Lessons from Across the Spiderverse written by the Ent. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Rating: PG
Genre: Superhero, Action, Comedy
Length: 2 hour 20 minutes
Age suggested: 8 and up
Release Date: June 2nd, 2023
Warnings: Death of family, moderate comic book violence, lots of flashing, intense imagery. Check below for more details.
Quick Across the Spiderverse Summary
We get a little bit of backstory for Gwen before diving into where we left off from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. We quickly dive into the spider-verse as it begins to come under threat of termination from an unexpected threat!
Across the Spiderverse Review
Contains Spoilers
–Why Watch Across the Spiderverse-
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse continues and improves upon the first film! The comic style is simply incredible and this movie’s artwork is enough for me to recommend it alone. We get to add to that though because the story itself is pretty solid.
The story follows Miles as Gwen visits him and incidentally brings him throuhg the multiverse. Eventually, an incident occurs and an ultimatum is presented to Miles that he simply can’t accept. This leads to most of the Spider-People turning against him and leaving him being a man on the run with an overarching threat right ahead of him.
The amount of cameos and shout-outs in this movie is out of this world. I consider myself a big Spiderman fan and there is still so much that went over my head. With that said, it doesn’t affect your enjoyment if you don’t understand, but it’s really fun to notice the easter eggs. My favorite by far was seeing Donald Glover (If you know, you know).
This is the second movie of a trilogy and this movie is left at a distinct cliffhanger. This can be a bit frustrating, but personally I haven’t been looking forward to another superhero movie in quite some time. On a related note, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is currently set to release in March 2024.
-Can My Kids Watch Across the Spiderverse–
As implied by the PG rating, the violence is definitely comic book style and there is, in comparison to similar movies, not a lot. It is quite rapid fire in both action and imagery in places that may be overwhelming for some.
The villain of the film starts fairly comedic, but transitions to quite creepy and unsettling. Much of the movie revolves around the topic of family members dying (mostly being murdered). Overall, we would suggest 8 and up, but this very depends on the maturity of the kid.
Continue reading for our Lessons from Across the Spiderverse
Favorite Across the Spiderverse Quotes
His Name is Miles Morales. He was bitten by a radioactive spider, but he’s not the only one
Hey, it’s New York. Everybody’s got a thing
I wouldn’t play with fire, dude. You’re kinda made of paper.
Who’s Doctor Strange? It sounds like maybe he shouldn’t practice medicine.
I’ve never robbed anyone before. Please don’t make this hard for me.
Yeah, that sounds like a really great, fake job.
Your son. He’s lying and I think you know it.
I created you. You created me.
Well, men of your generation ignored your mental health for too long.
We’re the same. In the important ways.
In every universe, Gwen falls for Spiderman and in every universe it doesn’t end well
No one my ages says those words in that order.
Wherever you go from here, you have to promise to take of that little boy for me.
This romantic tension is palpable
I’m about to be so much more than the villain of the week.
You’re the only Spider-man who isn’t funny. We’re supposed to be funny.
Taking a crap on the establishment. I salute you.
I’m going to take everything from you like you took everything from me.
I’m sorry for doing this. This is bad parenting.
Bad things are gonna happen. It’s what makes us who we are. But good things will happen too.
We were supposed to be the good guys
This mask is my badge and I’m trying to be good too.
I know how strong I am now. I’m strong because of you and dad.
I never found the right band to join. So, I started my own.
Across the Spiderverse Quotes
Lessons from Across the Spiderverse
-Difficult Discussion with Your Kids is How We Really Learn With Them
Jeff struggled to really listen to Miles throughout much of the movie. When he is left to discuss things with Spider-Man (Miles in a mask), he learns a lot about his son and his needs that he later applies. It can be difficult to see your kids constantly doing things you don’t think are right, but trying to dig into those reasons and having open conversations about them is the key to connection.
-It’s Okay to Question Authority
When Miles is given the ultimatum from Spider HQ, he immediately understands that it’s wrong and stands against it. Further than this, Miles’ act of defiance leads others to question the conclusion of Miguel.
-Similar Stories Don’t Always Have the Same Outcome
All of the people/animals in the Spider-Verse all have very similar backgrounds, but even with that, there outcomes differ so greatly. Even with Miles and Gwen, you can feel the different supports systems, despite having similar origin stories.
-Friends Help Us Stand Up for What is Right
As mentioned in the lesson about authority, Miles’ actions led many to stand up against the Spider HQ. We also see a lot of great encouragement from the crew later on, especially with Spider-Punk. This element for Miles was missing at the beginning of the film and the stark difference of him from beginning to end is quite stark.
-Origin Doesn’t Determine Destiny
There is probably going to be more to dive into here once the third movie comes out. With the revelation that Miles was never supposed to be Spider-Man, Miles is left feeling completely alone. By the end, you can tell that he has overcome this and is ready to use his power for the greater good.
Across the Spiderverse Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Belonging, Purpose, Free Will, Destiny, Parent-Child Communication,
- Which Spider-Man was your favorite version? Which made you laugh the most?
- What causes Miguel to be so glum? How does that motivate him to lead the Spider-Verse?
- Child-Parent communication play such a big role in this movie. If you could change one conversation between the kid and the parent, which one would it be and why?
- What was the ultimatum given to Miles from HQ? Why wouldn’t he go along with it?
Before you go, check out these other posts:
–Into the Spider-Verse Discussion Guide
–Parenting Lessons from Into the Spider-Verse
–How to Play the Miles Morales Video Game with your Kids
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