THE JUNGLE BOOK (Theatrical Release USA 2016)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì

The Jungle Book—
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.

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Ben Meyers

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Theatrical Release USA 1993)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

The Nightmare Before Christmas
catches the typical Tim Burton creativeness and presents a classic animated adventure that completely captures the imagination with its strange, peculiar unusualness. This film relies on a filming technique called stop-motion animation where figures are re-positioned to create the illusion of movement when each figure’s new position is filmed in sequence. It is a treat to see this effect as it lends a heightened surreal atmosphere to the movie.  Kudos to Director Henry Selick for catching all the nuances of a Tim Burton story.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Skeleton Jack Skellington (voice Chris Sarandon) has run Halloween Town’s annual Halloween show for years. This year he really does not desire to run the annual festivities and wanders into a forest where he opens a door into a very different world: Christmas Town. Completely impressed with the uniqueness of Christmas Town, he endeavors to bring its flavor into Halloween Town, but the residents of Halloween Town are unable to grasp the meaning and spirit of Christmas Town due to their long-held environmental filters that focus on the meaning of Halloween. Jack tries to bridge the two worlds only to discover that his own holiday has its own place and value.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Henry Selick for his directing efforts. Thank you to Producers Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Jack Skellington singing voice/Barrel/Clown with Tear Away Face (voice of Danny Elfman), Santa Claus (voice of Edward Ivory), Sally/Shock (voice of Catherine O’Hara), Evil Scientist (voice of William Hickey), Mayor (voice of Glenn Shadix), Lock (voice of Paul Reubens), Oogie Boogie (voice of Ken Page), and Big Witch/WWD (voice of Susan McBride).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This offbeat Tim Burton story shows extreme creativity and unique animation that earns itself the right of purchased tickets. Add to that the value of a good story line and you have a ticket worth buying.

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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.

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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 DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (Theatrical Release USA 1951)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.9|5.0 Starsìììì


The Day the Earth Stood
Still—a 1951 film that still stands in 2017 as one of the most well-written scripts Hollywood has produced—has great action, suspense, casting, timing, and acting. Add the fact that they wrapped it in innocence so that everyone can watch it and you’ve got great entertainment that serves the widest possible audience.

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline

An outer space ship lands in a Washington, D.C. baseball field. All military surround the ship and wait for a ramp to lower. They are surprised to see a spaceman disembark and proclaim peace to all Earth’s inhabitants. A young, nervous soldier pre-anticipates trouble and shoots the spaceman in the shoulder. A humanoid robot, Gort (Lock Martin), disembarks and begins vaporizing all weapons. Klaatu (Michael Rennie) orders the robot to stop and the American soldiers realize they should help the space man with his wound. They take him to Walter Reed Hospital where the spaceman applies a special salve to heal the wound. Klaatu secretly breaks out of his hospital room, against orders, in an effort to know Earth people better and the story is on.

Additional Thanks

Best Work for Director Robert Wise. Thank you to Producer Julian Blaustein for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Helen Benson (Patricia Neal), Tom Stevens (Hugh Marlowe), Jacob (Sam Jaffe), Bobby Benson (Billy Gray), and Mrs. Barley (Frances Bavier).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This film is a ‘must see sci-fi’ flick for all ages and all people. No offense here. It’s cleanly done and contains some of the best acting and satisfying portrayal of story out there, period.

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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?



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Ben Meyers

BARTON FINK (Theatrical Release USA 1991)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.7|5.0 Starsìììì

Barton Fink—
another story presented by the Coen brothers—teams John Turturro and John Goodman together in an offbeat comedy that is sure to place it at the top of the cult film list. There are some sexual references and sex scenes. Besides that, the script boils over with talent uniquely presented. It stands in its own class. Watch for Steve Buscemi in the film.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Barton Fink (John Turturro), a stage writer from New York, gets called to Hollywood to write a movie script on boxing. He is checked into a low-grade hotel room where the walls are so thin that you can hear people through the walls on both sides of the room. Barton complains to Chet (Steve Buscemi), the desk clerk, about one of the noisy neighbors, insurance salesman Charlie Meadows (John Goodman) who promptly appears at Barton Fink’s door with profuse apologies and an offer of a free drink. Barton Fink cannot write the assigned movie script and, in desperation, seeks the aid of W.P Mayhew (John Mahoney), supposedly one of the best writers in the country. Barton finds that this writer is not only an alcoholic, but is having an affair with secretary Audrey Taylor (Judy Davis). When Barton Fink finds the secretary is the real writer of the last W.P. Mayhew books, he invites her to his hotel to get ideas for writing the boxing movie script. She stays overnight. When Barton Fink awakes in the morning, the secretary is lying next to him, brutally murdered. In desperation, Barton Fink turns to his noisy neighbor Charlie Meadows for help and the show is on.

Additional Thanks

Best work for Directors and Producers Joel and Ethan Coen. Thank you to Executive Producers Ben Barenholts, Bill Durkin, Jim Pedas, and Ted Pedas for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Jack Lipnik (Michael Lerner), Ben Geisler (Tony Shalhoub), Lou Breeze (Jon Polito), Garland Stanford (David Warrilow), Detective Mastrionotti (Richard Portnow), Detective Deutsch (Christopher Murney), Derek (I.M. Hobson), Poppy Carnahan (Meagen Fay), Richard St. Clair (Lance Davis), Pete (Harry Bugin), Maitre D’ (Anthony Gordon), and Stagehand (Jack Denbo).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film, for the mature adult audience, once again shows how the Coen brothers understand casting, timing, and presenting entertainment that is entirely fresh and new.

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Ben Meyers

ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (Theatrical Release USA 1987)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.4|5.0 Starsìììì

Adventures in Babysitting—
one of the better teen/adult films Hollywood has produced—contains some sexual references and partial nudity; but, also contains a considerable number of chuckles. Actors and actresses Elizabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, and Anthony Rapp perform well together.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Chris Parker’s (Elisabeth Shue) boyfriend stands her up and she decides to take an evening babysitting job with the Anderson family. While she is babysitting, her friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller) calls and pleads for help. Brenda ran away from home, is stuck in a bus station, has no money, and wants to go home. Brenda is being harassed by an elderly homeless man while another younger man keeps flashing a gun at her. Chris needs to help her friend, but feels conflicted because she is responsible for the safety and well-being of the Anderson children. The Anderson children suggest they tag along on the rescue. Chris agrees and the adventures begin as the babysitter and her charges enter a less than desirable neighborhood on the other end of town.

Additional Thanks

Great work for Director Chris Columbus. Thank you to Producers Debra Hill and Lynda Obst for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Daryl Coppersmith (Anthony Rapp), Joe Gipp (Calvin Levels), Sara (Maia Brewston), Dawson (Vincent D’Onofrio), Brad (Keith Coogan, Dan (George Newbern) Pruitt (John Ford Noonan), Graydon (Ron Canada), Bleak (John Davis Chandler), Mr. Anderson (Dan Ziskie), Janitor #1 (Allan Aarons), Nurse (Marcia Bennett), Janitor #2 (Rummy Bishop), and Cleminski (David Blacker).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film is good comedy for both the teen and the adult.

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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.



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Ben Meyers

SILVER STREAK (Theatrical Release USA 1976)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Silver Streak—
an action, comedy film—displays the talents of Gene Wilder paired with Jill Clayburgh. The film, while rated PG, deserves a PG-13 rating and serves the mature teen/adult audience due to sexual references and sex scenes. The action is good and the comedy fair. The film will not disappoint in either category for action and comedy.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

George Caldwell (Gene Wilder) travels by train to attend his sister’s wedding. Along the way he meets a vitamin salesman named Bob Sweet (Ned Beatty). Then, he meets a woman named Hildegard ‘Hilly’ Burns (Jill Clayburgh),who works for an Art History professor named Schreiner (Stefan Gierasch). One night he thinks he sees the Professor’s body fall from the roof of the train; but, because George is drunk, he doesn’t know if he can trust what he sees. The next morning he sees Professor Schreiner’s book about Rembrandt in Hilly’s room. George tells her he thinks he saw the professor fall from the roof of the train. Hilly is skeptical that George tells the truth, so later that day he goes into the Professor’s room where he is confronted by looters and thrown off the train. He walks to a farmer’s house where he gets a plane ride and re-boards the train. In that venue, this valuable art/murder/mystery/comedy races toward its final conclusion.

Additional Thanks

Really good work for Director Arthur Hiller. Thank you to Executive Producers Martin Ransohoff and Frank Yablans for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Grover (Richard Pryor), Reace (Richard Keil), Devereau (Patrick McGoohan), Sheriff Chauncey (Clifton James), Mr. Whiney (Ray Walston), Chief (Len Birman), Plain Jane (Valerie Curtin), Rita Babtree (Lucille Benson), Ralston (Scatman Crothers), Jerry Jarvis (Fred Willard), and Burt (Delos V. Smith, Jr.).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a good comedy/action flick.


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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.

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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.


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Ben Meyers

FINDING DORY (Theatrical Release USA 2016)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.1|5.0 Starsìììì

Finding Dory
—possibly worth a second viewing—is a winner for both the adult and the child. The story inspires, has a heartfelt conclusion, and relies on music that piques positive emotions and values. Watch for the scene where the fish are released into the ocean. Pixar consistently serves quality computer animated entertainment. It’s easy to become a huge Pixar fan as the company delivers a well-defined Pixar story package and fans can always enjoy un-wrapping a Pixar film over other animated production companies’ films. This film does not disappoint Pixar expectations. It’s true to Pixar form. On the downside, this film starts slowly. It is not until Dory (voice of Ellen DeGeneres) meets Hank the Octopus (voice of Ed O’Neill) that the pace increases. The story really takes off when Hank puts Dory into the tank with her own kind so she can begin the adventure to find her parents.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Dory, a Regal Blue Tang fish, has a childhood disability—forgetting things. She loses her parents and grows into adulthood periodically remembering that she needs to find them. She meets Marlin (voice of Albert Brooks), a Clown Fish who loses and finds his son Nemo (Hayden Rolence). About a year later, Dory is staying with Marlin and Nemo and remembers that she has parents and that she has to find them now before she forgets. So, Marlin and Nemo help begin her adventure and the story is on.

Additional Thanks

Great work for Directors Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane. Thank you to Executive Producer John Lasseter for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Marlin (voice of Albert Brooks), Destiny (voice of Kaitlin Olson), Nemo (voice of Hayden Rolence), Bailey (Ty Burrell), Jenny (voice of Diane Keaton), Charlie (Eugene Levy), Young Dory (voice of Sloane Murray), Fluke (voice of Idris Elba), Rudder (voice of Dominic West), Mr. Ray (voice of Bob Peterson), Wife Fish (voice of Kate McKinnon), Husband Fish (voice of Bill Hader), and Sigourney Weaver (voice of Sigourney Weaver).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a good adult/child share film.

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Ben Meyers

TRACKS (Toronto International Film Festival Toronto Canada 2013)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.2|5.0 Starsìììì

Tracks
turns into a good Australian story that credits the directing and script writing abilities of John Curran and Marion Nelson respectively. It’s often difficult to tell this type of story well and hold audience attention. While there needs to be more filming and story line before Mia Wasikowska arrives at the Indian Ocean to round the story to its proper fullness, the effort as a whole does not flag and moves along nicely. The film sets in stone the fact that Adam Driver and Mia Wasikowska make a good acting team.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

A young Australian woman (Mia Wasikowska) decides to camel trek across the Australian desert to the Indian Ocean, a distance of 1,690 miles. She befriends National Geographic photographer, Rick Smolan (Adam Driver), who tracks her effort.

Additional Thanks

Great work for John Curran. Thank you to Executive Producers Andrew Mackie, Richard Payten, and Xavier Marchand for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Young Robin (Lily Pearl), Publican (Philip Dodd), Publican’s Wife (Fiona Press), Ada (Daisy Walkabout), Kurt (Rainer Bock), Gladdy (Felicity Steel), Sallay (John Flaus), Chilpi (Ian Conway), Evan (Evan Casey), David (David Pearce), Jenny (Jessica Tovey), Tolly (Darcy Crouch), and Peter (Brendan MacLean).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film’s casting is outstanding. Mia Wasikowska’s acting is above average. Adam Driver perfectly portrays National Geographic photographer, Rick Smolan. Great work for all involved.


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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.

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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.

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Ben Meyers

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