With every new superhero film that Marvel and all of its adjacent subsidiaries releases, audiences are given new additions to the cinematic canon — material that many fans compare to the comic book canon, judging what belongs and what doesn’t. For the uninitiated, “canon,” in terms of fictional universes, refers to the events and works of art that are considered to be officially part of the lore. Hardcore fanbases live and die by the canon of a particular universe, and if a new entry in the franchise doesn’t follow the lore exactly, the fans never fail to make their negative opinions clear. This has long been a way for old hardcore “fans” to deny any progressive change in a franchise’s storytelling with no one questioning this traditional way of thinking.
Until now.
There are many reasons that SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is a revolutionary piece of filmmaking, but in my eyes it stands out as the first comic book film to question the idea of canon and move forward on its own terms. Not only are the writers and animators behind the SPIDER-VERSE films creating one of the best Marvel film adaptations yet, but they are creating a story that is wholly original even outside of the source material as it subverts the pitfalls of the worn superhero genre. The creators of ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, who include successful writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, The Mitchells vs the Machines), are clearly taking inspiration from the great franchise films that precede them, such as Spider-Man 2 and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back among many others. However, they discard the idea that they need to make the exact same Spider-Man film that many have successfully created previous to them, and they subvert these tropes by making the entire plot of the movie a direct parallel to the conversations of real-life comic fans.
Rarely, if ever, has a major franchise film both served as a meta deconstruction of the tropes that the movie contains, while also delivering an emotionally grounded story that forces audiences to remember why they love storytelling in the first place. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) remains one of the most charismatic and entertaining lead characters in any current superhero franchise, and the emotional core of ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is just as layered and warm as its groundbreaking predecessor, INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. When the first Spider-Verse film was released, it was my personal favorite movie of that year — both because of the gorgeous animation and because of the incredible character development that drove some of the greatest moments in a modern superhero story (i.e. the “What’s Up Danger” scene). So it is no small statement to say that ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE somehow tops the soaring heights of the first film.
The movie takes place years after the first has ended, and Miles has become a more mature hero and person since his encounters with his mentor Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld). Despite this, he still finds himself at odds with his caring parents (Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Velez), who are trying their best to maintain a loving relationship with Miles but can tell he is hiding something. It doesn’t take long for things to go sideways, as an amateur villain (a standout Jason Schwartzman) starts to mess with the multiverse in a way that threatens the state of every universe and a hardened task-force led by Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) starts to crack down on the breaks in the multiverse.
Part of the reason this narrative is so engaging is because the line between good and evil is blurred to the point that no character is on one defined side. When the movie begins, it seems to be easy to point out which characters are heroes and which are villains, but by the time the end credits roll, everything has been scrambled. The audience is even left wondering whether Miles himself is on the right side of events, creating a degree of unpredictability rarely seen in a superhero movie since The Dark Knight. The plot questions everything fans thought they knew about Spider-Man, not just as a character in this franchise, but in every iteration of the character since its creation. ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE cuts to the core of the meaning of the canonical Spider-Man story in a way never seen before — an approach that redefines viewers’ perspective on superhero stories in general.
Illuminating the narrative, the film’s visuals contain some of the finest and most detailed work in modern animation. In one specific scene on the top of a New York City building, there are multiple shots that could be sold to museums as fine art . Throughout the movie, multiple types of animation are layered on top of each other, creating a kaleidoscope of color for the eyes that manages to match the emotion of any specific scene. ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE also knows how to insert easter eggs and fan service correctly, creating moments that both generate applause in theaters while complimenting the plot in a natural manner. Lastly, the film is hilarious throughout, balancing the bleakness of certain situations with gut-busting scenes of sharp comedy.
Miles Morales is often rejected in certain fan circles for not being “canon.” It is no coincidence that Morales represents the Afro-Latino community in a way that Peter Parker never did, a subtle racism that parallels the toxic fan reaction to the diversity in last year’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in the name of “canon.” ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE leads a rebellion against this anti-inclusive mentality that is too-often normalized in fandoms everywhere, and audiences around the world are flocking to the film with overwhelming positivity. One can only imagine how the third and final film in the Spider-Verse trilogy will continue this innovation, but whether that film succeeds or fails, ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE will always be a classic in its own right for me and many others.
A+
Thoughts on Current Films 