I Saw Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse With My Puerto Rican Father And Genuinely Have Never Smiled Harder

So I think everyone knows at this point I’m a big fan of Miles Morales.

I mean, I’m honestly just a big fan of superheroes in general, and have been for many years. Whether it be the Marvel Cinematic Universe or some bloody television show like The Boys, which is getting a Season 4, superhero movies and television shows are something that I always know will make me happy, just because most of them have plenty to offer.

However, the one hero that I always loved the most was Spider-Man. It could be the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films, or even the latest starring Tom Holland, but over the last few years, I found myself falling in love with Miles Morales -- a different variant of Spider-Man, who is Afro-Latino – and so did my dad, who is Puerto Rican and darker-skinned. If anything, if you look at pictures of him as a kid, and of Miles, they look pretty identical.

So for Father’s Day in 2023, I decided to take him to the movie theater to go see Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a movie I knew he was really hyped up for but didn’t want to pay the ridiculous price that movie theaters offer nowadays – which isn’t really that much of a surprise.

Even so, he easily took me up on that offer, and we went to go see the movie – it was my second viewing, and his first, and I have to say, I seriously don’t think I ever ever smiled harder than seeing him watching this film. And today, I’m going to get into why.

I Smiled Seeing His Reactions To Miles’ Parents Being Involved More In His Life

They nailed Miles’ parents down, to the last, itty, bitty detail.

Something my dad told me after the movie is that Miles’ mother was exactly like his mother. Someone who truly did care and want to give the world for her son, but as any parent would do, didn’t hold back reprimanding him when he did something that didn’t live up to their expectations. But something that I also noticed while watching the movie is that my dad really did love that the parents were more involved in Miles’ life.

5 Interesting Ways Miles Morales Changed Between Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse And Across The Spider-Verse

I had to talk about how Miles changed from movie to movie, so let's get into it.

My father grew up in a lower-income neighborhood in Alphabet City (the Lower East Side of Manhattan) and his dad was a pretty hands-off father who didn’t do as much. My father made it a personal goal of his to always be there for his children – and as the person who was literally raised by him, I think my brother and I can agree that he did this wonderfully.

But what I loved was that he really did love the relationship between Miles and his father, as well as Miles and his mother. The fact that they cared so much for Miles, even when he ran off when he was still in trouble – it really showed the value of good parenting, and that’s something I’ll always love to see.

I Loved When He Laughed Super Hard At Miles’ Mother Reprimanding Him In Spanish

This was just a funny little moment I caught in both my viewings, but when Miles’ mother began yelling at him in the beginning for getting a B in Spanish – and then she snapped in Puerto-Rican (you can see the Puerto-Rico flag when she snaps) – my dad had the biggest belly laugh I’m pretty sure I had ever heard.

As someone who also wasn’t the best in Spanish, I can whole-heartedly agree that when you come from a Latino family and you’re not doing well in that one class, that usually means you’re going to get in trouble. My dad fully agreed that he also did not do well in Spanish as a kid – even though he spoke it fluently back then.

I think it’s just the difference in how conjugations are taught, but it was entertaining to see how my dad made that connection.

I Chuckled At How Excited He Was About The Animation

“It’s almost too much for my eyes.”

Those were the words that my dad said to me as we were driving home from the movie theater, and I literally wholeheartedly agree, because every frame of this movie was a masterpiece.

When the film came to a close, I could see how blown away he was at the animation. I could hear him say “wow” multiple times throughout the movie. That scene where Miles is chased down by all of Spider Society, his eyes were wide the entire time trying to take it all in when there was so much to watch.

You have to understand – my father is the person who took me to animated movies for so long. He is so used to animation it’s not even funny – but when he’s blown away by it, he makes sure the whole world knows. I still remember how he reacted to my favorite Pixar film ever, Coco, and the accuracy of the main character’s fingers on his guitar.

Animation is truly a medium of film, and my dad really sees it now, more than ever before. He was truly and utterly stunned.

I Understood How Much He Ended Up Loving Miguel O’Hara And His Story

I mean, same though. If you’ve been on TikTok, you know.

Jokes aside, my dad knew that the amazing Oscar Isaaac was going to be in this movie and he was already a big fan of the actor for many years and loved him in Moon Knight on Disney+. But he had to admit that he really did like Miguel.

It was a combination of the story of how he lost his daughter versus how freaking weird of a Spider-Man variant the character was. And it made for a good plot. That, plus Isaac’s amazing vocal performance, made my dad really enjoy the character. That and Hobie – you gotta love Hobie.

I Snickered At His Excitement Over That Intense Train Fight Scene

Like I said in the animation section, when that whole chase scene with Miles happened, I kept looking back to my dad multiple times to see if he was blown away – and yeah, he was, several times.

I just kept seeing him shake his head in total disbelief at what he was seeing on the screen – and how even when it almost became too much, he couldn’t look away, despite the fact that he was exhausted from work the night before.

And I Loved Seeing How Bummed He Was That He Had To Wait Another Year For The Next Part

I mean, aren’t we all? That Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ending made all of us annoyed, and my dad instantly said, “that’s where it ends? Really?” And he thought there would be a post-credits scene but nope. We don’t get anything. 

And to be frank, I found myself laughing, because yes, now you get to experience the same pain I do by having to wait a whole year — and most likely more – for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, but I suppose that’s just the name of the game.

To be honest, I love going to see movies with people who can see themselves in the character. As a Latina who loves Miles Morales, attending the show with my father, who was basically a mini Miles in NYC (minus the powers) was something that can’t be beat, because that childlike look on his face as he watched the movie is one I’ll never forget.

When I first thought up this article, I almost considered it an extra Father’s Day gift to my dad, as a thank you for all the years he spent taking me to the best of movies (and sometimes the worst) that inspired me to love film as much as I do – so if you’re reading this dad, te amo, papá!

And to all those who haven’t seen the movie yet – the heck are you waiting for? Go out there and see it!