DALLAS —
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was a huge hit and won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It was an awesome entry into the Spidey catalog with Brooklyn teen of color Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) in the lead. So naturally, it was time to fire up a sequel.
The question is... when you have so much novelty and energy, how do you follow it without just being more of the same?
Well, you expand the Spider-Verses and apparently tack on an extra 20 minutes. And, of course, you introduce a new nemesis.
Enter 'The Spot' (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) and his diabolical talent for space warping.
Meantime, a brooding Gwen (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) is accused of an unthinkable crime by her own police captain dad. What's a girl to do but join her buddy Miles, get out town and go after the villain.
Their pursuit has them teaming up with 'Spider-Man 2099,' a pregnant 'Spider-Woman,' 'Spider-Man India' and 'Spider-Punk' (everyone's favorite). It all ends up in a multiverse with a mind-blowing number of Spideys at HQ.
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave!"
Grounding the story is the shared teen angst and affection between Miles and Gwen. You welcome those interludes in order to catch your breath. Then, you can't wait for the craziness to continue.
There can be too much of a good thing, and I go back to the extended running time. On the other hand, if you can't get enough, part two of the sequel comes out next year.
(Columbia Pictures. Rated PG. Running Time 2 hrs. 20 mins. In Theaters Only)
The Boogeyman
"The Boogeyman" takes everyone's childhood fear of a monster under their beds and brings it to sometimes terrifying life.
Based on Stephen King's classic short story, Chris Messina plays a therapist who recently lost his wife. A traumatized walk-in client, whose children mysteriously died, brings the Boogeyman into Messina's home.
His elder daughter, played by "Yellowjackets" star Sophie Thatcher does her darndest to ward off its evils while watching over her little sister, who's already afraid of the dark.
This is Thatcher's first lead role in a studio film, and she handles it well. The other family's mother, on the other hand, laughably overacts. Lots of darkness, creepy sounds and web-like shadows do add to the scares.
I'm not a huge fan of this genre, but director Rob Savage wisely keeps the running time in check, and it's decent. Aren't these monsters all starting to look alike, though?
(20th Century Studios. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 38 mins. In Theaters Only)
Sanctuary
You'll see shades of "War of the Roses" and "Fatal Attraction" in "Sanctuary." Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott star in what's basically a two-person movie.
Qualley's 'Rebecca' is a dominatrix. Abbott's 'Hal' is a wealthy guy who regularly engages her services. When his hotelier dad dies and he's set to inherit the chain, he decides it's not the best business practice to keep her around.
Rebecca has other plans, and off we go for 90 minutes of fights, threats and teasing all in the confines of a hotel suite.
Great work by these two. You're never sure who's gonna come out with the upper hand. Be aware of sexually suggestive content if that offends you.
(NEON. Rated R. Running Time 1 hr. 36 mins. In Theaters Only)
Shooting Stars
You can't watch LeBron James in the NBA Finals, but you can experience the start of his legacy in "Shooting Stars."
Based on the book by James and Buzz Bissinger, the author of 'Friday Night Lights,' it's the story of the young 'Fab Four' in Akron, Ohio... basketball teammates since they were nine years old.
When it came time for high school, the big public school wanted to split them up and play one of them on JV. So, they stuck together and took their combined talents to the smaller Catholic school where they won three state titles and were named the number one team in the country!
Director Chris Robinson cast all ballers in the roles. It never reaches the level of other great sports movies, but the message of deep abiding friendship is a slam dunk.
(Universal Pictures. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 55 mins. Streaming Only on Peacock)
