Unsane is ... Unreal

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Unsane (2018)

Rated R: For Disturbing Themes, Language, Minimal Blood, and Violence

Running Time: 98 minutes (1 hour and 38 minutes)

Genre/s: Horror, Thriller

Released on March 23, 2018 (US Release Date; Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Regency Enterprises, Extension 765, Bleecker Street, Fingerprint Releasing, and Twentieth Century Fox

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writers: Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer

Starring:

• Claire Foy as Sawyer Valentini
• Joshua Leonard as David Strine / George Shaw
• Jay Pharaoh as Nate Hoffman
• Juno Temple as Violet
• Aimee Mullins as Ashley Brighterhouse
• Amy Irving as Angela Valentini

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"Help isn't just one call away." When this film was promoted that it will be the first flick to be shot entirely on a cellphone, I actually thought that it was some sort of bad publicity. But then I looked at who the director was, and it was none other than one of the most influential experimental filmmakers of this generation: Steven Soderbergh. In Unsane, Soderbergh and company examine the theme of helplessness, in a simple yet completely immersive way.

Here, Sawyer Valentini, played by Foy (First Man) checks-in to a psychiatric hospital being run by Ashley Brighterhouse, played by Mullins (World Trade Center). This is due to an experience with a stalker named David Strine, played by Leonard (The Blair Witch Project) left her mentally scarred. What was supposed to be a simple checkup eventually descends into a nightmare when she is forced to stay in the hospital for a week. Trapped and forced to interact with other mental patients such as Violet, played by Temple (Maleficent) and Nate Hoffman, played by Pharaoh (Top Five), Sawyer's only hope lies outside the facility: her mother Angela, played by Irving (Traffic).

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Most horror movies feature supernatural threats to evoke a sense of dread, including haunted houses and sinister spirits from the beyond. In Unsane's case, however, we are reminded that ghosts and ghouls are not the only things in this world that would lead our figures of salvation to fail. "Realism" is the word, and here, we get to see how even the most trusted figures in society would fail to help us in our most dire moments, or how those people or institutions would lead to failure by external forces. This recurring theme is presented in a very subtle way that manages to leave quite an impression on viewers upon further analysis.

The core of the story revolves around a woman being held captive in a mental hospital. Though it might sound that this could be a set-up for a paranormal event taking shape, we eventually realize that the reason as to why this is so is that the hospital is aiming to have her health insurance pay for her stay, so that the administration would be able to gain more money. Indeed, the twist itself might be as simplistic as one might expect, but nevertheless the execution and the characters made the twist all the more effective. In addition, the very idea that an institution, much less a hospital would even bother to scam their patients for additional profit is chilling in its own right, as this is a type of situation that could happen to anybody (which is made more terrifying by the idea that a stalker works in that facility).

The character of Sawyer Valentini, anchored by Foy with magnetic sympathy, represents the idea of a person seeking help wherever and whenever she can. Complete with an understandable background pertaining to her seemingly irrational actions, we see Sawyer always asking for help, either to the hospital itself, to the charismatic Jay Pharaoh's Nate Hoffman, who is actually an undercover journalist working to expose the crimes of the administration, to her mother, or to the police. We see Sawyer clinging on to every bit of hope that she can get. It should also be noted that in most cases she asks for help with the use of a cellphone. However, despite her best efforts, all are inevitably unable to help her. Help really is not just a call away.

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Serving as the foil for the hope-searching Sawyer is the despair-ridden David Strine, masquerading as a recently murdered employee named "George Shaw," and is played by Leonard with nigh-perfect creepiness appeal. Strine's characterization, which illustrates the antagonist as a desperate hopeless romantic who is dangerously oblivious to the truth as to what love really is not only makes him a complex villain, but also a relatively relatable one that allows for the film's theme to be understood further. The phone motif once again reveals itself once in Strine's story, wherein he aggressively texts Sawyer for affections to the point of alienation. The stark difference between the two characters is revealed in the fact that Strine simply concluded that Sawyer has all of his hopes and dreams.

Nate also uses a phone, as he frequently and secretly phones his editor about updates on his assignment, while also offering Sawyer a chance to communicate with the outside world. To a lesser extent, the hospital's head Ashley Brighterhouse, played with some level of typical business magnate devilish appeal from Mullins, also asks her corrupt colleagues in the management staff to keep the secrets uncovered by Nate buried. Angela also pleads the police to help her daughter, whom also phoned the authorities prior to Angela asking. Much like Sawyer, all of them experience the failure of the saviors, as Nate is killed by Strine before exposing the truth, Ashley is arrested by the officers she attempted to manipulate, and Angela is murdered also by Strine prior to even getting the chance to amass an "army" to help Sawyer.

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The film's exclusive use of cellular devices not only serve as the film's primary draw, but it also, in a sense, serves as an allegorical extension of the flick's theme of pointless communication. As I have said before, I initially had my doubts about the use of iPhone 7 Pluses for the production, and it was partially evident in certain scenes when the audio might be distorted (Sawyer's discussion about the hospital plan was almost inaudible for me), and the obvious simplistic camera quality in most scenes. However, upon closer inspection, the simplistic quality of the shots does elevate the realistic atmosphere further. With the less grandiose color grading and lighting, audiences are much more engaged with the tension within, thanks to a more sensory type of presentation. Soderbergh's trademark use of the color blue for criminality (the forest and solitary confinement scenes) and yellow for warmth (morning and in the low-security halls of the hospital) is also made useful here, and it further gives the movie a distinctive aesthetic. (It also helps that Soderbergh himself even composed the amazing score, and edited the film in different pseudonyms.)

Upon realizing that help will almost never really come for her, with even earlier flashbacks with a Detective Ferguson, played by Matt Damon (The Bourne Franchise), who consults Sawyer on what to do to prevent Strine from further harassing her indicating that his style of help failed, Sawyer decided to become independent and fight back. With feminist overtones more apparent, Sawyer, with a brilliant monologue delivered by Foy, berates Strine for his crimes, which eventually leads to Sawyer exploiting Strine's disturbing obsession to goad him into leading Juno Temple's intriguing Violet to the basement and retrieve her weapon. Even by the time Sawyer kills Strine, we are left to wonder that, even if she did manage to help herself, audiences are left to a seemingly ambiguous ending, and an overall fun and exciting thriller with artistic merit.

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In all honesty, one does not simply have to finish writing the synopsis of this story in order to know how the plot ends, and yes, cliches are bound to be encountered, and its simplistic nature could disappoint some who truly wish for the more paranormal endeavor, but the unique visual style and execution help Unsane to stand on its own two feet. Plus, with a fully realized roster of characters and an intriguing artistic message behind the craft, and a brilliant and innovative filmmaking breakthrough with the use of phones, this is definitely more than just an average B-movie with a more or less so-so plot. There is beauty in simplicity, after all. I hereby grant this film a score of 19/25 (Pleasant Entertainment).

Wow, I honestly did not know what I was expecting when I finally got to watch this on basic cable. I have to say. I was never really much of a fan of Soderbergh's filmography before, namely due to me still not being able to watch more than a quarter of his films. Thanks to this, and one funny and quirky movie known as Logan Lucky, I am definitely looking forward to see more of his illustrious works, and see how else he can innovate the industry a whole lot more. Perhaps before leaving, do check-out this small interview of Steven Soderbergh, where he discusses more about Unsane. Stay tuned for more Dateline Movies!

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Captain Marvel is ... Considerably Meh

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Captain Marvel (2019)

Rated PG-13: For Minimal Language and Violence

Running Time: 123 minutes (2 hours and 3 minutes)

Genre/s: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction, Superhero

Released on March 8, 2019 (US Release Date; Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures



"Carol Danvers" Created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan

"Captain Marvel" Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan



Directors: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Writers: Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet

Starring:

• Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / "Vers" / Captain Marvel
• Samuel L. Jackson as Nicholas "Nick" Fury
• Ben Mendelsohn as Talos / Director Keller
• Annette Bening as Supreme Intelligence; Mar-Vell / Doctor Wendy Lawson
• Jude Law as Yon-Rogg

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"Only you can define your own strength." After a series of politically charged hiccups, followed by a mediocre marketing campaign and a couple of numerous video essays criticizing the film (and some about the franchise's seeming monotonous nature as a whole), the film's future seemed bleak. This was made even worse with the knowledge that the title character was being teased as a massively important character for the forthcoming Avengers: Endgame, despite never being referenced in any of the previous installments. With an open mind, does Captain Marvel live-up to expectations?

In 1995, "Vers," played by Larson (Room) crash lands on Earth after a battle with Talos, played by Mendelsohn, a member of the shape-shifting alien race known as The Skrulls. Separated from her colleagues at the technologically advanced Kree's elite kill team Starforce, and her mentor Yon-Rogg, played by Law (Both Mendelsohn and Law appear in Black Sea), "Vers" is forced to partner with former C.I.A. operative turned low-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury, played by Jackson (187), to prevent Talos from enacting his plans. However, "Vers" begins to suspect that there is more to the war than meets the eye, and only a mysterious woman known as Doctor Wendy Lawson, played by Bening (20th Century Women) might have the answers.

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At its core, this movie is about the discovery of one's true self amidst countless acts of deception and lies. Much like how this feature has to prove itself to a world that has already grown accustomed to numerous, more popular superheroes, we have "Vers" also attempting to impress her colleagues, and her world's superior known as the Supreme Intelligence (also played by Bening), who takes the form of the person that each individual idolizes. "Vers," constantly reminded by Yon-Rogg to always have her emotions controlled, eventually realizes the truth that she should embrace her strength, and become the franchise's version of Captain Marvel.

However, even if the core theme of the film does seem inspirational on paper, it is particularly elementary for a two-hour, PG-13 superhero cinematic adventure. Though movies can generally make even the most mundane of themes thought-provoking and insightful, without proper execution, the message would ultimately be lost in translation. Captain Marvel, for all of its intents and purposes, be it to introduce audiences to another big screen role-model, or to further expand the franchise's ever-growing cinematic universe, is unfortunately an example of a fairly corporate theatrical product. It also does not help that this film is predictable to the point that, even without spoiling the "twist ending" (if one would even call it that), one can immediately see that it follows the usual pyrrhic revolution formula, rendering everything incredibly stake-free. 

After being able to explore the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, audiences are once more taken to an uncharted corner of the franchise: the Kree-Skrull War, which is also the title of a highly acclaimed story arc in the comics. However, this is arguably what I believe to be one of the franchise's biggest failures with this film in terms of world-building. Here, we could have seen how the highly advanced Kree species attempted to subjugate the universe in the name of security and peace at an earlier era, while we could have seen how the Skrulls attempted to thrive and survive in a seemingly unending war. In addition, we might have even get to see how S.H.I.E.L.D. functioned as an organization prior to the formation of the Avengers. Outside of a few, context-less and lifeless establishing shots or views of a few, nameless characters interacting with each other, we are never truly engrossed in the atmosphere of the 90s MCU. In other words, the portrayals of the Kree and S.H.I.E.L.D. are so surface-based that each iteration can be switched with any of their earlier appearances in other movies, because of their apparent lack of distinctions from previous appearances.

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This surface-based exploration also derails all of the key characters to the fullest degree. As we have no clue on the philosophy behind the Kree's machinations, we also have no idea as to what drives Jude Law's so-so Yon-Rogg, the Supreme Intelligence, and the rest of Starforce into becoming the individuals that they are here. Why Annette Bening's  two-dimensional yet decently acted Supreme Intelligence is so hellbent in taking over the universe, why Yon-Rogg is more than willing to blindly follow the Supreme Intelligence's orders, and why all of Starforce is simply willing to murder their colleague of six years without having second thoughts is beyond me.

To add further insult to injury, the secondary lead character, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, for all of his efforts, is reduced from an enigmatic agent with years of missions on his shoulders, to a quippy field operative with an interchangeable personality. While the film could have served as a platform to see as to how the enigmatic founder of the Avengers was before he became involved full-time in the world of superheroes, much like how we never understood the reasons of being for the Kree, we never really get to understand as to why Fury even bothers to join S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place, other than "just because." It also does not help that the truth behind the loss of his left eye was caused by him being scratched by petting an alien disguised as a cat, which severely destroys the emotional impact of Nick Fury's speech about trusting people in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. What was originally one of the most intriguing moments in that flick is now turned into a punchline, and not even a funny one to say the least. In addition, even with the return of past characters such as Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace (The Hobbit Trilogy), Korath the Pursuer, played by Djimon Hounsou (Aquaman), and Agent Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg ((500) Days of Summer), we still don't get any sense of development, despite being set on a different era.

The absence of character development for several of the supporting cast members is not as bad as how badly written the titular character is. Even though it is clear that Larson tried bringing to life a seemingly forgotten comicbook heroine for the modern audience with some funny energy, the unfitting dialogue and corny jokes, as well as the lack of any distinctive personality prohibit Larson from really doing Captain Marvel any sort of justice. In addition, the film's main theme of self-discovery should be more resonant with the main protagonist herself. The problem is that we never really felt the sense of urgency that Carol Danvers feels in her quest to prove herself. We never really felt that she was even lost, which would have been more evident if the film featured much more flashbacks of Carol's time on Earth, which is why the final battle feels so iffy. The payoff would have been more emotional if we actually got to know much more of her time on Earth, especially with her interactions with her bestfriend Maria Rambeau, played by Lashana Lynch (Fast Girls) with some level of charm. Yes, we did get to see glimpses of her life here on Earth. But those are just it. "Glimpses."

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I have to say though that even if Ben Mendelsohn's Talos is quite predictable in terms of character development, I consider his character and his performance to be the highlight of the movie. With Mendelsohn, we get a fleshed-out false villain with a heart of gold and a few actually funny exchanges with some of the characters ("Why would I turn into a filing cabinet?"), and a complete character arc involving family and war. It also did help that he gets to portray technically two characters here, with the other being his human disguise: S.H.I.E.L.D. director Keller, whom we never get to see that much by the time the third act comes around. His subtle use of accents in-between his transformations is pretty good, and it helps differentiate his two roles from each other. In all honesty, perhaps it would have been better if, for this movie, we only focused on the Skrulls alone, then the Kree on the next installment, or vise versa. That way, we could get to see much more developed characters and an even more developed universe.

Other than the many script pitfalls, the film's bland and clearly rushed, grayish aesthetic, which I never really observed only until now, does not make the film any better. Lacking the unique visual color choices from the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers movies, or even any of the Phase One entries, this film only made Marvel Cinematic Universe all the less engrossing with its dull and boring look. This also affects how locations such as the clearly, purely digital Hala, or the desert-looking world of Torf that bears the appearance of a set made in an alley at night, and unnecessarily edited fight scenes such as the train sequence, or even the boring final battle against an army of Kree ships look.

Though if there is one thing the movie did succeed in, that would have to be its connection to the first Avengers movie. Call it fan-service, if you might, but I honestly enjoyed how the film's use of the Tesseract (the glowing, blue-colored, cube shaped Infinity Stone from Captain America: The First Avenger) as Carol's source of her powers and as a plot device, as well as the feature of the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. facility, and the revelation that, with her callsign being "Avenger," Carol is the very reason as to why the "Avenger Initiative" came to be is fun, and it does feel naturally developed for a prequel. Plus, the de-aging technology used for Samuel L. Jackson, and the make-up for the Skrulls are every bit noteworthy.

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In conclusion, does Captain Marvel live-up to expectations? Sadly, no. It really doesn't, and it all mostly comes down to a screenplay that did not come close to achieving its goal of establishing a major franchise player, even though the cast did do pretty decent jobs. Packed with a generic vibe and an absolute lack of character development, and an unnecessary excess of Easter eggs and callbacks, though enjoyable in some cases as mentioned before, this film overall is not a good movie to keep audiences waiting until the next Avengers movie. Passable in terms of entertainment, sure, but watching the movie until the credits would ultimately leave you with an empty feeling. With that said, I hereby give this film a score of 14/25 (Okay?).

The funny thing is that even though I gave this film a lower score than Aquman, I found Captain Marvel much more enjoyable. And even with my points of criticism, I hope that Marvel could continue developing and improving the character until we finally get the definitive version of her. After all, we could all use more superheroes to look-up to, right?

Before we officially end this review, be sure to listen to three of my favorite songs from the film's soundtrack. Though the application of the songs is not exactly as great as how Guardians of the Galaxy did it, the songs, and a little of Pinar Topak's score did deliver that 90s atmosphere the film is aiming for. Stay tuned for more Dateline Movies!

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is ... Spectacular

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Rated PG: For Minimal Language and Violence

Running Time: 117 minutes (1 hour and 57 minutes)

Genre/s: Action, Animation, Comedy, Science Fiction, Superhero

Released on December 14, 2018 (US Release Date; Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Columbia Picture, Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Entertainment, Arad Productions, Lord Miller Productions, Pascal Pictures, and Sony Pictures Releasing

"Spider-Man" Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

"Miles Morales" Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli

Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rody Rhotman

Writers: Phil Lord and Rody Rhotman

Starring:

• Shameik Moore as Miles Morales / Spider-Man
• Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker / Spider-Man
• Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman
• Mahershala Ali as Aaron Davis / Prowler
• Bryan Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis
• John Mulaney as Peter Porker / Spider-Ham
• Kimiko Glenn as Peni Parker / SP//dr
• Nicolas Cage as Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir
• Liev Schreiber as Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin

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"Everybody can be Spider-Man." There is no question that Spider-Man is a global phenomenon. From appearing in numerous critically acclaimed multimedia projects, including being in one of the greatest superhero movies of all time in Spider-Man 2, and to being featured in one of the best Playstation 4 games so far, and even being the de facto face of Marvel Comics itself, Spider-Man has had quite the influence. In the words of Browntable in his video essay, he has become so influential, that we all strive to be like him. One animated feature tackled this theme, and that is none other than the award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

In this movie, teenager Miles Morales, played by Moore (Dope), becomes a part of a bigger universe when he receives superpowers from a genetically-altered spider's bite. This leads him to encounter Spider-People from all across the multiverse, including a more worn-out Peter Parker, played by Johnson (The Mummy Remake). With his newfound powers and responsibility, Miles must learn to become his own version of Spider-Man, just before Wilson Fisk, played by Schreiver (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) could bring about the end of everything and everyone in it with his latest plan.

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All throughout time, the world has been introduced to numerous versions of the titular web-head. For this movie, we have a total of six different iterations, aside from the two that we have already mentioned before. Each manage to standout on their own, despite the lack of screen time for some of them. Here, we have a still alive Gwen Stacy, played by Steinfeld (Bumblebee) with pop-punk sensibility, a version with a telepathic link to a robot named Peni Parker, played by Glenn  (Nerve) with cutesy anime-like wonder, another from a purely black and white, 30s-centric universe, played by Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) with hammed-up and ever gracious old school appeal, and one anthropomorphic pig named Peter Porker, played by Mulaney (Mulaney) with comical and childish comedic tone, who is straight from a Looney Tunes-inspired world.

In addition to each actor lending a unique spin on the characters, the film expertly makes use of its primary draw, which is the groundbreaking, state-of-the-art animation styles that further emphasized the diversity of each character. If one looks closely, Peni Parker is animated with an anime style, while Peter Porker takes a more traditionally animated route. Plus, while Gwen Stacy has a mixture of two-dimensional and three-dimensional takes, Spider-Man Noir, a film noir-inspired, sketch themed style. The comicbook rendering of the overall aesthetic, noticeable through the various shots of the city and the background characters, deliver a unique sense of wonder that is almost reminiscent of a modern moving comicbook. The colorful blend of flashes and sizzles (plus hidden visual gags such as the "bagel" sound effect) inserted in every action scene also helps take the audience to a seemingly familiar world, with an other-worldly atmosphere.

At the very center of all of these more experienced versions is a completely inexperienced teenager in Miles Morales, who is played with coming-of-age charm by partial newcomer Shameik Moore. Like all of us, Miles is pressured to avoid being the odd one out in the bunch, especially since all of the other Spider-People are confident in their respective roles. He wants to feel a sense of belongingness, which is something that is hinted at the earliest scenes of the film, where Miles reluctantly accepts a scholarship to a prestigious school all because he feels comfortable in all his too familiar environment. His yearning for conformity is even magnified by his somewhat strained relationship with his parents, especially his police officer dad, Jefferson Davis, played by Henry (Widows), whom he partially abandons for the more interesting Uncle Aaron, played by Ali (Green Book). His yearning is further amplified by him wearing a merchandised version of the Spider-Man costume. Conformity, after all, as the film's amazing soundtrack suggests, is something a teenager like Miles would look for.

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When he receives his powers, and when he is invited to be trained by his universe's version of Spider-Man, played by Chris Pine (Wonder Woman), Miles finally regains a new sense of conformity after a brief experience with uncertainty. Even after Kingpin kills the adult Spider-Man, and even after failing to use the full range of his skillset on the first try, he nevertheless feels even more secure when the more emotionally drained Spider-Man reluctantly brings him under his wing. But as Miles become even more comfortable with his new role, he slowly begins to realize that trying to be like all the rest is never going to be as easy as it seems. This becomes even more apparent when all of the other Spider-People harshly train him in his universe's Spider-Man's hideout. "Everybody can be Spider-Man" all right, but not exactly like the genuine article.

Contrasting the film's message is the movie's primary antagonist: Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, a very good foil to the protagonists' who is played menacingly by the ever-reliable Schreiver, despite not having that much characterization like his villanous, super-powered enforcers. Traumatized by the accidental deaths of his wife and son, Fisk came to the conclusion that his dear loved ones may only be replaced by seemingly close-to-the-truth substitutes from other universes. He becomes incredibly blinded to the gravity of the situation, that he is more or less driven oblivious by the potential ramifications of his actions. Like all of the other characters, they are seeking for the epitomes of conformity. 

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"We've all been there," proclaimed Gwen Stacy after Miles witnesses the death of his Uncle Aaron, actually an enforcer for the Kingpin himself, at the hands of his employer after refusing to kill his own nephew. With his sense of security shattered at the revelation of his uncle's indirect duplicity, the other Spider-People aim to empower Miles with their somewhat similar turning points in their lives. Miles, realizing the futility of trying to be something that he thinks he can never be, still desperately clings to the thought. His mentors have decided that he is not ready yet to fully embrace the mantle. As Peter B. Parker said, all it takes to be Spider-Man is a "leap of faith." Not a tragic origin story, or not even a fateful spider bite, but the courage to always take the chances necessary to become who they are supposed to be. In case it is not yet obvious, this serves as a reminder not only to our perspective character, but also to us, the audience. And as soon as the climactic moments come around, complete with Miles finally making his own original take of the suit, and having him perform that one memorable scene from the trailer of Miles leaping from a building, the message that the film has been telling us is as clear as day.

The story, aside from focusing on Miles Morales' journey of self-discovery, also makes several subtle, and at most times obvious references to Spider-Man's legacy in the real world. From nigh faithful recreations of iconic scenes, including one specific scene from Spider-Man: Homecoming, to actual memes, not only do these scenes serve as somethings extra for the loyal fans, but each are included to further emphasize how much Spider-Man has helped inspire countless of readers, viewers, and heroes to always fulfill their responsibilities. Now this is a rare instance in filmmaking history when Easter eggs are actually included to fulfill a more meaningful purpose.

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Overall, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is more than just a bursting blend of color and creative animation. It is more than just an excuse for Sony to again compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe to make their own Spider-Man franchise. It is more than just a fan-service-centric trip to the theaters. This is a tribute not only to the legacy left behind by both Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, who have been rightfully and beautifully honored by the end credits of the film, but to the countless who have been inspired by the web-swinging, Amazing Spider-Man. Though several key characters, including most of the other Spider-People, and all of the Kingpin's henchmen, audiences will nevertheless have quite a time watching this film, thanks to an innovative and carefully executed animation project, complete with heartfelt moments, decent voice acting, catchy soundtrack, and brilliantly paced action. I hereby grant this film a rating of 22/25 (Awesome).

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Two months. Two months of inactivity. So much has happened, and during this time, something interesting took place. Remember our short film, Fago? Last February 23, 2019, the awarding ceremony for the 5th Don Bosco Film Festival took place, and we managed to receive four nominations for Best Editing, Best in Lights and Sounds, Best Picture, and Best Director. We also won best actor for our leading man, Eduardo "Dandin" Prats, Jr., and best screenplay (that's me). With all that said, we would like to thank everyone who supported the film. This was truly a blast to work on! 

And to conclude this review, indulge yourselves to three of the songs from the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack. Yes, since I am "this" close to finally graduating from high school, you could bet that we would be publishing every now and then (hopefully). Stay tuned for more Dateline Movies!

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