Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse (2023) Dir: Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson & Kemp Powers
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When 'Into The Spiderverse' came out, I wondered how any superhero film could ever top it, especially with the downward trajectory of the genre in recent years. Yet here we are, with that same film's sequel, being one of the best animated films ever, never mind just superhero films.
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers, the film is a whirlwind of incredible animation, epic music and brilliant voice acting that redefines the film's iconic protagonist and, quite frankly, the world of animation as a whole. This interdimensional adventure shows that there are levels to this game, and 'Across The Spiderverse' is at the very top.
The storyline is full of pulsating, high intensity action, but has a clear emotional line running through it that ties everything together beautifully. The only slight quandary I have is that the ending means it doesn't fully work on its own. But honestly, it barely even registers as a problem for me personally - it's more something I thought about for more casual viewers.
I cannot put into words how stimulating just about everything in the film is to the eyes and ears. Watching the film is truly an experience. From the first second to last second, the audience is strapped in and treated to an audiovisual treat that is unlike just about anything else.
Shameik Moore once again proved to be a phenomenal protagonist. Moore is so good at engineering that emotional depth and sincerity that makes Miles Morales such an interesting, well-formed and relatable character. I'd even go so far as to say Moore is my favourite cinematic Spider-Man.
Hailee Stanfield was another returning face, and while I loved her in the first film, I think I actually enjoyed her more this time around. She was able to express a wide array of emotion, and was easily the best of the supporting cast.
Jason Schwartzman was incredibly entertaining, but managed to develop his performance with his character in impressive fashion. He started off feeling like a bit of a background character, however, it became increasingly apparent that we were supposed to believe that. I can't wait to see where Schwartzman and his character go in the third film.
Oscar Isaac is an immensely talented actor - one of the best in cinema right now. And despite this being a voice-only role, it really felt like you could see and feel his emotions. His delivery was such that every piece of malevolence and anger permeated the screen. He was superb.
There are a myriad of incredible actors with whom deserve credit, but some of the most noteworthy that I haven't already mentioned are Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Greta Lee, Shea Whigham and Mahershala Ali.
Overall, this might be the best superhero film ever made. It's hard to imagine anything beating this, and yet, there comes a third film in this story. Could it be even more of a cinematic triumph? I sure hope so - and with the creative minds involved that it has, I have no doubt that it will be everything we hope it will be.
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