Since its inception with 1908’s Fantasmagorie, animation has been a staple of cinema. From the Disney boom of the 1930s to its renaissance in the ’80s and ’90s to Nightmare Before Christmas,  Shrek, and PIXAR, animation has consistently been reinvigorated through technological innovations or creators daring to be different.

2018 offered one of the genre’s most impressive upgrades with the release of the Academy Award-winning, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a film that brought to life one of comics’ most beloved characters without motion blur and used an older type of 2D animation called motion smearing, seen in the Looney Tunes short, The Dover Boys in 1942.

That choice led to one of the most stunning animated films of all time, and now with its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it was hard not to be excited and intrigued by what Lord & Miller were bringing to the table.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a marvelous and unforgettable cinematic triumph. From its spellbinding and breathtaking animation to all those spiders. Spider-verse exudes all the makings of another animated masterclass of storytelling and world-building. The laughs, charm, heart, and surprises remain, but at its core, the film continues to be a tale of acceptance, dreams, and expectations, and its emotional depth ripped me to shreds.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse reenters the world of Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy over a year after the events of Into the Spider-Verse. What leads to their reunion is a mission to save the multiverse from the Spot, whose goal is not only to take down Miles Morales’ Spider-Man but to cause destruction to the entire multiverse.

Once reunited with Gwen, Miles is introduced to Miguel O’Hara, a Spider-Man who has been working with the Spider Society to bring balance to the multiverse and, ultimately, the man who turns Miles’ world upside down.

Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Justin K. Thompson’s screenplay explode off the screen through their tremendous and beautiful respect for familial traditions and reflections. Spider-Verse’s screenplay tonally captures friendship, grief, and responsibilities with authenticity and care. In addition, the trio’s script makes it possible to invest in these spiders’ journeys fully. Finally, it leaves cinephiles longing for more with their impressive world-building and character development.

With an array of spiders throughout the film, the ensemble cast was on their A-game. Daniel Kaluuya and Karan Soni are welcomed editions, while Shameik Moore’s Miles Morales remains the film’s heart. Hailee Steinfeld and Oscar Isaac stand out as the two’s magnetism is impossible to ignore.

I’ve always been intrigued by Spider-Gwen, and the film’s screenplay lets the character breathe and dives more into her backstory, and Steinfeld is up for the challenge as she exudes the charm and emotion that’s made the character so beloved. Regarding Isaac, it’s not hard to expect greatness, but Isaac is charismatic and menacing.

It’s not speaking in hyperbole when saying Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is one, if not the most beautiful-looking animated films of all time. With the transition of animation through the different unique multiverses, the film’s animation deserves their place in a museum. It’s a groundbreaking work of art.

Will Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse receive the Dune: Part One critique? Sure, the film sets up the final entry, but it should not be discredited for being an animated masterpiece. Nevertheless, the bar has been raised, and it would not shock me if Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse reshapes the animation genre in March 2024. Oscar awaits!