Across the Spider-Verse Review: We Left the Theater Emotionally Drained and Ready to Give It a 4.5 Out of 5

We just walked out of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and the verdict is clear, this movie left us emotionally drained in the best possible way. Between us, we are giving it a 4.5 out of 5 on our Galaxy Star scale, with the verdict, "I feel emotionally drained."

For anyone who loved the first film, this is worth knowing before you go in, Miles Morales is the massive focus of this story, even more so than in the original Into the Spider-Verse. Despite the movie being packed with cameos from countless Spider-People, we noted those characters weren't really the focus and didn't matter much to the actual story being told.

The Love Story and Family Elements in Across the Spider-Verse Stood Out to Us

We were especially moved by the love story and the family elements woven through the film. We also singled out Miguel O'Hara's arc, saying the movie took him in "such a more serious" direction, something we noted was hinted at in the trailers, and we said he was done great in this more serious portrayal.

We Almost Forgot This Is Only Part One Until It Mattered

One important structural note we raised is that this movie is explicitly part one of a larger story. We admitted, "I'd forgotten about it by the middle of the movie," but said that fact becomes a real point of the film by the end.

The Animation Style Left Us Comparing It to a Painting

The animation drew some of our strongest praise. We described watching the film as feeling "like watching a painting every second," noting the animation style kept shifting throughout, and that the changes were something you could feel physically in the theater as they happened.

Our Overall Verdict and Rating for Across the Spider-Verse

Overall, we said, "I am blown away with how much I love this movie," and weren't sure if we loved it more than the first film, but we loved this one. When it came to a score, we landed on a 4.5 out of 5, saying, "I would probably have to give it a four and a half to five I'm going four and a half."

We did mention having some negatives about the film, but said even those criticisms count as spoilers given how much is kept hidden in the marketing. We're planning a full spoiler discussion, likely that Sunday, to get into those details along with the Easter eggs and references we said Spider-Man fans in particular are going to love.

Do you think Across the Spider-Verse tops the original Into the Spider-Verse, or does the first film still hold the edge for you?