The music is for the most part taken directly from the series. This might sound cheap but also gives the movie a sense of consistency with the series. The new themes are awesome and help make the action more memorable, and there are also some new versions of old tunes. The sound is also great, no complaints there.
Animation and art are also consistent with the series, but additional efforts are noticeable, especially during action scenes. There's no abuse of CGI, it's pretty much the same as in the series. There are, however, a few shots that while showing the characters far away from the camera, are noticeable enough to be "quality animation meme"-worthy considering this is a blu-ray release. Still, this is only a minor complaint and doesn't really detract from the enjoyment.
My only major gripe with this movie is the plot, which sometimes loosens the rules of the HxH universe a bit too much and breaks the suspension of desbelief for hardcore fans. The issues are for the most part related to the rules of Nen. There are times when you will think of Gon and Killua: "Wait, can they really do that at their current nen level?" "Can they really survive that?" This feeling is enhanced by the lack of strategy in the battles, a staple and one of the best things in the series. It feels like most of these fights served only to advance the plot or for fan service (some really fit in the "what if-?" scenarios), so don't take them too seriously. On the other hand, you won't get any Naruto-like spoonfeeding due to the lack of strategy. Battles aside, the plot works for the most part, but it's somewhat predictable. There are some convenient coincidences here and there which I guess were included for the sake of better pacing. The tone of the movie is balanced: you can expect some funny moments in the right situations, just like in the series.
The characters are also a point of complaints. The title of the movie might lead you into thinking this movie is about the spiders and Kurapika, but Killua and Gon (yes, Killua more than Gon) get more screentime. Their development is similarly unbalanced: Killua is the closest to a protagonist while Gon shows little development. Retz, a new character, was a nice addition but some unnecessary emphasis is put on her from the beginning and this bugged me throughout the entire movie. Leorio mostly acts as a support character, and the spiders themselves are not that prominent (practically cameos) but they steal the show whenever they appear. The real antagonist, the much hyped Omokage, feels a bit like wasted potential. His motivations feel somewhat generic for a Spider and he really likes to talk about them, so I wasn't 100% sold on him. Still, his very existence is explained in a believable way (he was supposed to be dead in the series). His nen abilities, on the other hand, left me with some questions even after it was explained how they work. Finally, there is some insight into Kurapika's past, but you can find out much more about this by reading the Volume 0 of the manga, which you can find by googling (it was originally given away to those who went to the theatrical release). I encourage you to read it before watching the movie, it complements it and it doesn't give away any major spoilers. Flashback aside, Kurapika feels less important to the plot than he should.
Overall, this movie is a fun ride. It won't make you question the meaning of your life, but it is an enjoyable watch, and totally recommendable for shonen and HxH fans. Just turn your brain off during the fights, they aren't the ones you're used to from the series, though they are still fun and flashy. For the second movie, I'd like to see a prequel story, perhaps related to the origin of the spiders or the adventures of a young Ging or Netero. In my opinion, trying to fit a movie story into the main canon is just WAY TOO difficult.
7/10
