Figure 1: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse still.
Since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)‘s release, its impact on animation and the film industry has been immeasurable. Its innovation was cosmic, from its soundtrack and stylishness to its groundbreaking technical achievements. Its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), transcends this, solidifying a newfound respect for animation while still feeling fresh, culturally relevant and technically pioneering almost five years later.
The Landscape of Animation
The first film is especially celebrated for its more stylistic approach to animation in comparison to the current landscape of animated films at the time that were still focusing on perfecting the CG (Computer Generated) standard set by Pixar’s success. Following Into the Spider-Verse, we see this style receiving backlash in the poorly received live action adaptation of The Lion King (2019) as well as the delay of Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) due to a call to redesign sonic due to the uncanny valley effect of its initial depiction.
Figure 3: Sonic Redesign via Business Insider.
The distaste for more realistic animations showed audiences appetite for more artistic integration in animation. This is reflected in huge releases such as Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022), Arcane (2021), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtle Mayhem (2023) and The Bad Guys (2022).
The creators of Across the Spider-verse responded to the success of their stylized animation by gradually elevating the prioritization of expression in their creative choices throughout the film as shown in the behind-the-scenes video below.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxoQtEvAVnWDffRZD66dIaKSQKOCE7h7D0?si=nLMfGbzeqaoVqVBx
Figure 5: Behind the Scenes Across the Spider-verse clip via Stream Wars on YouTube (Timestamp 5:52-6:15)
Despite more competitiveness from other studios, Across the Spider-Verse even as a sequel had the same status as a seminal masterpiece as shown in its nomination in the Animated Feature Film in the 2024 Oscars. It’s worth noting the nominations in the category this year have caused a lot of buzz amongst animation fans with many seeing it as a turning point in the way animation is received and awarded.
Figure 6: User @nikhilclayton on the Animation category expressing “There’s intent and thought been put into this category that fills me with so much f***ing joy”
The nominations we’re also less exclusively for a family audience. The “upset” of Pixar’s Elemental (2023) could be connected to its lack of stylization and targeted demographic. This suggests that there is a shift in how seriously the animation medium is being taken. The cultural economy is now valuing animation as a form of artistic expression rather than infantilizing it to a purpose of just children’s entertainment.
Identity, Representation and Plot Complexity
Figure 7: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse still. The film has been praised for its diverse representation.
Animation ability to convey complex narratives and meaningful messages for wider audiences is showcased in the way Across the Spider-Verse deals with the theme of identity. One of the ways in which the film gained respect is in how it respects its audience. It’s exploration of race and representation is unlike anything seen before in a film for such a young audience. It doesn’t fall into the trope many animations fall into when it comes to ethnic representation where race is presented as through clumsy metaphors that arguably just reinforce stereotypes, e.g. Zootopia (2016) or use abstract symbolism, e.g. Elemental (2023) that obscure the message. The film counts on the audience to understand Miles’ struggles with identity.
Figure 8: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse still
The medium of animation allowed for the multiverse concept to be completely maximalised making way for the film to explore the depths of Miles Morales’ Black and Puerto Rican identity and the dynamics of that with his father being a cop, new-found superhero status, middle class background and “implicitly political” existence at his school. The multiverses often create a sense of lack of belonging reflecting Milles’ complex existence as character.
The advancement animation techniques in Across the Spider-verse combined with its representation both on screen and behind the scenes reflect a larger cultural phenomenon of the rise of diversity in animation and in Afrofuturism in film. We can see this in the booming of Africa’s animation scene the critically acclaimed Entergelactic (2022) and success of the Black Panther franchise.
The Film as Homage
Across the Spider-verse serves as celebration of the comic format using animation as an evolution to comics. This is shown in the technological advancement of variable rate animation, used by animating on 2’s in the first film and then in animating on 3s in the second film as explained in the video below:
It’s clear that the sequel came out after the increased culture of digitalization exasperated by the pandemic. An example of this being used by the creator’s advantage is in one of the most unique points in the film which was the Lego scene, animated by a 14-year-old prodigy found-on YouTube.
In The Cult of the Amateur, Keen (2007) explains the idea that we live in a “self-broadcasting culture” meaning there is a lack of distinction between trained experts and uniformed amateurs, in this example this is utilized in a positive way. This nostalgically connected with many fans who have made home-made animations with Lego, trumpets the influences of The Lego Movie on the Spider-Verse franchise and propels a young talent.
Overall, Across the Spider-Verse and its significance in representation and advancement in animation technically and reputationally marks that the pivotal move towards the stylization of animation and rich themes brought on by the first film are here to stay for the medium. We are certainly in one of the most exciting eras of animation history.
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