With its unexpected critical success, Into the Spider-Verse (2018) raised the stakes and created a great deal of anticipation for a compelling sequel. It's safe to say that 'Across the Spider-verse' surpasses them all, but this is a more nuanced, sophisticated, and complex sequel.

The Morales family dynamic is still essential to the plot, and this time, Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) has a bigger impact. Miles Morales is portrayed by Shameik Moore as a more mature character who is frequently confronted with increasing repercussions for his actions. Hailee Steinfeld's voice work adds a lot of depth to Gwen Stacy's well-deserved backstory. With its pace and initial impact, it still makes the opening act a bit of a mixed bag. The movie's plot gradually takes shape to fire on all slingers after a somewhat drawn-out beginning, with those character beats paying off in spades.

Spider-Punk (voiced by Daniel Kaluuya) and Pavitr Prabhakar (voiced by Karan Soni) stand out among the dizzying array of Spider-People, both new and old. The latter deserves more focus both for the story's sake and because of his desi vibe. Jason Schwartzman elevates Spot to a level well above "villain of the week" status with a cunning subtlety, while Oscar Isaac's militant portrayal of Miguel O'Hara brings a level of darkness rarely seen in mainstream animation.

The voices of Daniel Kaluuya's Spider-Punk and Karan Soni's Pavitr Prabhakar stand out among the bewildering variety of Spider-People, both new and old. The latter merits more attention both for the sake of the narrative and due to his desi vibe. With deft subtlety, Jason Schwartzman raises Spot above "villain of the week" status, and Oscar Isaac's militant portrayal of Miguel O'Hara adds a level of darkness not often seen in mainstream animation.

With regard to similar films, Across the Spider-Verse advances the idea of the multiverse significantly. It has so many stories to take in and so much visual artistry to take in that it's impossible to take it all in in one sitting. However, the easter eggs and surprises never sacrifice the overall plot or do so by appeasing fans. This sequel takes us into a much richer, more complex, and rewarding story while laying the groundwork for an essential third outing.