THE JUNGLE BOOK (Theatrical Release USA 2016)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì

The Jungle Book—a Jungle Book remake—takes the story into live action as well as computer-generated imagery. While the film is an outstanding box office success, the challenges in this film are glaringly unresolved. Dialogue seems to revolve around scripting rewritten from an earlier cartoon perspective that does not match the tone of this film. There is a slowness about the film that hampers the original liveliness found in the fully animated 1967 version of Jungle Book that may be tied to musical scoring. The film does not ‘move along well’. The cinematography is quite good and the animation is great, but the film fails to provide that ‘wonderfulness’ that makes a Disney film great. It will be interesting to compare the 2018 Warner Brothers release of Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle under the direction of Andy Serkis to this film.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The tiger, Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), kills a young boy’s father. The boy is found by Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), a Black Panther, given the name Mowgli (Neel Sethi), and trained on how to live in the jungle. A wolf pack headed by Akela (voice of Giancarlo Esposito) and Raksha (voice of Lupita Nyong’o) raise Mowgli. When Mowgli is about 10-years old, the tiger Shere Khan decides to rid the jungle of ‘man cubs’. The animals cooperatively work together to save Mowgli’s life.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director and Producer Jon Favreau for his directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Molly Allen, Peter M. Tobayansen, and Karen Gilchrist for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), Ikki (voice of Garry Shandling), Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), Gray (voice of Brighton Rose), Young Wolf (Emjay Anthony), Baloo (voice of Bill Murray), and young Wolf (Max Favreau).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. It’s always been an interesting children’s story, but the 1967 animated version is livelier and provides more heartfelt entertainment value than this version.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

BALTO (Theatrical Release USA 1995)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì

Balto partially bases itself on the true story of an Alaskan dog who saved the lives of diphtheria patients by delivering needful medicine in 1925 to Nome, Alaska. The voices for this animated show are well chosen.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Balto (voice of Kevin Bacon), part Huskie and part Wolf dog, is often greatly humbled due to his mixed heritage and low community status. When a diphtheria outbreak requires a 600-mile dog team run from Nome, Alaska to Nenana, Alaska to pick up the needed medicine, another dog is chosen to make the critical run. The other dog team proves unable to deliver the medicine and Balto saves the day with courage, determination, and spirit.

Additional Thanks

Really good work for Director Simon Wells. Thank you to Executive Producers Kathleen Kennedy, Bonne Radford, and Steven Spielberg for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Boris (voice of Bob Hoskins), Steele (voice of Jim Cummings), Jenna (voice of Bridget Fonda), Muk and Luk (voice of Phil Collins), Nikki (voice of Jack Angel), Kaltag (voice of Danny Mann), Star (voice of Robbie Rist), Rosy (voice of Juliette Brewer), Sylvie/Dixie/Rosy’s Mother (voice of Sandra Dickinson), and Grandma Rosy/Extra Voices (Miriam Margoyles).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. While this did not do well in box office, it is a terrific, overlooked story that shines in story value.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

AGENT F.O.X. (Theatrical Release CHINA 2015)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 0.5|5.0 Starsì

Agent F.O.X.—no continuity of storyline—lacks force, has a problem with the voices being well-fitted to the characters, and desperately needs a script rewrite.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Agent F.O.X. (voice of Shannon Settlemyre), while on the lookout for an artifact, tries to infiltrate the land of the bunnies.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Ge Shuiying for his directing efforts. Additional characters/cast include: Agent F.O.X./Tiny/Longtail (voice of Shannon Settlemyre), Professor Web (voice of Michael Yeager), Elder (voice of Anthony Lawson), Bunny (voice Ashley Bril), Buggy (voice of Matthew Warzel), Booky (voice of Keenan Cromshaw), Old Long Tail (Steve Vernon), Commander/Snoozy/Various Foxes (Marc Matney), Various Foxes/Pink Bunny/Air Ship (Chandler Tucker), and Spikey/Various Foxes (voice of Steve Rassin).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

No. Viewers may have difficulty staying awake during this film.

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Ben Meyers

THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE (Theatrical Release USA 1985)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.4|5.0 Starsììì

The Man With One Red Shoe—a film for the mature audience—has Hollywood pushing buttons in the same manner as Spies Like Us with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd with its flair for adult dialogue, sexual references, and some partial nudity. But, the storyline is fresh and overall is worth the adult viewer’s time for light comedy.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

CIA Deputy Director Burton Cooper (Dabney Coleman) wants Senior CIA Director Ross’ (Charles Durning) position and stages an illegal drug transportation scheme that implicates the Senior Director as using his position to work outside of expected norms. Director Ross, aware of Cooper’s plotting, stalls a government investigation of the activity by requesting time for a more thorough investigation. He directs a loyal CIA agent, Brown (Edward Herrmann), to randomly pick someone at the airport for CIA agents to track until he can come up with a plan to thwart the negative impact of Deputy Director Burton Cooper’s activities. Agent Brown picks innocent and unaware Richard Drew (Tom Hanks), a concert musician, as the tracking decoy and the story is on as successfully detoured CIA agents try to link Richard Drew’s daily routine with CIA activity.

Additional Thanks

Good Work for Director Stan Dragoti. Thank you to Producer Victor Drai for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: CIA Director Ross (Charles Durning), Morris (Jim Belushi), Maddy (Lori Singer), Paula (Carrie Fisher), Virdon (Irving Metzman), Reese (Tom Noonan), Carson (Gerrit Graham), Stemple (David L. Lander), Hulse (Ritch Brinkley), Edgar (Frank Hamilton), Natalie (Dortha Duckworth), and The Conductor (David Ogden Stiers).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

INVINCIBLE (Theatrical Release USA 2006)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì

Invincible—based on the true story of NFL Philadelphia Eagles Vince Papale—begins well; but, by the time Mark Wahlberg, as character Vince Papale, earns his position as a bona fide NFL player, the audience may be asking what this film is about and who is the main character. Director Ericson Core seems to lose his characters in the mass of things as if the whole film is about several main characters instead of one. This uncorrected script error makes it difficult to follow the story line to the end of the film. The upside is that each actor and actress artfully practices their craft.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Philadelphian Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) is 30-years old, plays amateur football with friends, and works two part-time jobs as substitute teacher and bartender. His wife accuses him of being a loser and leaves him. When he reports to his daytime job, the school principal informs him that he no longer has a teaching position. In the evening the television news announces that the Philadelphia Eagles’ new coach has opened tryouts to the public. Vince successfully lands a place for training with the Philadelphia Eagles and the rest of the story follows his work as an NFL player.

Additional Thanks

Really good work for Director Ericson Core. Thank you to Executive Producers Victor H. Constantino, Nicole Reed, and Ezra Swerdlow for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Frank Papale (Kevin Conway), Janet Cantrell (Elizabeth Banks), Max Cantrell (Michael Rispoli), Tommy (Kirk Acevedo), Johnny (Dov Davidoff), Pete (Michael Kelly), Mick (Sal Darigo), TJ Banks (Nicoye Banks), Ronnie Sampson (Turron Kofi Alleyne), Dean German (Cosmo DeMatteo), Denny Franks (Stink Fisher), AC Craney (Michael Mulheren), and Leonard Tose (Michael Nouri).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The film has its points, but Friday Night Lights or Draft Day will give more sports entertainment value for dollars and time spent.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

ANTBOY (Toronto International Film Festival Toronto Canada 2013)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 1.2|5.0 Starsì

Antboy—unrealistically laughable—starts well, in the high 3.0-star range; but, after Wilhelm (Samuel Ting Graf) finds that Pelle Nøhrmann/Antboy (Oscar Dietz) is a super hero, the film seems to fall flat. The basic concept is good; but, the script and its portrayal are hard to bear. This appears to be a first theatrical film for Director Ask Hasselbalch. It will be interesting to see more of his work in other genres. This film does show talent and actually won the Danish Roberts Award for Best Children’s Film for the year 2014.

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline

While Pelle Nøhrmann hides from bullies, an escaped laboratory ant crawls up his leg to his neck and bites him. Pelle blacks out, awakens, returns home, falls asleep, awakens to eat a great deal of sugar product, falls asleep, awakens, and goes to school. Pelle finds his world greatly changed as he breaks the door handle from one of the school room doors and then, during gym class, pushes a teacher across the gymnasium. His friend, Wilhelm, after witnessing these events, takes Pelle to his house to get him ready to be a superhero.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Ask Hasselbalch for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Bo Ehrhardt and Birgette Hald for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Ida (Amalie Kruse Jensen), Dr. Gæmalkrå/ Loppen (Nicolas Bro), Amanda (Cecilie Alstrup Tarp), Allan (Marcuz Jess Petersen), Mark (Johannes Jeffries Sørensen), Mor (Lærke Winther), Far (Frank Thiel), Mr Sommersted (Caspar Phillipson), School Photographer (Jonas Schmidt), and Pelle’s Teacher (Nanna Schaumburg-Muller).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

No. The film is unrealistic. The timing is poor (i.e., in the scenes where Wilhelm helps prepare Pelle to become Antboy). Even for the United States child audience, the story will most likely be difficult to plow through unless the child is exceptionally young.

Video Critique available Here:

Ben Meyers

THE INVASION (Theatrical Release USA 2007)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.5|5.0 Starsììì

The Invasion—a suspense thriller that does not thrill much—turns into just another film that makes a buck to pay the rent, nothing new here. On the upside, the storyline is fair; the portrayal better with quite good acting. One scene, in particular that comes to mind, focuses on the acting talents of Nicole Kidman (acting as character Carol Bennell) and Jackson Bond (acting as her character’s son, Oliver). Nicole needs to stay awake, fights that tendency, and her son does exactly what he is told with extremely realistic emotion and intense action—an outstanding scene that earns a perfect acting score.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The Patriot space shuttle crashes to Earth and brings with it a microorganism that infects humans and affects them by turning them into unemotional beings incapable of war.

Additional Thanks

Good work for Directors Oliver Hirschbiegel and James McTeigue. Thank you to Executive Producers Bruce Berman, Roy Lee, Doug Davison, Steve Richards, Ronald G. Smith, and Susan Downey for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig), Dr. Stephen Galeano (Jeffrey Wright), Wendy Lenk (Veronica Cartwright), Dr. Henryk Belicec (Josef Sommer), Ludmilla Belicec (Celia Weston), Yorish (Roger Rees), Gene (Eric Benjamin), Pam (Susan Floyd), and Carly (Stephanie Berry).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. If you’re looking for a nail biter, this isn’t the film for you; but, it is an interesting concept.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

NANCY DREW (Theatrical Release USA 2007)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.5|5.0 Starsììì

Nancy Drew—live action film based on the Nancy Drew novel set—has a sound, average script that does credit to the original novels. It’s a piece of uniform, average story telling, but it’s sound and turns into a good afternoon film watch that serves the purpose of a decent mystery story for the teen audience.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts) is just a typical girl who happens to have a special ability to solve crime. Nancy and her father, Carson Drew (Tate Donovan), move to Los Angeles where Nancy, a girl meant to sleuth, works on one of the biggest mysteries of Hollywood—what happened to actress Dehlia Draycott (Laura Harring)?

Additional Thanks

Good work for Director Andrew Fleming. Thank you to Executive Producers Susan Ekins, Mark Vahradian, and Ben Waisbren for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Thug (Craig Gellis), Charlie (Rich Cooper), Ned Nickerson (Max Thieriot), Bess (Amy Bruckner), Georgie (Kay Panabaker), Chief McGinnis (Cliff Bemis), Father Murray (David Doty), Landlady (Pat Carroll), Hannah (Monica Parker), Barbara Barbara (Caroline Aaron), and John Leshing (Marshall Bell).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Emma Roberts performs well in her role as Nancy Drew.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

SUPERMAN RETURNS (Theatrical Release USA 2006)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì

Superman Returns is about the same as movies 1, 2, and 4 in this series. It uses special effects comparable to The Avengers. It relies on an okay script, the talents of Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, and introduces Brandon Routh as Clark Kent/Superman. This film needs a better script and portrayal.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Superman returns to Krypton to examine the ruins of his former home. In his long absence, he loses his reputation as a steadfast friend of Earth and not only must regain that reputation, but save the world from another Lex Luthor scheme.

Additional Thanks

Good Work for Director Bryan Singer. Thank you to Executive Producers William Fay, Thomas Tull, Chris Lee, and Scott Mednick for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), Richard White (James Marsden), Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey), Perry White (Frank Langella), Jimmy Olsen (Sam Huntington), Martha Kent (Eva Marie Saint), Jor-El (Marlon Brando, Archival Footage), Stanford (Kal Penn), Jason White (Tristan Lake Leabu), Brutus (David Fabrizio), Riley (Ian Roberts), Grant (Vincent Stone), and Bo the Bartender (Jack Larson).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. This film is average. The 1983 Superman III is the best of this series. The 2013 remake of the 1978 film Superman, titled Man of Steel with Henry Cavill, and that series of superhero films are better films than these 5 films.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (Theatrical Release USA 1987)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace—not enough WOW! factor to garner a 4-star rating—continues to feature Christopher Reeve as Superman. This film returns with Gene Hackman as Luthor and adds Jon Cryer as his nephew Lenny. The movie  works at the okay to suitable level. This is Reeve's s last attempt to  interpret Superman. The 2006 film Superman Returns has a new actor for the role of Superman.  

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Superman as Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) returns to Smallville after his mother dies and tries to save the farm from a mall development. He returns to Metropolis and finds that the world is possibly going to nuclear war. He wonders what he should do and seeks help from the spirits of his Krypton parents. They advise him not to interfere with Earth’s problems and to seek another planet where the law is ‘no war.’ He thinks about this advice, decides against it, goes to the United Nations General Assembly, and talks about eliminating nuclear weaponry. He then travels into space, captures launched nuclear weapons into a large net and swings them into deep space. The old enemy Lex Luthor becomes involved and the story is on as good battles evil.

Additional Thanks

Fair Work for Director Sidney J. Furie. Thank you to Executive Producer Michael J. Kagan for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Lex Luthor/voice of Nuclear Man (Gene Hackman), Perry White (Jackie Cooper), Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure), Lenny (Jon Cryer), David Warfield (Sam Wanamaker), Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow), Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway), Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), Jeremy (Damian McLawhorn), Harry Howler (William Hootkins), and Jean Pierre Dubois (Jim Broadbent).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. Not much new here other than the addition of Nuclear Man.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

SUPERMAN III (Theatrical Release USA 1983)

8Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì

Superman III—a better film than its two predecessors—makes it to 3.8 Star rating. The new Director Richard Lester seems to perform better in this genre than the previous Director Richard Donner. The opening scenes take on an almost comedic element. Christopher Reeve looks older and more mature for his part as he assumes a more realistic stance for the Superman character. He loses his ‘bashful silliness’ in this film while finally seeming to have understood Superman and how to best portray him. The storyline is a little more complicated which adds interest and the addition of actors Robert Vaughn and Richard Pryor add to the movie.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Superman (Christopher Reeve) is back to attend a high school reunion. Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) takes a position as a computer programmer and hacks into his employer’s system to give himself a significantly higher paycheck. The CEO of the company, Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), notices and decides Gus Gorman has high potential to do computer dirty work to destroy the next several years of a Colombian coffee crop. Webster orders Gus to take a satellite and create a tornado to destroy the coffee crop. Superman saves Columbia from the tornado and saves its coffee crop. When Webster finds that his plans didn’t work he wants to rid himself of Superman and tells Gus to get some Kryptonite and kill him. The rest of the story is: DC comic-style good battles evil.

Additional Thanks

Fair Work for Director Richard Lester. Thank you to Executive Producers Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Perry White (Jackie Cooper), Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure), Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole), Vera (Annie Ross), Lorelei (Pamela Stephenson), Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), Brad (Gaven O’Herlihy), Unemployment Clerk (Nancy Roberts), Blind Man (Graham Stark), Penguin Man (Henry Woolf), Man in Cap (Gordon Rollings), and Bank Robber (Peter Wear).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It is better than Superman and Superman II and places it in the watchable category for an easy afternoon watch. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

TMNT (Theatrical Release USA 2007)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.2|5.0 Starsììì

TMNT—CGI animated—portrays the Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles as disbanded and deactivated when the usual, trite circumstance of a threat from another realm to earth’s security reunites them into a cohesive team. The film, supposed to push the Ninja Turtle envelope, becomes a poor continuation of the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action theatrical releases. It fails partially due to corny and hackneyed script dialogue, but mostly due to its lack of imagination and innovative story line.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have separated and are in pursuit of their own separate lifestyles when they find they need to band together again to fight 13 monsters, 4 immortal generals, and 1 dangerous immortal leader.

Additional Thanks

Good Work for Director Kevin Munroe. Thank you to Executive Producers Frederick U. Fierst, Francis Kao, Peter Laird, and Gary Richardson for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Casey (voice of Chris Evans), April O’Neil (voice of Sarah Michelle Gellar), Splinter (voice of Mako), Diner Cook (voice of Kevin Smith), Winters (voice of Patrick Stewart), Karai (voice of Zivi Zhang), Narrator (voice of Laurence Fishburne), Donatello (voice of Mitchell Whitfield), Leonardo (voice of James Arnold Taylor), Michelangelo (voice of Mikey Kelley), Raphael/Nightwatcher (voice of Nolan North), and Colonel Santino (voice of John DiMaggio).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The new movie does not compliment or enhance anything of the original 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and comes off as bland and uninspired. The 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is a better choice for time and money expenditure.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

SUPERMAN II (Theatrical Release UK 1980)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì

Superman II contains slightly better special effects, presentation and portrayal, but nothing really terrific or new, over the last Superman movie. Unfortunately, Christopher Reeve continues to portray Superman in a type of bashful silliness that just does not fit the Superman physique or expected superhero psyche. The rest of the cast seems ‘old hat’ without any uniquely new additions to add to this film’s story.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The Daily Planet newspaper sends Clark Kent/Superman (Christopher Reeve) and Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) to Niagara Falls for news story coverage. Clark Kent breaks character to rescue a boy who falls over the edge of the falls and Lois becomes suspicious that Clark Kent is Superman. But Clark Kent devises a small scheme to put her off track. The scheme works until he trips and falls into a fireplace without suffering injury. He reveals himself and takes Lois Lane to his Arctic Fortress of Solitude. In the meantime, three villains General Zod (Terrence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and Non (Jack O’Halloran) capture the President of the United States (E.G. Marshal), command obeisance, and demand the same from Superman.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Directors Richard Lester and Richard Donner. Thank you to Executive Producer Ilya Salkind for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), Otis (Ned Beatty), Perry White (Jackie Cooper), Eve Teschmacher (Valerie Perrine), Lara (Susannah York), Sheriff (Clifton James), and Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. this is an improvement over the last film in presentation and portrayal but still lacks realism, coherence, and a good script.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers