Like many of you, I absolutely loved Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. And while there were many many elements of "Across" that I loved as well, the "unresolved" ending doesn't quite satisfy. Further, filmmakers pack this installment with a great deal of action, perhaps at the cost of emotional impact. Now, if you're an action fan, then dive right in, this is the film for you. Those concerns aside, "Across" gives many quality reasons for praise. These filmmakers are first and foremost interested in painting a visually beautiful film - and that imperative applies to the action as well. Despite the huge quantity of action, I was impressed at every turn that the filmmakers were acutely aware of making each battle visually clever, interesting, and arty. I'd also like to compliment the fun fluid real dialogue. Many many times, I found myself chuckling at the clever snarks.

Similar to the second Avatar film, I feel that this installment necessarily faces a smidgen wane of that initial in love feeling with the gorgeous appearance, doesn't stick the ending ... and in this case, a plot that becomes a bit of a difficult to manage web. That said, I can't deny that I fell in love with these characters (with an especially fun nod to Hobie), and while in the theatre - I loved looking at this thing on screen.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --