storytelling, but it still made me a little bit uncomfortable. However, the film closing was perfect, and definitely made things better. 

All the references made were done perfectly, woven right into the story without distracting the audience. The antagonist was developed perfectly, with the art progressing from comical to harsh and angry, matching the character. 

The visuals were also absolutely stunning, with far better animation and aesthetics than ITSV. Colors were bold and clear, showing powerful vibes and styles for each setting, creating gorgeous, scary, and amazing atmospheres. The film didn’t have a standout hit this time, but its soundtrack was definitely great. It wasn’t intricate, but just a cool blend of different vibes. 

Overall, ATSV is a sequel that actually surpasses the original. It’s a superhero film masterpiece with very few small flaws. It’s an entertaining film that delivers strong messages, enhances the Bagel Effect, and shows off amazing characters, art, and music. Me giving it a rating to match this is nothing but a Canon Event. 

Surya-o-meter : 95%