"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" (Rated B)

Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Oscar Isaac, Lauren Vélez, Jason Schwartzman

Genre: Action/Adventure

Where to watch: In theaters

Dwight's Rating:

Thanks to Disney and Marvel, and especially rival DC, these days plenty people are very likely automatically prepared for disappointment - or at least lackluster experiences - when most new comic book-based superhero movies are released.

The frequency and repetition and recycling of themes and characters seemingly every single month of late have created some fatigue, to put it mildly. Yes, of course there are exceptions. But even with those, their inevitable sequels just water down whatever freshness there'd been before.

However, something special is happening over at Sony Animation/ Columbia Pictures. Holding on desperately to the couple of Marvel titles Disney hasn't been able to completely snatch up, their Spider-Man films do appear to at least be trying.

The flicks starring their current webslinger Tom Holland have been pretty decent, even though the last two pale greatly in comparison to his enthusiastic debut.

But even more shocking was 2018's animated "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse", one of the best and most innovative movies of that year.

The new sequel (as expected, of course) to that picture, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse", builds on that strong foundation. And in many ways improves on it.

After reuniting with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man (Shameik Moore) is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

This is not your typical comic book-based, superhero storyline. It's far deeper and smarter and more thoughtful than it needed to be. The word "ambitious" is being thrown about a lot, and for good reason. It is a mental workout, like Wordle or Sudoku. And it's fun!

It's also a visual feast. I raved about the animation in "Into the Spider-Verse". But things have been gloriously kicked up several notches here. Almost every different "Spider-Verse" appears to be animated differently (the official count is six styles). And they come together masterfully.

"Across the Spider-Verse" is not entirely perfect, though. Those scenes in which all the Spider-people assemble seem as long as it would take to get from one end of the universe to the other. It's not boring, but it's just endless. Somebody wanted to showcase the skills of these filmmakers, but it might a little too much of a good thing.

It also contributes to the shocking two hours and 20-minutes run time!

For an animated movie! That makes this the longest animated film in the history of the United States. Only Japan (besides one-offs from Russia and Hungary) regularly produces animated flicks longer than this.

Thankfully, for the most part, most of that time is spent entrancing moviegoers with the stunning visuals and wonderful dialogue from the fantastic voice cast.

Here's another picture that can show Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and the "Fast & Furious" gang how genuine families actually interact in authentic and sincere scenarios. And while it's always hinted, rarely before do we see the person who is the "Spider-Man" (or "Spider-Woman") really deal with such in-your-face teenage angst and insecurities.

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse", and this whole animated franchise, are functioning on a much higher plane than necessary, especially as so many will dismiss these solely because they are animated. For the fans and the open-minded, this will be an experience you won't soon forget.

But to those who will miss out, but will plop themselves down to waste two-plus hours on the next live-action mess from Marvel and DC, just because, well, bring your disappointment pillows.

"The Little Mermaid" (Rated B)

Cast: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs, Javier Bardem, Awkwafina

Genre: Fantasy/Musical

Where to watch: In theaters

Dwight's Rating:

If you've never seen the animated 1989 "The Little Mermaid", which is credited with igniting off the so-called "Disney Renaissance", which revived the struggling animation arm of Walt Disney Pictures? Well, you'll like (maybe even really like) this new live-action "The Little Mermaid".

If you've seen the animated "The Little Mermaid", and the long line of recent live-action versions of the animated films that followed that trailblazing 1989 picture (and some like "Cinderella" from well before that era too), well ... you probably won't hate the new live-action version.

You may even like it. I liked it. But I certainly didn't love it!

This image released by Disney shows Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, left, and Halle Bailey as Ariel in "The Little Mermaid."

Don't get me wrong, I didn't love the animated one either. I was a kid when that came out, and even then, throwing your life away for "love" seemed a bit weird. But I do understand why people are so fond of it.

Many of the reasons people are fond of it are exactly why it may be hard for many to love this updated "The Little Mermaid". And just like with many of the previous live-action reboots (the exceptions being "Aladdin" and "The Jungle Book"), this is largely lifeless, soulless, almost joy-less, and too afraid to step out of the shadow and become something new and unique.

As expected, as the youngest of the daughters of King Triton (Javier Bardem), Ariel (Halle Bailey) is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), to experience life on land.

The cast does a fine job. Bailey and Hauer-King are cute. Tony-Award winner Daveed Diggs as Sebastian the crab, with his mashup of various West Indian accents, is actually a joy to listen to. And McCarthy can do no wrong, ever!

Sure, this is meant to appeal to a lot of youthful moviegoers. And one can understand avoiding taking the story in perhaps a darker direction. But especially with the talents of someone as incredibly funny as McCarthy, why not amp up the humor? It feels like that's what's missing and most sorely needed - a funnier, zanier, more whimsical tale (or should that be tail?).

"The Little Mermaid" looks good and sounds good, but the taste is all artificial vanilla. After all the lengthy, protracted hype, I wasn't quite expecting something this washed up.

• Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of "Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio and station manager. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

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