Team FC
Long before Marvel took the cinematic concept of a multiverse down a predictable route of nostalgia bait, endless cameos and the definitive end of any sense of finality, there was Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
In this sequel, teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is struggling to balance being a perfect student and good son with the demands of his crimefighting alter-ego.
Like its predecessor, Across The Spiderverse is beautifully shot and strikingly composed, with the kind of head-spinning, world tilting sequences that are only possible in animation. It isn’t just that the vibrant colours pop off the screen or that the varied animated styles contrast and play off each other exquisitely, it’s also the little textural details
Like the first movie, a sense of loss permeates this one too. Miles misses his uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali) and his multiversal friends, all of whom have returned to their dimensions. Unlike the first film, he doesn’t have the guidance of a mentor. Gwen is still reeling from the death of the Peter Parker from her universe.
Across The Spider-Verse builds on its predecessor in meaningful ways, but it also spins a larger and much messier web this time. When the movie moves from its protagonists’ personal problems to larger ‘fate of the world’ stakes, it gets more convoluted and harder to follow.
Still, the film refuses to adhere to the idea that every hero's journey must follow the same arc, and in doing so, insists on breaking the canon at a time when other superhero movies are trying to establish it.