Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
One of the things the “Spider-Verse” films are displaying is just how durable the central concept of Spider-Man is. As much as I love the different iterations of Batman, or the heroics of Iron Man and Captain America, Spider-Man is- far and away- my favorite superhero. I don’t care if it’s Peter Parker or Miles Morales or Gwen Stacy- it’s all about the underdog idea at the heart of the hero, and the “with great power comes great responsibility” mantra that gets me engaged with the character. When the “Amazing Spider-Man” movies with Andrew Garfield movies didn’t work for me, it had nothing to do with Andrew Garfield, and everything to do with the fact that those movies got away from the personal storytelling at the heart of Peter’s story to try and manufacture a world of conspiracy and corporate shenanigans that lost sight of that mantra. In “Across the Spider-Verse,” the film takes a big swing narratively that wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t dedicated to who Spider-Man- whoever wears the mask- is at their core.
Rather than catch up immediately with Miles Morales’s story, this film starts with Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld). After taking down Kingpin in Morales’s world, Gwen returns to her world, and it’s a lonely one. We see her and her Captain father (Shea Whigham) along with her Peter Parker. There’s something not quite right with her Peter, however, as he feels the need to turn himself into Lizard, which sets Gwen up for the fall when she fights him, not aware that it’s Peter. This puts her diametrically opposed to her police captain father, and she grows more distant with him. This is quite a lengthy opening, but I’ll be honest- emotionally I was hooked from the first minute. I’ve seen many people read Gwen Stacy’s arc in this film as being allegorical towards trans acceptance- an idea certainly boosted by the color palette of her world- and while I don’t know if it was intended, I certainly think it’s a valid reading, especially since acceptance from those we love when we struggle to share our identity is a fundamental theme in the film. This is the first big swing the film takes, but it isn’t the last.
We finally catch up with Miles (voiced by Shameik Moore), a year older and really settling into himself as Spider-Man. But his parents (Brian Tyree-Henry and Luna Lauren Velez) are more concerned with his opportunities as a student. Right away, the tension between how Miles sees his life and how his parents feel is established when he’s fashionably late to both a school meeting, and his father’s congratulations party for making Captain. That isn’t the only thing he has to worry about, though- there’s also Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a villain whose spots on his body can create portals to different places. The dynamic images and set pieces from “Into the Spider-Verse” are elevated to a different level of complexity here, but spectacle never overruns the story. Miles also missed Spider-Gwen and everyone else he met in the first film. Unexpectedly, Gwen does show up, but we find out it’s not just to catch up- Spot is a threat to the multiverse.
My favorite superhero movie is Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 3.” I’ve talked at length about why, but one of the reasons Venom works for me in that film is that it’s ultimately a mess of Peter’s doing that he must take responsibility for, and try to clean up. In Spot, we get the same variation on the “great power comes great responsibility” motif in Miles’s arc, as Spot was created in the reactor explosion at the end of the last film. What is unique to this film from all the other cinematic Spider-Man movies is how acutely it explores the loneliness in the Spider journey, it starts with Gwen and then continues with Miles, both of whom feel like they can only be accepted- and understood- by others like them. They both get their wishes with their introduction to the multiverse’s Spider Society- which includes Pavitr Prabhakar (an Indian Spider-Man voiced by Karan Soni); Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), who has his baby with Mary Jane in tow; Hobie Brown (aka Spider-Punk, voiced by Daniel Kaluuya); and Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), a Spider-Man from 2099 who emphasizes the importance of what is known as “Canon Events,” inflection points that define every Spider-Man’s journey. But shared histories and connections that only take bonds so far if the ways in which people accomplish means to an end. That is a hard lesson for both Gwen and Miles to learn, but it’s also an important one if they’re going to forge their own paths.
As much as I treasure the Raimi “Spider-Man” films, “Into” and “Across the Spider-Verse” represents probably my favorite Spider-Man franchise to date. (Whenever we get “Beyond the Spider-Verse,” I hope it closes the trilogy in brilliant fashion.) The writers- in this case, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham- understand the appeal of the character, and aren’t afraid to play off some wild personas built off of the character’s base personality. The animators maintain a visual logic while exploring different animation techniques and styles, whether it’s building the individual worlds, set pieces, or moments of great humor. And the way they use songs along with Daniel Pemberton’s score gives this a musical personality I adore experiencing. And in a summer of Part 1s, it’ll be difficult to top “Across the Spider-Verse’s,” which gets you thrilled for the possibilities of what will happen in the next film while finding a natural ending point that startles us. I cannot wait to see the conclusion.
