My quick rating – 7.9/10. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse somehow takes everything the first movie did brilliantly and says, “Cool, but what if we turned the dial so hard it snapped off?” The animation here is flat-out insane. Already, I was impressed by the first movie, but what this sequel does is somehow take it up a notch, making the first one seem like nothing compared to it. Every shot would seem like it belongs in an art gallery if there were any that display comics having a midlife crisis.
The sheer visual creativity on display is ridiculous in the best way possible. Every universe has its own style, texture, and personality, making the multiverse actually feel different instead of just being the same city with a different filter slapped over it. This movie doesn’t just push the boundaries of animation. It politely waves at the boundaries and then launches itself through them headfirst.
The action sequences aren’t much tamer either. Here again is Miles Morales, showing off his ability to swing through places that nobody has any business getting into and doing so in style. The action sequences are frenetic, inventive, and exciting to watch, each Spider-Man bringing his or her own sense of flair and personality to the action.
I don’t usually give enough credit to voice performances. That’s 100% on me and not the movie, but Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld genuinely deserve it here. Miles and Gwen’s chemistry feels so natural that their scenes often hit harder than the action itself. There’s a believable touch to their conversations that keeps the movie grounded even while it’s throwing six hundred Spider-People at the screen.
And speaking of Spider-People, this film absolutely has fun with that concept. The endless parade of alternate versions is not only hilarious but also a goldmine for fan service. The Lego Spider-Man bit got a genuine laugh out of me. How unexpected and so perfectly absurd was that? The Easter eggs are everywhere, too. Daring us, comic fans, to pause every frame and start pointing at the screen like conspiracy theorists.
That said, for a movie sitting at 140 minutes, I definitely felt the runtime. For something I’d call an exceptional action movie, you know, the kind that earns an 8 or higher, those two-plus hours should disappear. Here, they didn’t. The pacing occasionally drifts into music-video territory, which looks amazing but sometimes slows the actual story momentum. And then there’s that ending. Yes, it’s an effective cliffhanger, but it also felt like the movie hit the brakes right as it was flooring it.
Still, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is wildly entertaining, visually groundbreaking, and more than worthy of the hype – even if IMDb’s “greatest movie ever made” crowd might need to relax a little. Either way, I’ll absolutely be first in line for part three of this animated trilogy.
