Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse proves that with great conflict between self and the world, comes a greater heroic arc. No major spoilers ahead!
For someone who has already seen the film, there is no surprise that Across the Spider-Verse is taking the top spot in the box-office today, grossing over USD 208.6 million or roughly PHP 11.8 billion and counting. In 2018, the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse already carried so much hope and promise for movie production, representation, and cultural integration with Miles Morales, its soundtrack, and the outstanding animation. With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? It does that and so much more.
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Spinning through multi-verses
Any fan would understand and appreciate the coexistence of the canon and alternate universe binary. You can see it in the influx of alternate universe (AU) works on fan fiction today. Even writers who are responsible for what’s canon take into consideration now the fans.
Across the Spider-Verse successfully showed the crucial complexities of how each Spider-Man identity is made, getting in touch with the moving forces that make every Peter Parker or any human figure, and even Miles, lead up to a 360-degree coming-of-age decision—each Spider-figure’s catharsis. Carrying a personal bias on Andrew Garfield as my favorite Peter Parker with Tobey Maguire coming close for childhood nostalgia, I truly appreciated how the movie delved into the essence of what makes Spider-Man a beloved character by many.
Connecting webbed stories
Our webbed hero highlights what it means to mature, which involves addressing the conflicts within ourselves and the world. Miles Morales consistently deals with this, even extending it to a plethora of universes. More than dealing with the individuals around him, it is truly his identity, fate, and choices that he has to make sense of.
The story also highlights the webs that bind all Spider stories together while juxtaposing what makes each arc unique. Versions of Spider-Man’s villains like Doc Ock, Prowler, Green Goblin, as well as characters like Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson may run similarly, but every character in the multiverse matters.
In Across the Universe, Miles was forced to face these facts. His internal and external battle between choice and chance is different from Earth 616’s Peter B. Parker and even Earth-65’s Spider-Gwen. It is also worth mentioning that the film explored Gwen’s own story, which surely delighted fans.
Moving the audience
Behind this critical storytelling was an even more detailed expression through the animation and soundtrack. To put it simply, Across the Spider-Verse is an eclectic masterpiece. First, with its marriage of six art styles to emphasize the juxtaposition of worlds. Imagine a school collage project coming to life, with all pasted images interacting. For art enthusiasts and even casual viewers, one watch of the film might not be enough to fully appreciate the intricacy of the art styles in Across the Spider-Verse.
Second, the songs and scoring elevated all scenes to achieve a realistic feel in an animated Spider-Man iteration. Along with their distinct animation, Spider-figures had their own sound, too, making their characters whole. As a fan of the The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, Daniel Pemberton’s “Under the Clocktower” felt like a contemporary take on Hans Zimmer’s “The Rest of My Life” from the 2014 film.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is truly the cinematic gem this season, if not already one of the best films this year. With hints of familiar arcs and chunks of contemporary forms, the movie definitely deserves its place and traction today.
Photos and Featured Image: COLUMBIA PICTURES
