‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is a miracle
A groundbreaking animated film that makes ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ look small. PLUS: ‘I Think You Should Leave’ releases another fantastic season, and The Rock gets a ‘Fast’ spinoff.
Happy Friday! This is a busy edition of Popculturology.
The new season of I Think You Should Leave dropped this week, Ted Lasso wrapped up its season (its run?), and I saw the jaw-dropping Spider-Man: Across the Universe on Thursday night. Phew.
With Succession and Barry done, it should be a quieter weekend. What’s the next big show you’re looking forward to? The new trailer for The Righteous Gemstones has me pretty excited to see that dysfunctional family return to HBO.
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Feature Presentation: The most impressive animated film I’ve ever seen
Bonus Feature: ‘I have no problem being on my phone for hours and hours’
The News: A fourth Tom Holland Spider-Man movie is the works, The Rock is getting a new Fast & Furious spinoff
Trailer Watch: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Justified: City Primeval, The Righteous Gemstones
Playlist: Ted Lasso
What to Watch: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The most impressive animated film I’ve ever seen
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse shouldn’t exist.
In a world of animated movies that revolve around which celebrities are voicing characters, in a world of sequels that often fail to capture the magic of their predecessors, in a world where Sony churns out Morbius or Venom sequels, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse should not exist.
But it does.
Somehow we’re lucky enough to have Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
This isn’t just another animated movie or or another superhero movie or another Spider-Man movie. It would be easy to dismiss any of those movies. We have plenty of all them.
No. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a miracle. It’s the most impressive animated film I’ve ever seen. It’s quite possibly the greatest superhero movie ever made. And it should be a lock for a Best Picture nomination when the next Oscars roll around.
I saw Across the Spider-Verse on Thursday night. It meant not getting home until after 11:30, but I couldn’t wait to see this one. I love Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and I showered it with all of these superlatives when I saw it a few years ago. Into the Spider-Verse deserved every ounce of praise that came its way. Across the Spider-Verse deserves that praise even more.
I don’t understand how this movie was made. It’s a groundbreaking piece of animation. It’s packed with references to almost every Spider-Man story and character and show and movie you can imagine. Across the Spider-Verse makes Spider-Man: No Way Home look small.
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