Fans anxiously waiting for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to swing into theaters have another reason to secure their tickets, as the first reaction to Phil Lord & Chris Miller’s ambitious sequel couldn’t be more positive. As the movie becomes available to critics everywhere, the internet is flooded with praise for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which sets the stage for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
In 2018, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse came out of nowhere and breathed new life into the superhero genre. That’s because, despite being the origin story of Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), the movie also works as a mindblowing crossover event in which Spider-People from multiple dimensions band together to save space-time. However, while things get crazy in Into the Spider-Verse, the movie never loses sight of what matters the most, putting character above everything else. Add a groundbreaking animation that turns each frame into a comic book image, and you have one of the best superhero movies ever made.
Of course, we all wanted more of whatever Lord and Miller wanted to do next. And fortunately, Sony realized they were sitting on a goldmine and gave the creative duo free rein to develop a trilogy. The first part of this project is Across the Spider-Verse, in which Miles must face what it means to be a hero and sacrifice everything he loves. The sequel also introduces the villain The Spot (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), who’s set to become the main threat to the Multiverse in the trilogy.
Finally, Lord and Miller doubled down on the Multiverse concept by bringing hundreds of new Spider-People for the sequel, including Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, Issa Rae’s Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, and Karan Soni’s Indian Spider-Man, Pavitr Prabhakar. With so many exciting ideas ensnared in Lord and Miller’s web, we all expected Across the Spider-Verse to become a success. Still, it’s reassuring that the movie got so many positive reactions.
What Do Critics Say About Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?
Into the Spider-Verse used different animation styles to represent the Spider-People from alternate dimensions. Across the Spider-Verse pushes the visual style again, this time by taking Miles to visit different timelines with Spider-Gwen (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld). It’s no wonder, then, that critics are praising the sequel for its animated style, which promises to be a real feast for the eyes.
Michael Lee praised the film for its “eye popping animation” in addition to the coming-of-age story at the heart of it.
Similarly, Ashley Saunders praised the film for its “next level” animation.
Tessa Smith echoed the praise for the animation in her reaction, saying:
While Drew Taylor had plenty to say about the animation, he praised the film for its “emotional depth.”
The film’s cultural aspects were also brought up by, Vanessa D. who shared that she shed tears over the Puerto Rican flag appearing in the film.
Other critics, like Sean O’Connell praised the film as “one step above a Masterpiece.”
Across the Spider-Verse is the first part of a two-movie story, which means Lord and Miller had to leave many loose threads for Beyond the Spider-Verse to tie. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse comes to theaters on June 2, 2023. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is releasing on March 29, 2024.
