Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  7 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: The thing that's generally most compelling about the Spider-Man character is that he has to juggle the teenage angst of finding a place in the world with the responsibility of being a superhero. The story in 'Across the Spider-verse,' initially centres around that, as it sees Miles Morales separated across the multiverse from his best Spider-friend Gwen Stacey and the pair of them struggling to live their double lives whilst still at home with their parents.
  
  Pretty soon though, what seems to be the question of all current superhero blockbusters rears its head, as Miles and his friends have to decide whether to put their loved ones first even if it risks going against what "should," happen. That's because Miles' arch nemesis starts parading across universes in a quest to gain power, and Gwen is tasked with stopping him without stopping to see Miles, then Miles follows her and comes to realise that there are certain people he's not allowed to save despite their impending doom.
  
  That's a real test for him, but for us, the universe hopping creates some great opportunities for more fast-paced visuals and blink-and-you'll-miss-it jokes. It does have to be said though that the best moments are those on the ground in Gwen and Miles' respective versions of New York, as their everyday lives are given a beautiful sense of place and a truly magnetic tangibility by the incredible animation.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: As ever, the central dilemma never feels tangible because the idea of a pre-determined fate that you can deviate from is so unbelievably ridiculous. But the real issue with this film is that as soon as the dilemma is solved and Miles and his friends make their decision and team up, the film just ends. It's not a good cliffhanger that leaves you wondering what's going to happen, it's a cut-off before what feels like the inevitable conclusion of a final act, and that's rather frustrating.
  
  VERDICT: 'Across the Spider-Verse,' is beautifully animated and has some great character moments, but its typical multiverse conundrum lacks weight, and its ending is misjudged.

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