In this fun, engaging, and entertaining sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales (the voice of Shameik Moore) finds himself pining away for his pal Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld). She eventually shows up as part of a Spider-Man Multiverse Police Unit that makes sure that everything in the multiverse goes to plan. Miles sees this as an opportunity to make up for lost time, but when his new foe, the seemingly innocuous Spot (Jason Schwartzman) learns he has multiverse-hopping powers, it threatens to unravel the entire Spider-Verse. It’s then up to Miles, Gwen, and a bunch of other Spider-Men to save the day.
Across the Spider-Verse is a little chaotic in the early going, but when it finds its bearings, it starts to soar. Schwartzman makes for a great baddie who no longer wants to be a low-level Villain of the Week and is eager to branch out into becoming a major player. The character of Miles is a bit more fleshed out here than he was in the first film. I liked the fact that he decides to potentially destroy the multiverse just to save a loved one. I mean saving someone while simultaneously making things worse for himself is kind of a core Spider-Man trope. It also works to ground Miles and helps push him into his own unique path.
While the film is superior to the original Spider-Verse, it’s not without some detriments. There’s maybe a little too much Spider-Gwen for my tastes in the early going and her banter with Miles isn’t as fresh as what we saw in the first film. Also, the new ragtag crew of alternate universe Spider-Men isn’t nearly as memorable as the ones found in the original. I did enjoy Andy Samberg as Ben Reilly though. His hilarious brooding monologues get some of the biggest laughs of the entire flick.
Sure, it’s a little overstuffed, but once Miles’ arc takes precedence, things really get into gear. The action is fun too. The battle with Spot is entertaining and the sequence where Miles must escape the clutches of thousands of Spider-Men is one of the best action bits in recent memory. We also get plenty of funny cameos and alternate universe versions of Spider-Man in there too. And even though it’s just a set-up for the trilogy-capper, Beyond the Spider-Verse, it still feels like a cohesive whole as the cliffhanger ending is well done.
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