Warning – The article below contains minor Spider-Man – Spider-Verse spoilers. Please go out of your way if you want to know anything before you see it in theaters.
The numbers don’t quite reflect the explosion that Spider-Man New Generation caused in late 2018. Although it only drew 790,778 viewers in France and grossed less than $400 million worldwide, it immediately established itself as one of the best adaptations ever made. The Adventures of Spider-Man at the movies.
And as a turning point in the history of animated cinema. Maybe not as much as when Toy Story took the genre completely digital. But, from the Mitchells against the Machines to the future Ninja Turtles, The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots 2 or Entergalactic, its influence is increasingly felt in this way of hybridization techniques to obtain original renderings.
Even before it was released (and won the 2019 Oscar for Best Animated Feature), a sequel has been announced. And very quickly, the question arises in more and more fans: can lightning strike twice in the same place? In other words, can the team behind this little gem (especially producers and screenwriters Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) do more?
Released in France this Wednesday, May 31st, Spider-Man – Across the Spider-Verse gives us the answer. And that’s a big yes.
MORE BEAUTIFUL
From the opening sequence of the feature film now directed by Joaquim dos Santos, Camp Powers and Justin Thompson (who replaced Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman and Bob Persichetti), the intentions are clear: the new generation was just an aperitif, of course, plenty.
Focusing on Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) from the start, the sequel offers the original reinforcing shot (since she’s the one returning to Miles’ story) along with the shot expansion.
For about fifteen minutes, this opening immerses us in Gwen’s world, more rock and melancholy (due to her relationship with her police father) and where the graphic style and colors that evolve according to her emotions touch the covers. Signed Robbie Rodriguez for his adventures on paper.
Directed with vibrancy (and readability) and illustrated by Daniel Pemberton’s fresh musical themes, who has outdone himself again, this scene strikes a high note of intent.
The impression of the comics coming to life before our eyes is even greater and is presented in the cut, the story head, onomatopoeia and other small visual details that connect the 7th and 9th art in the same impulse. Already very advanced in 2018, the animation techniques here are beautiful enough to make you cry and serve, more than in the first opus, to illustrate the concept of multiple universes.
richer
In The New Generation, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) saw alternate versions of himself (Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Peter Parker, Spider-Pig…) in his world. Today, she is one who, while her school future remains uncertain, is jumping into multiple worlds with both feet.
Similar to last year’s Doctor Strange, except it spends more time in alternate universes where the differences aren’t just a changed lightsaber.
Each world has its own characteristics. Architectural, gravitational and visual. In a few weeks, many viewers will be able to recognize a part of the film from a single screenshot, both Beyond the Spider-Verse Knows how to create powerful environments, each with a different graphic style.
Miles Morales’ Brooklyn and Pavitr Prabhakar’s Mumbai (Karan Soni) stand out in the blink of an eye, like characters from different worlds living together on the same plane.
Like this downed Renaissance Vulture with his scroll-like appearance battling Spider-Gwen in his homeworld and the sharper standout Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) in the opening scene.
We also meet a pregnant Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), a Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg) straight from the comic pages, a funny villain (Jason Schwartzman) who switches up the animation (and gives us a disturbingly cute story). ), a digital Spider-Man taken from a Playstation video game or Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) in all collages.
Visual richness that helps quickly characterize the character and/or world, as well as solidify the theater of action. but also thematic. Each of Miles’ options comes with an often-painful past (because mourning is the stuff of Spider-Man), and the juxtaposition of viewpoints helps him answer a little more of the questions he’s asking himself about his place. in the world and his role as a vigilante.
more emotional
Despite all the parallel universes and related characters, despite all the visual ideas that will take more than one viewing to understand everything, despite his experiments in animation, the heart of Spider-Man – along the Spider-verse. stay human As in 2018, the story of the multiverse primarily serves as Miles’ personal journey.
And to Gwen, who takes up a little more space here. After trying to separate into a new generation to avoid paradoxes, they now try to find themselves in the limbo of the multiverse while a young man is torn between his family, his secret identity, and the responsibility that comes with his great power.
As well as sacrificing a person for the benefit of the collective. By confronting Miles with the experience of his options, Across the Spider-Verse questions the essence of Spider-Man again… before changing direction. And question the sacral “Cannon” (a set of facts that are officially considered to be in the fictional world) and which causes heated debate among many fans. Not just Star Wars.
We then see in Miles’s gesture of refusing to obey this law and in his conflict with the heroes, led by Spider-Man in 2099, the film’s willingness to change the cards and disrupt expectations to make the story less programmatic. . And encourage everyone to be the author of their own story. By choosing to reveal her secret identity or by listening to her heart more than external voices.
In short, we will confront ourselves, literally, what we are and what we can become. Thus, the multiverse, for Miles, becomes an accessible crossroads for him when the question of his future arises, which the film takes time to address after the opening fanfare.
Even if it means dropping the beat, of course, it’s for the good of the stakes he patiently raises and the audience’s emotional involvement.
Rich, Spider-Man – Across the Spider-Verse is also rich in this regard. And it is when it focuses on a person that it draws most of its power, which is enhanced by multiple and infinite decor, which gives it more width and depth. Like the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere at Once, another successful multiverse story.
Incredibly innovative and sometimes as punk as any variant of Miles, rejecting all kinds of codes and setting no limits for himself, he completes his impossible mission without losing his human aspect.
A true tour de force that will find its conclusion on April 3rd Spider-Beyond Spider-Man, an opus that is still waiting for more. Because of the cliffhanger that closes the previous episode. And because the latter set the bar even higher. Can lightning strike a third time in the same place?
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
