Across the Spider-Verse Reaction: I Walked Out Saying Wow Wow

I just walked out of Across the Spider-Verse and my immediate reaction is simple: wow, wow. Since the review embargo does not drop until tomorrow, this is purely my out of the theater first take, and the short version is that if you loved the first movie, you are going to love this one too.

This matters for fans because the first Spider-Verse set such a high bar that expectations for the sequel have been enormous, and from what I experienced, the story goes even deeper this time around.

The Story Gets More Intricate But Less Funny Than The First Spider-Verse

I found the plot to be intricate to say the least. It is not as funny as the first movie, and I said flat out, "it's not as funny as the first one," though there are still plenty of laughs throughout. I am not sure yet whether that shift away from comedy will land as a negative or a positive for audiences, but it did not take away from my experience at all. Instead the film goes very deep into Miles Morales and what he has to do across the multiverse, and it plays out as a love story for him while also really being about discovering oneself. I thought that theme was handled very well, with Miles finally becoming the hero everybody wanted him to be, all inside an animated universe that I think represents the entire Spider-Man mythos well.

The Animation And Score Continue The First Movie's Artistic Style

Emotionally the movie hit me, and I thought the music and score were fantastic. The animation continues directly from the first film, where every frame looks like a painting pulled straight out of a great graphic novel, and it all blends together extremely well.

The Nearly Two And A Half Hour Runtime Did Not Feel Long To Me

Be prepared for the length, because I believe the runtime is around two hours twenty to two hours twenty five minutes. Even though I knew going in that it was long, I did not actually feel that length while watching because I was so engaged in the story itself.

Across The Spider-Verse Sets Up A Third Film And Includes Fun Cameos

Overall this is a fantastic movie, and it clearly spaces things out to open the door for a third installment, which should excite anyone already looking forward to that next chapter. I will also say there are some fun cameos in this one without spoiling anything further.

My reaction right away is that you are going to enjoy this, especially if you were already a fan of the first movie.

Are you excited to see Across the Spider-Verse, and does a slightly less comedic, more story-driven sequel sound like the right direction for Miles Morales?