After their mind-blowing “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” Oscar-winning producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller alongside directors Kemp Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Sony Animation truly break even more ground with how much further they’ve pushed this incredible art form. While its predecessor’s visuals were on another level, “Across the Spider-Verse” manages to push the boundaries even further with animation creating a superhero epic with artistic flair, character-driven storytelling, and dazzling, swinging sequences which are visually jaw-dropping and groundbreaking not only for animation but the genre as a whole. 

It’s truly an epic feat in animation and I must acknowledge the hundreds of artists at Sony Animation/Sony Pictures Imageworks for creating this work of art. From the striking comic book aesthetics of having the characters’ skin flecked with half-tone dots, to the psychedelic fusion of animation techniques. The film’s distinct art styles are made even more compelling especially watching it on the big screen. These new worlds are aesthetically audacious as I became immersed in these jaw-dropping visuals that amplified the narrative. There’s Earth-65 which is where Gwen’s (Hailee Steinfeld) Spider-Woman hails from, her watercolour world was visually spectacular as it changed colours with the mood, this required a new watercolour and mood ring simulation tool which took 18 months to figure out how to teach the computer to paint it. Earth-50101, home to Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), based on the Spider-Man India comics, which they dubbed “Mumbattan” a mash-up of Mumbai and Manhattan, this world is made using exotic inks and offset-printed so the colours crossed the line showcasing an immersive feeling. Rebellious New London, inhabited by Daniel Kaluuya’s Hobbie, the Spider-Punk is based on poster collages. Homemade torn and cut. And Nueva York, a neo-futuristic world from Marvel 2099 inspired by the illustrations of Syd Mead, where Spider-Man 2099 Miquel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac) lives alongside the Headquarters for The Spider-Society.

Okay, let’s do this one last time… “Into the Spider-Verse” delighted fans with its vibrant pop of colours, exhilarating score and soundtrack, and stunning animation. We met the young teen, Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), who lives in Brooklyn, New York, who gets bit by a radioactive spider and gains super-spider abilities. While struggling to find who he is supposed to be, the brilliant Morales attends Brooklyn Visions Academy, a school for the academically gifted. Morales is passionate about his artwork and graphic design. His parents, though so loving, are embarrassingly overbearing. His father is a police officer and his mother is a nurse. Miles’ uncle Aaron (voiced by Mahershala Ali) is also the Prowler, as Miles soon learns. When Miles gets bitten by the radioactive spider. Once he wakes up with spider powers, Miles returns to the subway station and finds the dead spider glitching on the ground with “Alchemax 42” written on its back. Miles meets Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin but gets caught in the super-collider. As a result, all the Spider-Men who have been bitten by a radioactive spider from other universes are brought into Miles’ universe. He meets Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peter Porker AKA Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), and Peni Parker.

Once Miles discovers Peter B. Parker, he tells him he needs a mentor. Though Peter B. Parker is an empty shell of the hero — and man — he used to be, taking Miles under his wing reawakens the Spider-Man he once was. Miles and the rest of his Spider-Man allies successfully defeat Kingpin and destroy the super-collider. Through his experience, Miles realises who he is and discovers what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

However Earth-1610 is where we continue the story and we are reunited with “Brooklyn’s one and only Spider-Man” After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most. This sequel is really important for Mile’s journey which is emotionally resonant as the first one, at its core “Across The Spider-Verse” is about a hero finding himself in a world that doesn’t seem made for him. This hero’s journey of self-discovery takes him to the edges of worlds beyond imagination — right to the cliff-hanging ending of this movie — and what he finds there are the human vulnerabilities that allow us to be heroes. Miles’ relationship with his parents has become strained but during the movie what really got me is how much they truly love Miles and are worried for their son. There’s a touching moment between mother and son, where he can’t tell her that he’s Spider-Man. She can’t figure out what he’s keeping from her. Raising a teen sound terrifying but all Rio (Luna Lauren Velez) wants is for the world to love her boy the way she does and through an emotional and incredible vocal performance from Luna Lauren Velez we see the love she has through the character’s eyes as she makes him promise to never forget how much he means to her.

Shameik Moore is the MVP as Miles thanks to a soulful and stirring performance, while Hailee Steinfeld gives a spectacular co-starring role for Gwen Stacy who was also bitten by a radioactive spider. And since then, she’s been the one and only Spider-Woman- at least in her dimension. displaying her expert web-slinging abilities to assist a couple of her fellow Spideys. With her cool confidence and graceful moves — not to mention her sleek, hooded costume — she makes being a superhero look like a breeze. And she definitely makes a big impression on that film’s newest Spider-Man, Miles Morales. But Gwen’s full story isn’t as simple as her brief recap makes it seem. No Spider-Hero ever has it that easy. “Across The Spider-Verse offers a closer look at Gwen and her life back in her own world. It’s a coming-of-age story for both these teenage superheroes as they’re both dealing with the solitude of being the one and only Spideys in their dimension, plus each has their own individual struggles as well. With this sequel, Gwen is dealing with her relationship with her father, and the shift in their dynamic. She’s becoming her own person and all she’s ever longed for is to be someone her dad would be proud of. The thought that her father might disapprove of her secret double life as Spider-Woman is incredibly difficult for Gwen And, like Miles, Gwen’s journey in “Across the Spider-Verse” involves figuring out her place in the world and how to be true to herself and what she believes in.

Parent-child relationships factor into the storylines of most of the Spider-Heroes in “Across the Spider-Verse.” Some, like Gwen and Miles, are trying to figure out how to deal with keeping their true selves a secret from their parents, while others, like Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and the newly introduced Jess Drew (Issa Rae), are navigating their roles as Spider-Parents.

One of the biggest surprises stored in this film is the stunningly hilarious, quirky, and intimidating new villain The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) When Miles Morales first encounters The Spot, the bumbling, overconfident goon seems to be just another bad guy. He’s currently trying to steal an ATM from a local convenience store, and he’s not exactly doing a great job. However, once Miles begins fighting the villain, The Spot leads Spider-Man on a teleporting chase across the entire city. Once the two’s chase concludes, The Spot reveals a surprising connection he has with Brooklyn’s One and Only Spider-Man. Spot required 17 new tools during the process of animating him as he evolves throughout the film going from a rough drawing to a fully formed character, with each ink drop in his body looking and behaving differently. The character is thematically interesting taking a villain who seems like a joke and feels left out and alone the same way Miles does.

The artists and technicians made Spot look like a constantly changing environment. They drew him in blue and inked on top. And then the blue disappears during the printing process. It’s a very overwhelming style that with VFX controls the spots proving some hilarious and OMG moments. The technology used just to create his character is just scratching the surface of what is possible in animation.

Throughout, “Across The Spider-Verse, people will spend years combing through every frame that’s honestly a work of art trying to find all the hidden references, and it only gets more insane and hilarious when we get to the Spider-Society and wait till you see what’s in store for us. Some of the Easter Eggs are incredibly obvious, while others are going to be difficult for even the most knowledgeable Marvel fans to track down. Those shots of the Spider-Society are proof of the love that went into “Across the Spider-Verse”. As for our various Spider-People, the standouts are Hobart “Hobie” Brown, aka Spider-Punk, Pavitr Prabhakar, aka Spider-Man India alongside a menagerie of Spider-Cat, Spider-Rex, Spider-Monkey and Spider-Horse. Oscar Isaac and Issa Rae are awesome as Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, and Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, respectively. 

Composer Daniel Pemberton brings his bombastic rhythmic approach to the film’s music not only giving Miles the introduction he deserved in “Into The Spider-Verse” but his themes have defined the Spider-Verse series as something unique from any score of a superhero movie. Pemberton approached each new world with a different palette. For Gwen’s world he plays off the watercolour textures creating a dreamy sound influenced by 90s, 2000s indy pop. Whereas 2099’s world is incredibly technological and his theme uses elements of that. Mile’s Earth is still heavily influenced by hip-hop culture using record scratching to blend his sound which was used for the first film and he’s continuing that motif throughout the sequel. For Spider-Man India’s world Pemberton was influenced by a guy called Charanjit Singh who made a record called “Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat” It’s a really futuristic Indian record that almost preceded acid house. Pemberton has the ability to take the fun of a bouncy electronic baseline and throw Indian stuff on top of it. ultimately this score is such an adrenaline rush and I can’t wait to hear what he creates for “Beyond The Spider-Verse next March.

Final Thoughts

Overall “Across the Spider-Verse “ is a deeply personal story. The conflict which drives Miles is both a universe-ending threat and 100% Spider-Man, making it clear the hero’s roots have by no means been forgotten or overshadowed. After the cliffhanger, only time will tell whether the story wraps up in a way that leaves us with a series of movies that go down as the best superhero trilogy ever made, which it’s certainly pointing in that direction. The film is also a contender for the best Spider-Man film yet and easily the greatest animated movie ever made. Pushing the boundaries of what animation can achieve as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a jaw-dropping spectacle, a feast for the eyes, and an instant Marvel classic!

It’s time to face the music as “Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3” is such an endearing, heartfelt, and emotionally fitting farewell to our favourite group of space misfits. Throughout I laughed and cried as director/writer James Gunn truly delivers a gripping finale with insane action, humour and an impactful story. The Guardians films have always had an emotional core and meaning to them from when it began back in 2014 with Volume 1 with the theme of finding your tribe even if they are a dysfunctional lot and Volume 2 with the themes of fatherhood and grieving parents even though Quill’s turned out to be an egotistical planet, however, “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3” navigates the wounds of a broken childhood as Rocket becomes the driving force for this final instalment that will honestly tug at the heartstrings.

In Marvel Studios “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

The success of “Guardians Of The Galaxy” has been a major win for Marvel Studios especially within the MCU transforming a not well known IP into one of the most popular franchises in the world, Gunn has truly made us care so much about a ragtag team with a talking tree and Racoon. 2019’s Avengers Endgame offered us closure to the Infinity Saga and a proper farewell for the original Avengers, “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” does the same for the original Guardians. After Endgame, The Guardians bought Knowhere from the Collector. Kraglin (Sean Gunn) has been training Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova) whilst also practicing with Yondu’s whistling arrow. Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) now revealed to be Peter’s half-sister in the Holiday Special have all been carrying out renovations, whilst Peter (Chris Pratt) spends his days listening to music and drowning in his sorrows, still mourning the loss of Gamora. Who’s still alive thanks to the Avengers time-travel mission, however she’s not the woman he once loved.

It really is good to have friends

Gunn once again brings his trademark humour and signature style to the MCU with “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 which is very likely to be his last MCU movie. Despite featuring tons of fun, action, and comedy as previous movies have done, Volume 3 is the darkest and most emotional one yet. A lot of that comes from exploring Rocket’s painful past and backstory, which comes in the form of flashbacks. Our favourite rabbit and Trash Panda as he gets called has been at the forefront of the marketing. This may be one of the most heartbreaking origin stories in the MCU, it’s emotionally potent with cruelty on display. Gunn had been laying the groundwork for Rocket’s origins since the first Guardians of the Galaxy with his cybernetic implants and scars revealed in prison. He also shows exceptional knowledge and ability to escape captivity and for invention. However, Rocket struggles to trust others, including the Guardians in the first two films but with the High Evolutionary played brilliantly by Chukwudi Iwuji, complete with a god-complex this villain is a key part in Rocket’s past.

Pieces of his past have been revealed through clips including his friendships with three other High-Evolutionary experiments from Batch 89: Lyla, Floor, and Teefs. these hints of his past are tragic but also point to his larger arc throughout the Guardians trilogy. He’s never dealt with what happened to him but overtime has become a protector and caretaker for Groot, the other Guardians, and of course the Galaxy itself. Throughout Volume 3 we see many different shades of familial love and the lengths his family are willing to go for those who they hold dear as this time the stakes are a lot more personal for the Guardians: simply saving a friend. Rocket’s friendship with Nebula has grown not only because they were the only two Guardians left after Thano’s snap but also because they share a similar trauma in their pasts and can relate to one-another. Whilst Quill has been the hero on the surface, “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” is showing that the true hero of the trilogy has always been Rocket.

Warlock Vs. Guardians

Alongside Rocket’s story, we also pick up threads from Avengers Endgame with Quill trying too get Saldana’s past-timeline Gamora to accept the Guardians as family, much like her counterpart once did. however all of this being much to her enraged dismay, giving her and Pratt moving and touching chemistry as Quill really wants her to be the Gamora she never became, the emotions truly bounce off each other. The pairing of Bautista’s Drax and Klementieff’s Mantis is such a breath of fresh air as both truly work well together since leading the Holiday special, the pair are hilarious and bring such warmth and love to this family as Mantis truly cares for her brother. Karen Gillan’s Nebula may be the standout for me, as her character has truly evolved throughout the MCU becoming an integral member of the Guardians she has more levity as she begins healing psychologically following the death of Thanos, who was the source of her abuse and torment, she’s a valued member of the family the Guardians have created whilst still retaining her seething deadpan, whilst on Knowhere Kraglin and Cosmo make a pretty great team.

Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) makes his cosmic debut in the MCU. His arrival was teased back in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Poulter brings such gravitas and energy to the role. The main antagonist, The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), is perhaps one of the most despicable and twisted villains you will love to hate since Thanos. Having an antagonist that is directly connected to Rocket’s backstory makes the emotional gut-punches even stronger

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is filled with banter, cosmic action-set pieces as the Guardians go on various space escapades that bring them closer to understanding the true malevolence of Rocket’s creation. The humour throughout derives from the ensemble performances and Gunn’s brilliant script that truly understands the characters dealing with Rocket’s narrative. The score by John Murphy is strong with familiar themes and it compliments another awesome mix of songs that feature throughout such as including Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands” to the Replacements’ “I Will Dare,” Faith No More’s “We Care A Lot” and the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??” alongside our favourite Guardians tunes from the first film.

Final Thoughts

Overall , “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” is top-tier marvel and finishes the story that began in 2014, delivering well-earned closure for this family of misfits that we’ve grown to love over the years. The movie is ultimately a fun good time, however, it’s bittersweet to know that this could be the last time we’ll get this group of cast members and directors together. If anything, this is the best sendoff the Guardians could have ever had. The arcs that began over a decade ago get resolutions as Gunn truly understands what makes these characters tick better than any other creator in the MCU, With the filmmaker now heading off to spearhead the new DC studios, I have my full faith in Superman Legacy as “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3” is an emotional rollercoaster and a cosmic spectacle as writer-director James Gunn gives himself and this franchise a gripping, heartfelt, and stupendous swan song in the MCU. “I LOVE YOU GUYS”

Genre:

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Release Date:

November 10, 2023

Director:

Nia DaCosta

Cast:

Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Zawe Ashton

Plot Summary:

The Marvels is an upcoming American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau.