Imagine a World with Infinite Spider-People

Our lives are not just lived in a single dimension. Everything we see and do affects other lives in ways we can never understand. In this Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Christian movie review, I will give you the information you need before viewing this film with your children. The thought that there can be an infinite number of timelines is interesting, but when you look at it from just one person’s life, as in this Spider-Man movie, you see the complexities of this theory.

Years ago, one of my sons had an infinite number of imaginary friends named Joanie. I would try to sit on the couch, and I was told Joanie was sitting there. These Joanies went everywhere we went. They ate with us; they went on vacation with us. 

As I watched Spider-Man, I was reminded of the infinite number of Joanies and the number of possibilities from those Joanies. When we start discussing the Multiverse, the infinite possibilities that our lives can intersect with other lives is fascinating. However, I don’t believe that any of us can walk upside down or shoot spiderwebs from our wrists, but we do possess the ability to make a difference in the world around us.

Reviewing Movies: My Criteria

Making a difference means living our lives with intention and teaching our children how to do this, also. In this review, you will find ways to use concepts in the movie as teachable moments with your children, info on the cast, and frequently asked questions. 

If you would like to know how I review movies, you can read my movie review guidelines and criteria. Finally, I give age recommendations for seeing this film. As a mother of 5 children and 7 grandchildren, I watch movies with the eyes of a child so you can make informed viewing decisions as a parent.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Christian Movie Review Synopsis from Studio:

Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters the Spider Society a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse’s very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must set out on his own to save those he loves most. Anyone can wear the mask — it’s how you wear it that makes you a hero.

My Synopsis

We first met Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This Black and Puerto Rican teenager is now alone with his spidey secret. His best friends are gone, and he is a 15-year-old boy dealing with the Spiderman issues, and the teen issues of wanting to be an adult while still a teenager. All of this leaves him struggling with life. When Gwen Stacy reappears, Miles is introduced to a Secret Society of Spider-men and women who each have their own unique abilities and qualities. 

Miles fights his nemesis, The Spot. However, the more he fights, the stronger and more advanced The Spot seems to get. He reaches a point where he cannot fight this battle alone, but unbeknownst to him, others are already fighting. 

What Parents May Want to Know – Spider Man Across the Spider Verse Christian Movie Review

Overall, this movie told a fantastic story. The graphics and colors of the movie constantly change to reflect the mood, and dimension, invoke feelings, and was expertly executed. While this film had a very low budget compared to recent movies, it has a WOW factor in the depth and breadth of the project that many movies are lacking today.

Language: 

While most of the film has very little foul language, there are two instances of a-s, d-mn, and what the h-ll. In one scene, they say shoot repeatedly, and while I thought I may have heard sh-t, not everyone in my family agreed with what was said. Furthermore, “Oh my gosh” was used and someone says, “Dear God, no!”

There is also a reference to fonts – “go to Helvetica.”

Someone uses the word hot about another person.

Finally, there are a few instances of potty humor or rude language such as crap, stupid, kill that kid.

Violence:

For a superhero movie, the violence is pretty tame, and due to the nature of the comic book graphics, things don’t seem as shocking as in a live-action film or even a typical CGI movie. However, this movie is fast-paced and filled with violence, such as buildings falling down, windows breaking, fighting, and non-stop action. A character has flames shooting out of its mouth, a bus falls off a bridge, cars flip over, etc. 

A big black hole opens up and sucks in part of a city.

One of the Spidermen has claws and sharp teeth. Spiders bite people. 

Spiritual:

A family bows their heads and prays before eating.

Adult Content:

Most “adult content” surrounds the themes of losing loved ones. Miles has lost an uncle. All the Spider-men have lost a father. Gwen deals with the loss of her friend, Peter Parker. 

Adults are shown drinking.

A policeman points a gun at Spider-Woman without knowing it is his daughter.

A younger character says to an older person, “Men of your generation ignore their mental health.”

When Mile’s mom sees Gwen’s sweater left in her son’s room, she assumes their relationship is different than it is. Mile’s also assumes this when he hears that Gwen left her sweater in another Spider-Man’s room.

Other Content:

Miles sneaks out and lies to his parents.

There is a #BLM button on a backpack. 

One version of Spider-women is pregnant. 

AFTER this review was published, I did come across some mentions of the fact that in the preview, there was a trans flag on the wall of a bedroom. I watched the clip and had to stop the clip to even see the flag. Not one of the four of us who saw the movie, noticed it the flag, but because it was in the preview, I would guess that it shows up in the movie.

Teachable Moments & Homeschool Worthy Content:

In this film, there are differing viewpoints about letting things happen that are supposed to happen versus intervening and preventing bad events. This is a hard and difficult topic to really grasp and makes for great discussions. 

While there are similarities between universes, each Spider-Man has unique qualities. Make a list of the similarities and another list of the differences between the Spider-Men.

Over and over, the Spider-Men and Spider-Women tell us about the responsibility they carry to ensure that things happen or don’t happen in and to their worlds. There is evil that prowls around, and they carry the burden to stop it. As a Christian, I carry a responsibility to serve God. I know that I don’t have to “save the universe” or “save others,” and that certain actions are out of my control. How are we to help others? Find Bible verses that support that. What are we to do when faced with evil?

On a lighter note, have your child create a comic book based on a super hero of their design. This can be done by hand or with software packages. 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Christian Movie Review – Viewing Recommendations:

While the language and sexual content are minimal in this film, the storyline itself will deter younger children from truly understanding or enjoying this film. Furthermore, the themes surrounding losing a parent are challenging to handle. Another objection to young children viewing this film is the multiverse itself. With so many Spidermen to keep track of, the movie can confuse young children.

There are many fantastic laugh out loud moments. However, the 2 hours and 20 minutes of runtime is way too long for young children. For these reasons, my recommended viewing age is 8-10 and up. 

About the Movie:

Rating: PG for sequences of animated action violence, some language, and thematic elements

Release Date: June 2, 2023

Genre: Action/Adventure

Runtime: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Cast of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Miles Morales/Spider-Man voiced by Shameik Moore

Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman voiced by Hailee Steinfeld

Jefferson Davis voiced by Brian Tyree Henry

Rio Morales voiced by Luna Lauren Velez

Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man voiced by Jake Johnson

Dr. Jonathan Ohnn/The Spot voiced by Jason Schwartzman

Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman voiced by Issa Rae

Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India voiced by Karan Soni

Hobart “Hobie” Brown/Spider-Punk voiced by Daniel Kaluuya

Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 voiced by Oscar Isaac

George Stacy voiced by Shea Whigham

Lyla voiced by Greta Lee

Aaron Davis voiced by Mahershala Ali

Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider voiced by Andy Samberg

Margo Kess/Spider-Byte voiced by Amandla Stenberg

School counselor voiced by Rachel Dratch

Vulture voiced by Jorma Taccone

Live-Action Roles:

Convenience store owner Mrs. Chen played by Peggy Lu

Alternate Arron Davis/Prowler played by Donald Glover

Peter Parker/Spider-Man played by Andrew Garfield and Denis Leary, Tobey Maguire through achive footage

Ben-Parker played by Cliff Robertson through archive footage

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justine K. Thompson

Written by: Phil Lord, Christopher MIller, David Callaham

Produced by: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Christina Steinberg

Executive Producers: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Aditya Sood, and Brian Michael Bendis

Edited by: Mike Andrews

Music by: Daniel Pemberton

Based on Marvel Comics

Production Companies: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Entertainment.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have an end-credit scene?

There is no end credit scene for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Where is SpiderMan Across the SpiderVerse streaming?

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was released into theaters on June 2, 2023. At that time, it was not streaming on any platforms.

When it is released for streaming (probably December 2023), it most likely will be streaming on Netflix.

Do I need to watch the first movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?

Yes. To understand what is going on it is best to watch the first movie.

Where can I watch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?

It can be rented or purchased on streaming platforms such as Amazon, Hulu, Apple TV+ and Max.

Will there be a sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?

Yes, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will be the sequel to this movie.

When will Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse be released?

It is scheduled for release in March 2024.

When did Spiderman first appear in comic books?

Spiderman first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1962. Read more about the origin story here!

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.