Despite the title of this post, this isn't a review, or at least not entirely. Though I will say that, if it's maybe only 90-98% as good as Into the Spider-Verse, that still makes Across the Spider-Verse a pretty great movie. It's emotionally resonant, filled with inventive visuals, and the voice acting is fabulous (there are also some nice live-action cameos, which made me squeee with pleasure).
It's more a musing on the act and fact of going to the movies, after being away for so long. There are a number of things I have yet to cross off my list from three years ago, but now I can say I've once again gone to see a movie in the theater. The last movie I saw in theaters, before the pandemic hit, was 1917, and in the interim, I've relied on simultaneous releases on Disney Plus or HBO Max, or just waited for the movies to show up on streamers. In one or two cases, I even rented them on my Apple TV.
The streaming factor is the other reason I haven't been back to the movies yet, not just the pandemic. I'm fully vaccinated, relatively healthy, and I wore my mask throughout the entire movie (as near as I could tell, the only person in the theater who did), so it didn't seem like too big a deal. But it struck me at one point that, despite missing the communal experience of movie-going, I've really gotten used to just watching films at home.
Maybe I'm getting old, forgetful and cheap, but $17, plus a $1.80 online purchase fee, seemed a lot for having to wear pants and shoes while watching a film. It also didn't help that the lady next to me decided to start texting on her phone toward the end. Luckily she wasn't talking to anyone, but the screen was bright enough for me to notice (and seethe about it).
On the other hand, we've been having a mini heatwave this weekend, so it was worth it to enjoy some air conditioning for a couple of hours. Heck, I even providentially brought my jacket, so I could bundle up a little against the AC. The movie didn't have the crowd jumping out of their seats, but it was nice being part of some of the laughs the movie got. Most of all, it was nice watching something immersive, on a much bigger screen and with a better sound system than what I have at home. I'm not one to spend a lot on a fancy, gigantic, top-of-the-line TV and surround sound system, so it's nice to catch a big, wild movie like Across the Spider-Verse on a decent AV setup.
I guess the price is what it is because of inflation and theater chains' need to recoup some losses after the enforced shutdowns in the pandemic. And not all of them survived: I still rue the loss of our beloved Palo Alto Square, which showed a different class of films than what does well at the multiplex that I went to yesterday (JoJo Rabbit, Honey Boy and Little Women were some of the more recent viewings I had there). As for the annoyances of getting dressed up and being around people, well, I was used to that kind of thing once, and I can get used to it again.
For the time being, I'm probably not going to watch a movie at the cinema every weekend, but it's good to have that option open again. And honestly, paying almost $20 to enjoy some relief from the heat is a better idea than my plan last September to stay at one of the hotels across the street from my house ($300 or so per night, to give you an idea). I'm also likely to continue watching most of my movies at home, on one of the many streaming services, but it'll be good to have another option for the really exciting films.
At the very least, when the third Spider-Verse movie comes out, I'll want to see that in theaters too.
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