Tag: break the rules

Review: Sony’s ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Reinvents Visual Storytelling

by Alex Billington
June 7, 2023

“Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go. Nah. I’m-a do my own thing.” Yes, Miles, you tell them. This line is the key to Miles entire story – be you, stay true to you, don’t let anyone tell you how to be, break the rules, define your own life your way. So let’s get into this… In all honesty, what more can I say about Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse that hasn’t already been said in 1000s of other glowing reviews of this animated masterpiece? (Read this one by our writer.) I only wish to chime in and state, for the record, that yes indeed I also think it’s a brilliant, spectacular, mind-blowing film. Is it better than the first Into the Spider-Verse – which I also consider a masterpiece? I’m not sure I can say that yet, it’s hard to compare them at this moment, much like it’s hard to compare the original Star Wars trilogy. I love all three of those movies, and some days I’m in A New Hope mood, other days I’m in an Empire mood, sometimes I’m in an Ewok mood, etc. For now, I’ll say they’re on par with each other and I don’t even mind calling both of them masterpieces. And the trilogy ain’t even finished yet – there’s still Beyond the Spider-Verse up next.

Spoilers from here on out! It’s also hard to write about something a story that is only half finished. I tried to start putting together my thoughts on Across the Spider-Verse, then waited to see it a second time on opening weekend before really thinking about what I want to say. Much like Dune, I can rave about how incredible the movie is, but I’m still anxiously awaiting the grand finale. And how it all comes together will likely affect my feelings about the first movie, because it is one giant, over-arching story spread across two epic movies. The same goes for Across the Spider-Verse, which ends on a cliffhanger and lots of unanswered questions. Yes, the characters in this movie do get an arc anyway, progressing through a good chunk of story, but they’re also pushed right to the brink of making a massive decision. Gwen has to decide who she is loyal to, Miles abandons Miguel and his mission and heads home, Miguel decides to go after him anyway, Peter B. Parker looks like he is also about to jump ship and join Miles. All the while, the story with Miles’ new nemesis The Spot is also unresolved, including the huge space / time rift still devouring Mumbattan. This is common with superhero movies (Avengers: Infinity War / Endgame) but we’re still in the middle.

One thing I can rave about now is how Across the Spider-Verse, thanks to the remarkably talented teams of animators / artists at Sony Pictures Imageworks and Sony Pictures Animation that made these movies, completely reinvents visual storytelling. It’s the epitome of cinema as a visual medium, an eye-popping blend of comic book fundamentals, animation (all styles / techniques / formats), and modern storytelling concepts. As always with cinema, story is key – and the filmmakers know this and care deeply. They’ve also outdone themselves in creating one of the most mesmerizing and psychedelic works of art in cinema. Sure, it can be overwhelming to behold at times, and there are scenes where so much is changing and so many colors are flashing by that it will make some people go catatonic. It really is a hallucinogenic experience, but these artists at Sony know exactly what they are doing. Every single frame is perfect because the look and style connects directly to the characters, the themes, and where the story is at in that moment. There are beautiful, conventional shots like the wind lightly flapping the sheets above Alchemax. And on the flip side, there’s the psychedelic colors splashing across Miles’ worried face just as he’s about to be sent to Earth-42.

What I’m waiting for them to do next is to integrate a live-action character into the animated world, as part of the multiverse concept. It’s the inevitable next step to pushing the multiverse concept and animation even further. My guess is this is what Donald Glover’s Prowler is setup for – he might even get involved in some fight in Beyond the Spider-Verse. Or not, who knows. Only time will tell. Interestingly, James Cameron’s Avatar 2: The Way of Water already pulled this off perfectly integrating Jack Champion’s human Spider character into the fully CGI scenes with all the Na’vi on Pandora. Perhaps they’ll bring back one of the other Spider-Men, as they did in No Way Home, to get involved in helping Miles. Both Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse are both groundbreaking animated movies. The first one already evolved animation forever (see this video) and this one should also inspire animators around the world to rethink how they tell their stories and what’s possible with animation. There’s artistry in every aspect, from the color choices to the backgrounds to the character designs to the framing and composition, and everything else on screen. I keep wanting to go back & watch it again just to get lost in and immersed by all this mind-blowing footage.

By the time the opening logos come up in Across the Spider-Verse, the movie expects that everyone knows everything about Spider-Man already. His/her origin story, how the character works, the important parts of his/her life (family member dies, love interest, etc), the goofiness, the web shooters, the way “Spider-Sense” works. This movie doesn’t need to introduce or explain any of that, it’s entirely about “this is who and what Spider-Man is, folks.” The plot is actually what breaks away from this familiar concept, with Miles making rebellious choices to go against what is expected and what he “should” be doing as Spider-Man. This is what causes all the multiverse chaos and rifts and problems that catch up with all of them. This is his lesson to learn, of course, but I also think it’s extremely bold of this movie to say – hey you know what, yes it causes problems, but it’s not the end of the world (hopefully) that you break the rules every once in a while. I love that they continue to break from what is expected in animation (and visual storytelling) by using the story to show what is possible. It’s brilliant because both movies are a metaphors for the animation / entertainment industry, beyond only superheroes, saying that we should be unique, we should strive to be one-of-a-kind.

The thesis for this sequel seems to be – what if we break the rules, what will really happen? What if we break from Canon, can someone pull it off? It deals with the superhero identity theme it a clever way, using the multiverse concept to explore the accepted idea that all Spider-Men/Women are pretty much the same, and must follow the same paths to be who they are – heroes in their own universe. Ultimately, it’s commenting on how it’s possible to break from the superhero mold, from the animation mold, and from the Hollywood structures in place to make something radical and distinct again. It’s also another big learning experience film, once again similar to Avatar 2, perfectly allowing characters to grow and figure out what the right way forward is. And oh yes I need to mention Hobie! Spider-Punk is such an important character, and he kicks ass, becoming the real teacher for Miles in this one. Crash the system, rock out and take on everyone. Be punk. Don’t fall in line because the authority tells you to, you’ve gotta stay true to who you are and always go forward with the right open-mind. Yes, he says some funny stuff and contradicts himself (even Miles quips about this) but at the same time it seems his punk attitude has a major impact on Miles’ decision-making.

I also can’t talk about Across the Spider-Verse without mentioning that in addition to being another perfect Miles Morales movie, it’s a perfect Spider-Gwen movie, too. The voice performances by both Shameik Moore (as Miles) and Hailee Steinfeld (as Gwen) are stupendous. But it’s more about her story and how her character deals with her dilemma. It’s incredibly realistic and authentic, with Gwen’s responses to all these situations being accurate to the experiences of many people in the real world… It’s also a powerfully emotional look at the turmoil that can develop between family members. It’s riveting and refreshing to see the movie open with her storyline, spending the first ~30 minutes on Gwen. I can still feel the heaviness of her sadness trying to be open and admit the truth about her identity to her father, while he can’t accept it (at first) and she screams at him “are you really that afraid of me?!” This is a line that most other movies would be afraid to put in, but it is vitally important in Across the Spider-Verse. It’s a potent expression of anger and frustration, cutting right to the core of the fact that it’s this fear of someone else not being who you want them to be that often causes a rift between people. This is what happens between Miles and Miguel later on.

Where will it go next? How will they wrap up all these storylines they’ve only started to explore? What will they do with all these different Spidey characters? The first movie is all about: anyone can wear the mask, anyone can be a hero. This second movie is all about: who are you really, if you are just the same as every other hero? What defines you, what makes your story different? And most importantly – can you try to do what you believe is right even if everyone else says it won’t work? Strangely enough, Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t answer this question before the cliffhanger ending. How will they stop The Spot? Will they get the multiverse rifts under control, and how? Will Miguel eventually let Miles get away with breaking the Canon of Spider-Man and will it actually destroy the whole multiverse like he claims? I had chills watching this like I remember with the two Matrix sequels (yes, regardless of opinions on each of these not being as good as they could’ve been) – that excitement of waiting for what comes next after the curious ending of Reloaded is exactly how I feel now. I cannot wait for Beyond to land in theaters. I cannot wait to see how the the team of filmmakers / animators / artists pushes themselves again for the finale. I hope they break even more rules.

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