CNN —
The stunning visual palette of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soared in 2018, combining that eye-popping animation with an abiding love of the comics and plenty of goofy humor. Coming almost five years later, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” spins a much denser web, padding on about 40 minutes that make this exercise heavier and considerably less nimble.
While the movie remains a dazzling experience in terms of what the animation achieves, it indulges in what feels like sensory overload, seeking emotional heft in ways that slow down the action. The movie also falls victim, somewhat, to the blessings and curses associated with the multiverse, which offers infinite possibilities but also the occasional sense that there are so many permutations none of them matter all that much.
Given the first movie’s Oscar-winning success, the producers have taken the practical step of positioning this as a franchise that’s going to be around for a while. Yet that makes “Across the Spider-Verse” in some respects play like the protracted setup for what potentially promises to be another more satisfying sequel.
Although the focus is again on Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), this “Spider-Verse” gives near-equal time to Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), one of the other spider-folk that he encountered in his first foray into parallel universes. He’s clearly pining for her, while grappling with the challenges of juggling school, his suspicious parents (Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez) and sneaking off to do super-heroic deeds.
Miles’ arc begins innocently enough, as he comically battles a semi-inept, dimension-hopping villain known as the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) while rushing to make an appointment with a school counselor. The larger game, however, soon presents itself, as Gwen gets recruited by an elite squad of spider-folk who essentially police the multiverse, under the fierce leadership of a character voiced by Oscar Isaac.
