Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

I've seen the first Spiderverse several times and I reckon I'll make time for the second one sometime in the future, and not just once. I'm a bit jaded about it now, though. The second animated Spider-Man is awesome and even more imaginative, playful and wilder in terms of audiovisual style, and isn't afraid to mix different styles together. It works well with the music and is simply great to watch. Plus, it works perfectly in the moments when it slows down and tackles romance, drama and emotion. You'll just root for a happy ending for these characters, even though it's obvious from the start that the road to it will be very thorny. Still, I do have one problem with Across the Spiderverse. It's a little too wild at times. The first fight with the The Spot felt a bit confusing and overly fast, and the same is actually true of all the action sequences, which are bigger and have an awful lot going on. I also had trouble keeping up with it a little bit. Even with the first film, I felt like the final battle needed a bit of a looser pace to enjoy it with everything, but here they step on the gas a bit more (it's a sequel rule, so that's to be expected), and I barely managed to exhale after each major action sequence, telling myself that it looked great, but at the same time I had to admit that I probably missed a lot of interesting stuff. I'm a bit sorry about that, because I would have liked to enjoy the movie to the max the first time and not think at the wildest scenes that I might have preferred to flip through an artbook at my own pace rather than watch a movie that was just crazy wild at times. A bit too much for my taste. After a second viewing, hopefully I'll be clear on whether the new Spidey is great or "just" damn good. EDIT: So I went a second time and knew what to focus on and enjoyed it a star more. (05/31/2023)

The sequel to Spider-Man is a solid and excellent animated film, it's wild, creative, shocking, serious and rightly fatal, and the comparison to Infinity War is spot on. It's just that a few things slightly bothered me and that's why I can't give it a full score. The film has a lot of cool and eye candy stuff that will please any comic book fan. Visually it is a revolutionary spectacle, it’s action packed (I liked the opening fight with Vulture and the final epic chase with 100 spidermen, which is one of the best scenes of the movie and the viewer will want to repeat it again). The soundtrack is also excellent and perfectly fitting – I immediately looked up a few songs. The villain, The Spot, is impressive, but he doesn't get much space in the second, and they have saved him for the final part of the trilogy. The second half is all about Miguel O'Hara, whose character I enjoyed the most. The surprise final unexpected twists are also very shocking and take this whole film to the next level, I liked that. On the other hand, what disappointed me a bit is the big absence of humour, it's all too serious and in some passages could have been spiced up with some wisecracks, as the first half was quite slow paced and on the second viewing I'm afraid it might be a bit boring, but otherwise I'm extremely satisfied with this one. 85% (06/15/2023)

This unbelievably rich animated comic-book movie draws from a deliberate sense of detachment, internet memes, pop-culture references, the long history of comic books and the sense of refinement with which its creators approach the frenetic action scenes and work with the characters. Despite its ultra-brisk pace, abundance of gags and wealth of dynamic action, the thrilling audio-visual feast packed with imaginative details maintains, through the story of two young superheroes and their family background, a serious dramatic level highlighting the quiet emotions and slower dialogue passages built on family relationships and the themes of fatefulness, growing up and the struggle against predestination. (01/04/2024)

I gave the previous installment a five-star rating because its originality, blend of animations, action, and humor left a lasting impression on me. Yet, I found myself putting off watching the sequel. Today, I decided to dive into the multiverse. I was concerned that the sequel might not live up to its predecessor, and unfortunately, it turned out to be true. While my disappointment was mild, it was disheartening to see the creators rely on overkill, as if they believed that without overwhelming the audience, they'd fall short. Additionally, I noticed a decrease in humor, which was a significant departure from what made the previous part so enjoyable for me. The shift towards darker and more serious themes didn't necessarily resonate with me; I missed the lighthearted moments that brought laughter. It felt like humor took a backseat to the exploration of various family values. Despite my criticisms, I found myself thoroughly entertained throughout, barely noticing the film's runtime. Still worth a solid four stars. / Lesson learned: Just because you can stick to objects, walls, or people doesn't necessarily make you Spiderman. It might just mean you need to wash your hands. With soap. 4*+ (11/19/2023)

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant animation! The last time there was anything like this was five years ago, really, but more importantly: Brilliant story! An animated film that can leave at least eight live action films featuring Spider-Man biting the dust, that’s something you must see. Every joke, every dialogue, every character, every action scene has its place. At first, I was scared that the movie ran two hours and twenty, but when it was over, I felt it wasn't enough. So I'm looking forward to the third part immensely (as if I wouldn’t after that finale), and given how packed this one is, I've definitely got something to keep me entertained until the premiere. (06/01/2023)