Released in 2018, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It was highly deserved. And that wasn’t enough. The feature film directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman from a story imagined and co-scripted by Phil Lord deserved to be a finalist for the award for best film of the year, period. The same could/should very well be said of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Spiderman. Through the Spider-Verse in VF): yes to the Oscar for animation, but think of him for the top category.
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson from a screenplay by the ineffable tandem of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, it’s them) supported by David Callaham, this second part of the trilogy puts us back in the presence of Miles Morales. A year has passed since he became “our” Spider-Man to us inhabitants of Earth-1610, Peter Parker having died during events where the teenager had crossed paths with these Spider-People from other universe. Among others, the Spider-Woman of Earth-65, a Gwen Stacy (not the one we know) who now needs Miles: Spot, a villain as clumsy and funny as he is dangerous, puts the Multiverse in danger. Through which the two young heroes will move, to save him.
Carried by a thundering soundtrack, the journey is tumultuous, dazzling and, for once, very clear and understandable thanks to the possibilities offered by the animation. The visual styles, the design of the characters, the color palette, the 2D which succeeds the 3D, the black and white and, hop, why not here a scene in Lego and another in paper collage? The exploitation of the capacities of the Spider-People in combat (these choreographies!) as well as in the city (why opt for both feet on the ground when you are so well upside down?), the originality of the places crossed (Mumbattan, someone!) and Weavers who, beyond the obligatory (and essential, one will understand) passages, break down into genres, ages, cultures, etc. : the visual narration, the artistic direction and the staging are to die for. Lucky we’re seated.
Rich at all levels
All this to give birth (chosen term, those who will see will know), yes, of a superhero film rich in adrenaline and humor, but also of a deeply human adventure in which the themes of identity, family, friendship, responsibility. It’s a lot, but not too much, even if this very long Across the Spider-Verse is slightly weakened by… let’s call it trilogy mid-panel syndrome. The first volume is the one in which the creators have fun building a universe and the third, the one where they play with the rules they have created and learned to master… in the second. Which thus turns out to be a delicate construction/deconstruction exercise.
This is to say that after a hypersympathetic and fascinating introduction, but less original in content (not in its form, oh no!), Across the Spider-Verse offers a brilliant and tragic last act, rich in action and revelations. We sense what is coming and we already have pain in our Spiders. We are glued to our seat. If the lights in the room didn’t come back on, we might stay there — let’s go a bit of exaggeration, it’s surely allowed in a parallel world — until the release of Beyond the Spider-Verse. In 2024.