On June 2, 2023, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” made its way to the theaters. After a four-and-a-half-year wait following the release of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” expectations ran high for this sequel. And as expected, the new addition to the Spider-Man cinematic universe produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation did not disappoint. 

The movie follows the story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), who are both gifted with spider-like abilities. The plot begins in Gwen’s version of Earth, Earth-65, picking up from where the previous movie left off. The introductory scene of the movie then delves into the repercussions of the resolution to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and Gwen’s struggle to live up to certain expectations. After a heartbreaking betrayal from her father, Gwen is taken in by Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) as a member of a Spider-Society. 

The movie then switches perspectives and follows Miles on Earth-1610. Viewers watch him make use of his superpowers as he fights a new supervillain, Spot (Jason Schwartzman). When Gwen arrives to reunite with Miles and ends up with the burden of fixing the mess he created, Miles ends up following her to Spider-Society. As we watch Miles encounter many new realities and versions of himself, we learn about his inner ambitions and motives as he faces conflict.

The depth added to many of the characters was an important facet of the movie, particularly for Gwen Stacy. Compared to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” where Gwen was depicted almost solely as a love interest for Miles, this movie was a big change. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” reveals information about her family life, the psychological impact left on her after the ending of the previous movie and her true motives. In addition to this, the introduction of many new characters forced Miles to face his inner conflicts, revealing a new level of depth to his values.

Furthermore, the animation and coloring of this movie were by far a step up from the other animations that have been released this year. Many scenes featured a unique style of animation and bright contrasting colors that left me breathless. They were also paired with the soundtrack which set the right tone in every scene. The different elements of this movie made it into the cinematic masterpiece it is, which can only be understood by watching the movie.

Many easter eggs and pop culture references spiced up the scenes as well. Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield, previous actors of Spider-Man, both had their own cameos.  Even Lego Spiderman was featured as a reference to “The Lego Movie,” which became a hot topic due to the fact that it was animated by 14-year-old Preston Mutanga. Moreover, the widely known “Spider-Man pointing meme” even had its moment in the animation. 

Overall, the addition to the Spider-Man cinematic universe was easily a 10/10, surpassing the original. The combination of exquisite animation and coloring, a fitting soundtrack and a plot that has a never ending climax keeping you on the edge of your seat will surely take your breath away. The movie ended with a perfect set up for the next extension of the series. With a 96% score in both audience and critic ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, anticipation has successfully been developed for the new movie that is set to be released in March 2024. I would recommend this movie to everyone, especially students at Foothill Technology High School, who want to watch a great movie to kick off their summer break.