Overview: Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, (2018, Best Animated Feature Film), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence.

But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

Blu-ray Verdict: Not even the most optimistic of pundits could’ve ever predicted the glowing reception and success that came the way of 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, slinging to almost $400 million at the worldwide box office, critical praise and a spot entrenched in the upper echelons of the IMDB’s Top 250 Movies of All Time list! Too say that the first iteration of the Spider-Verse animated universe was a roaring and unexpected success would be a huge understatement.

Fast forward these close to 5 years on and expectations for teenager Miles Morales/Spider-Man next adventure are sky high, but proving that lightning can strike twice, the creative team behind this colorful Spider-Man series (overseen by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) have once again delivered a frenetic, energetic and most importantly entertaining animated epic that will likely cause much debate - especially as to whether or not this is a case of a rare sequel that may in fact be better than its forefather.

Still featuring the oddball humor and near endless parade of in-jokes, homages and side gags that made the first Morales venture such a delight outside of its visual spectacle, Across the Spider-Verse also feels like a much more mature outing this time around, with Morales himself more world weary and battered (which coincides nicely with the film, as a whole, dealing with some heavy issues and subject matters that at times brings on an unexpectedly sombre tone.

With credit going to the creative team here for not being afraid to make their film skew further from the young audience that may not quite understand the nuances on display here, all the while allowing older audience members to feast on a film that is far from all style and no substance, the movie is a visual masterpiece from beginning to end.

Clocking in at close to two and a half hours, Across the Spider-Verse is one of the longest animated films ever widely released into cinemas and there are segments throughout the film where it feels as though we are covering similar narrative ground on more than one occasion from the first, but when Morales’ adventures into the Multiverse swings into the sky it takes us on yet another unforgettable journey.

Whether it be New York - via way of Mumbai - or a Spider-filled version of Earth, Across the Spider-Verse has enough imagination and spark to fill countless other animated rides that would be desperate for even a portion of the creative magic on display here.

As also was the case the first time around in 2018, this 2023 Spider-Verse features another array of on-song voice performances from its talented cast that works in tandem with the incredible artistry on display throughout. Led once again by Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld, new additions to the voice cast here include a scene-stealing Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara, Jason Schwartzman as The Spot and Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart Brown, and trust me when I say they all bring their A-game to this big budgeted affair - making this an all-round package that has not only lived up to the legacy of the first installment, but arguably surpassed it.

Even if there’s a feeling of being teased by possibilities once the credits begin to roll here, the hype is going to be overflowing for the next few years for these animated Spider-Verse movies, which has already proven that lightning can indeed strike more than twice!

In conclusion, people may bemoan the amount of Spider-Man themed films we’ve had slung our way over the past 20 years or so, but if the quality of these outings remain as strong as what we get here with Across the Spider-Verse, they’re going to be complaining for a long time yet to come!

4K UHD, BLU-RAY™, AND DIGITAL:
• Blu-ray™, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
o Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
o Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
o “I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
o Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
o Designing Spiders and Spots
o Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
o Escape from Spider-Society
o Across the Comics-Verse
o Lyric Videos
o Filmmaker Commentary
• Also Includes:
o Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
o Raising a Hero
o Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast
DVD
• Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
• Raising a Hero
• Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast

Official Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Facebook Page