Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

There have been plenty of films about parallel worlds lately, and I'm glad that the second animated Spider-Man doesn't just rip off its predecessors, but like the first one, forges its own path, especially thanks to the phenomenal art styling that goes hand in hand with the engaging story. The imagination of the artists has no limits in this sequel, and you witness a visual concert with several types of animation, as well as live-action (I liked the nostalgic connection to the previous Spider-Men). As I said before, the film also benefits from a story that, in addition to parallel dimensions, works with the rewarding motif of the inevitability of fate, making the viewer think and not just watch mindlessly, as is often the case with animation. The film gets off to a bit of a slow start, but I commend the fact that there was a certain recapitulation of the first film, five years after which the plot picks up speed (the fights with The Spot and the ultimate Spider-Man chase were flawless) and stops only at the open ending, which set the stage for the third installment. A truly outstanding visual experience, and one that would be a sin to watch only on the small screen. (06/14/2023)

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)

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)

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)

A buttload of ideas, a celebration of all the artists who gave each of the worlds a special and unique atmosphere. The action scenes are so awesome that you will want to go back to the cinema very soon, to enjoy and study them. However, it is not only the visuals that keep the viewer engaged, the script also deserves praise. Each character is well thought out, has a mini-story and evolves. The wisdom that the Spider-men/women share makes sense and is fun (because Spidy is a funny guy), every viewer will find something here. I, like Peter B. Parker, also had a daughter since the first episode, and did I identify my paternal stereotypes in him? Of course I did! And that’s how well the characters are written. Everyone will find something. It also has its own fatality and an unusual villain who got caught by a donut in the first film and then had a bit of bad luck. From nerdy scientist and third-rate villain to the destruction of the multiverse quickly and easily? Well, maybe not destruction... maybe, because we'll have to wait for the next part. So, to sum up: after the magazine ad, it steps on the gas pedal all the way to the floor and doesn’t slow down until the open ending. (06/04/2023)