Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, which was released on June 2, 2023 has quickly become one of the highest grossing animated films of all time due to its relatable and iconic characters combined with its amazing animation.

There is no doubt that animated movies are an important childhood staple and have grown up and advanced alongside us. Disney’s very influential company, Pixar, has been using the same animation software, Presto, since 2012 and the release of Brave. This animation software is what gives us what is known as the classic “Pixar look” and is something that everyone knows and can recognize. However, with those animation companies that have stayed the same, there are always those that are constantly using new technologies and concepts to advance in the animation industry.

“I think the art style changes the way I can remember and interpret a movie because when watching a movie, the images, pictures, and colors on the screen can play a major part in the movie,” Heart Opulencia ‘27 said, “the art style can give off completely different perspectives and vibes to a movie.”

New (or improved) softwares can allow for animated movies to show different styles in much greater detail than previously imagined. It is truly key that an animated movie finds, or adapts, a certain art style that will add depth to a story and make it stand out.

Nico Pasco ’27 stated, “having a certain style of animation could really add to the elements and emotions of a story as well as the circumstance of the characters and the setting. The colors of the background and highlights can provide a certain melancholy or happiness that a scene needs.”

Across the Spider-Verse uses a style that blends a 3D environment with dozens of 2D elements that provides the classic comic book style we all love. Using hand-drawn animation and combining it with CG and computer animation is what allows the movie to look as if it’s ripped right out of a comic book page.

“I think the animation really captured the young vibe of the story, however it also added a sense of classiness and nostalgia that brings a lot of people back to their childhood,” Kyrene Sideco ‘26 added. “I think the comic part also helped with showing almost a messiness and chaotic factor to the story.”

There is no doubt that this movie will be a landmark in the animation industry and will definitely impact how animated movies are created in the future.