Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse feels like a lovely celebration of Spider-Man as the superhero we all love, raves Mayur Sanap.
Of all the big-league superheroes Marvel has to offer, Spiderman is one of the easiest to gravitate to.
The friendly neighbourhood superhero has been a fan favourite and charmed his way into numerous films before. So after a multitude of Spiderman stories, when 2018's Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was first introduced, I wondered if we really needed another retelling of his origin.
Surprisingly, that film made a remarkable impression in the densely populated superhero fare, thanks to its true-to-comics storytelling and distinct visual identity.
Brimming with originality, this new rendition of the Marvel superhero felt uniquely beautiful and also scooped the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, takes the same off-kilter approach and amps up everything that was good about its predecessor to continue building up on the Spidey lore that we loved so dearly.
Set after the events of the first film, the story concerns Miles Morales AKA Spider-Man (voiced by Shameik Moore), who is facing troubles with adjusting with his dual personality which further strains his relationship with his family.
As the new supervillain the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) arises, Miles joins forces with Gwen Stacy AKA Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) and together, they traverse through the multiverse to stop the new threat.
In a time when superhero flicks seem to have reached their creative crescendo, it is hard to find gems that really transcend the genre.
Across The Spider-Verse makes that effort and really delivers. From the unique stop-motion animation and stunning graphics to the exhilarating storyline and loads of comic book vibrancy, the film creates a world that's filled with nostalgia as well as newness.
I loved the Tobey Maguire trilogy and the recent Tom Holland MCU stuff, but here, the film takes the foundation of Spiderman directly from the comics and the television shows, and spins a web of its own form of mythology around it to make us fall in love with the character.
What makes it richer is how the writers and directors build upon the tropes and even add some philosophy to the mix.
The director trio of Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K Thompson explore the depth of Miles' dilemma with admirable character development.
The same goes for Steinfeld's charismatic Gwen Stacy, who is at odds with her cop father. Look for a scene where these two teenagers talk about their inner turmoil as they sit upside down under a building ledge.
It is magnificent.
It is really this emotional heft that makes Across The Spider-Verse richer than the first one.
This film also continues with its focus on diversity and multiculturalism as we are introduced to the Indian Spiderman Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), who hails from another dimension. This long-haired, sassy superhero from Mumbattan (the futuristic 'Mumbai + Manhattan' city) appears for a brief moment but dominates some of the most enjoyable bits in the film.
The superlative animation is yet again the big draw.
The split-screen separation, the zooming montages through various scenes, and the multiple views of the same character -- perfectly translate the language of comics.
Mike Andrews' sharp editing and Daniel Pemberton's pulsating score accentuate the whole look and feel of the film.
The voice performances are phenomenal yet again, with each personality sharply distinguished.
The middle portion, however, gets a little draggy with too much exposition and spot-the-Easter-eggs fans service but the film quickly swings its way back to frenetic action.
In the end, Across The Spider-Verse feels like a lovely celebration of Spider-Man as the superhero we all love.
With a stunningly lavish world and a thoughtful coming-of-age story, the film is a highly satisfying and entertaining adventure, and something that must be enjoyed on a giant theatre screen.
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