Across the Spider-Verse continues to revolutionize and go BEYOND the world of animation. Following the Oscar-award winning 2018 film, Into the Spider-verse, Across the Spider-Verse delivers to fans yet another cinematic gem that leaves many questions open on the future state of Miles’ Spider-Man. However, with Beyond the Spider-Verse, set to release in Spring 2024, fans will finally get the answers they so ever crave (and hopefully more Hobie Brown).

NOTE: This review contains slight spoilers in reference to certain characters however no twists, reveals, or etc. will be spoiled in this review.

Both critics and fans have unanimously praised the film, earning an impressive 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 96% audience score. The sequel film continues to break box office records, earning $120 million in its opening weekend almost tripling the previous film's $34.4 million box office earnings. The sequel movie made a massive $208 million globally and is among the most successful sequels ever made. The official soundtrack album also created a buzz around star producer Metro Boomin heading the project. The album spans a melting pot of artists like Lil Wayne, Asap Rocky, Offset, Lil Uzi Vert, Coi Leray, JID, Swae Lee, and introducing new artists Ei8ht (Silk & Cologne), Rosie (Am I Dreaming), Dominic Fike (Mona Lisa) and James Blake (Hummingbird/ Nonviolent Communication). Metro showcased the artists as various Spider variants, including announcing his surprise cameo in the film.

Across the Spider-Verse is a beautiful film that threads the needle in animation, characterization, and multi-dimensional travel. The journey of Miles (voiced by Shameik Moore) as he learns to control his powers while balancing school and personal life is relatable to people of all ages. In addition, the movie delves into the personal challenges faced by Gwen Stacey (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) following the death of her Peter Parker, as well as the conflicts that arise between her and her father due to her role as Spider-Woman. It gave us a better understanding of how Gwen fits into the larger picture and her role in the story. The new villain, The Spot (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), starts as an unserious villain-of-the-week but quickly changes the narrative by becoming a worthy adversary for Miles and the future of the Spider-Verse.

The animation was the heartbeat of the film, with amazing artistic styles all swinging together in a beautiful work of art. It spoke to the uniqueness of each Spideys' personality and background as a hero. Hobie Brown (voiced by Daniel Kaluuya), also known as Spider-Punk, is depicted with clip art animation outlines of British newspapers to represent London's punk rock scene and his rebellious nature of rejecting the status quo. Pavitr Prabhakar aka Spider-Man India (voiced by Karan Soni) had a vibrant color palette evoking Indian culture beautifully. However, the pastel watercolors of Gwen Stacey's universe were the making of every graphic novel fan's dreams. Gwen's artistic expression was supported by pastel colors, creating emotionally captivating scenes.

Across the Spider-Verse wouldn’t be anything without the spectacular slew of Spidey characters plastered throughout the film. Jess Drew (voiced by Issa Rae) brought an adorable motherly figure role on screen with underlying espionage vibes perfectly indicative of Spider-Woman's comic book origins. Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (voiced by Moon Knight star Oscar Isaac) was the perfect opposing force a film could ask for. Isaac's performance demonstrates the character's complexity with both a charming and a jaded tone. As an authentic and daring Spider-Man, Spider-Punk pushed the boundaries of authority, but his constant pursuit of truth made him one of the best of all time. In every way, Pavitr Prabhakar shone brightly among the other Spideys while bringing his own distinctive style as Spider-Man.

Being a Part 1 film, the ending seemed abrupt and might have been off-putting for viewers unaware of this fact before watching. Regardless, it was a great ride and set up for the final movie in the trilogy that’s currently set to release sometime in 2024, Beyond the Spider-Verse. Now, with news of a Miles Morales live action film currently in the works, fans are even more restless to see our next journey into Sony's expanding Spider-Verse. Between achieving rave reviews and getting fans even more excited to see a new Spider-Man project than ever before you could easily classify Across the Spider-Verse as a perfect sequel film.