AMISTAD (Relelased to Theaters USA 1997)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

Amistad, based loosely on the true story of a slave mutiny aboard the 1839 slave ship, Amistad, takes us into the courtroom as 50 captured African slaves fight for their freedom and right to return to Africa. The incident involves the United States Supreme Court as well as President Martin Van Buren (Nigel Hawthorne). It’s a true-to-form Stephen Spielberg classic about greed, power, and evil being thwarted by the few just individuals who fight for right. The tale is told through the eyes of Cinque (Djimon Hounsou), the leader of the African ship revolt.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Additional Thanks

Great work for Director Steven Spielberg. Thank you to Executive Producers Laurie McDonald and Walter Parkes for making the film possible. Cast include: Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman, Stellen Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins, David Paymer, Pete Postlethwaite, and Razaaq Adoti.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This watch works well for Steven Spielberg fans. 

Video Available Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

AKEELAH AND THE BEE (Relelased to Theaters USA 2006)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

Akeelah and the Bee—earnest, genuine, and a pleasure to watch—works its story from a Los Angeles ghetto. This is an above average family film that encourages scholarship and development of natural talent.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The story begins with South Los Angeles rap music and memorable set-up scenes from the Los Angeles ghetto. Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an 11-year-old girl, walks down the sidewalk as a narrator informs the audience of the humble beginnings of the spelling bee at Crenshaw Middle School. The scene moves from the dilapidated middle school into Akeelah’s class room to show a teacher handing graded papers to her students. The grades are not good. The teacher reprimands her students that they need to study harder in spelling, stops at Akeelah’s desk, and asks her if she studied for her spelling examination. Akeelah says, reluctantly, “No,” and the rest of the students start laughing at her. The teacher sets the paper on Akeelah’s table and says that she wants to see Akeelah after class. Akeelah looks at her grade and it’s an “A+.” She silently sighs in relief and the next scene shows Akeelah’s teacher talking to her about how great Akeelah is doing, that there will be a spelling bee next week, and she recommends Akeelah sign up for it.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Doug Atchison for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Helen Sugland, Michael Burns, Michael Paseornek, Tom Ortenberg, Marc Butan, Mark Cuban, and Todd Wagner for making the film possible. Thank you to Music Composer Aaron Zigman for scoring the film. Cast include: Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, Curtis Armstrong, J.R. Villarreal, Sean Michael Afable, and Angela Bassett.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a refreshing look at winning. The film serves as clean entertainment for both the child and adult audience while providing an educational look at spelling bees from a middle school perspective to the national perspective.

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Ben Meyers

NIGHTCRAWLER (Released to the Toronto International Film Festival Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2014)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

Nightcrawler—classy, smart, clever, and dangerous—tells its tale well. Jake Gyllenhaal interprets his character with such realism  that it makes the story completely believable. This is an entertaining watch. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), wants to be ‘somebody,’ no matter the moral cost. He finds that news stations will pay money for crimes caught on film and decides to become a crime scene photographer. He sells some of his collected/stolen items to a pawn shop owner to buy a camera. He starts filming and as greed for power and money increase, his ethics decrease.

Additional Thanks

Great work for Director Dan Gilroy. Thank you to Executive Producers Betsy Danbury and Gary Michael Walters for making the film possible. Cast include: Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Paxton, Rene Russo, and Ann Cusack.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The writer caught all the nuances of character downfall when money comes at the expense of others. Very well-written script. The movie is worth its watch.

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Ben Meyers

DJANGO UNCHAINED (Released to Theaters USA 2012)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì

Django Unchained—a type of spaghetti western a la Quentin Tarantino flick—delivers blood, blood, and more blood. It’s a rough, rowdy story for the adult audience that relies on an unlikely storyline filled with gore and revenge.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Django (Jamie Foxx) and Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) team together as bounty hunters when Dr. Schultz, disguised as a traveling dentist, asks to buy Django. When the traders refuse to sell, Dr. King Schultz kills two of the traders and injures another. The slaves kill the remaining injured trader. Dr. King Schultz then asks Django what he knows about the Brittle Brothers. Django can identify the Brittle Brothers. Dr. Schultz has a warrant for their arrest and offers Django freedom in exchange for help with hunting/identifying the brothers. After capturing the Brittle Brothers, Django becomes an apprentice to Dr. King Schultz to learn the bounty hunting trade. Django has talent for the business and soon earns money. He desires to find his slave wife and buy her freedom. Dr. King Schultz agrees to help Django find his wife and the real story begins.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Quentin Tarantino for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Shannon McIntosh, Michael Shamberg, James W. Skotchdopole, Bob Weinstein, and Harvey Weinstein for making the film possible. Cast include: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, David Steen, and Dana Gourrier.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. All the expected Quentin Tarantino story telling techniques are present in this flick. It will not disappoint Tarantino fans.

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Ben Meyers

PEARL HARBOR (Released to Theaters USA 2001)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

Pearl Harbor—a tribute to the 60^th anniversary of the World War II Pearl Harbor Attack—received nine Golden Raspberry nominations; however, it was nominated for the Academy Award’s Best Visual Effects and won the MTV Award for its action sequences. While the movie received deplorably negative reviews, it made money at box office. The strength of this film lies in its superb visual effects and action sequences and succeeds as a Ben Meyers recommended watch based on those two factors.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The film opens in Tennessee 1923 with a crop duster working the fields. The camera focuses on a barn where two boys, Rafe McCawley (Jesse James) and Danny Walker (Reily McClendon), are playing inside a plane. They accidently power the plane and it takes off with a series of risings and landings until it finally stalls in the middle of a field. When Danny Walker’s father finds what the boys have done, he is not happy and tries to take it out on Danny Walker, but Rafe defends his best friend. These childhood scenes move to World War II where both boys (as men) are enlisted United States Army Air Force pilots and the story is off and running.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Michael Bay for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Baja, Bruce Hendricks, Chad Oman, Mike Stenson, Barry Waldman, and Randall Wallace for making the film possible. Cast include: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Ewen Bremner, and Alec Baldwin.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s true to the action that viewers have come to expect from Michael Bay films (Transformers, Armageddon). It doesn’t disappoint.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

WATERSHIP DOWN (Released to Theaters USA 1978)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.4|5.0 Stars ììì

Watership Down, a British animated feature, is not a simple story, nor a story that can be lightly followed. It takes attention, thinking, and involvement to follow the storyline. But, while not well received in the United States, the movie is a completely, not-to-be-missed, more than interesting, good rendering of the importance of perseverance, instinct, and fight necessary to find, establish, and keep a safe home. Told through the eyes of rabbits, the film thoroughly and creatively explores life, death, the importance of females to the continuation of species, and the link to higher forces to successfully navigate even the most difficult of situations. Even though this film has all these good things, there is a down side to this film. It has little to no character development and the plot is a a little hard to follow as the story moves from warren to warren.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

A colony of rabbits needs to find a new warren.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director and Producer Martin Rosen for his directing efforts. Cast includes: Richard Briers, John Hurt, Michael Graham Cox, John Bennett, Simon Cadell, Terence Rigby, voiced by Roy Kennear, Richard O’Callaghan, Denholm Elliott, Lynn Farleigh, and Zero Mostel.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film may have little character development and the story may need a better plotline, but the upside is: the movie has 'impact' in that it is memorable, multi-layered, and appeals to the intellect due to its depth and value. The movie easily earns multiple watches because of the intellectual storyline.

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Ben Meyers

THE CONSPIRATOR (Released to Theaters USA 2011)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

The Conspirator—superbly directed by Robert Redford—is an American Civil War flick about the story of the persons who conspired to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Wow! What a winner!

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia  

Storyline

Wounded Civil War soldier Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) tries to keep his fellow soldier, Nicholas Baker (Justin Long) alive by shaking him every few moments and telling him a story about two men at the Pearly Gates. Frederick Aiken hears a noise, calls for aid, and men come to help Nicholas Baker first, at Frederick Aiken’s request. The camera goes to black screen and states, ‘Two Years Later’. The film is off and running about the story behind Lincoln’s assassination.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Robert Redford for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Joe Ricketts, Jeremiah Samuels, and Webster Stone for making the film possible. Cast include: James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Justin Long, Danny Huston, James Badge Dale, and Colm Meaney.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s very well done.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO (Theatrical Release Japan 1979)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Stars ììì

LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO—another great Hayao Miyazaki-directed, animated film—displays Japanese Manga at its finest. No fault found in this film. It is entertaining from its beginning to its end, a good choice for late teen/adult entertainment night.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Lupin (voice of Bob Bergen) and his buddy Jigen (voice of Steve Bulen) leave Monte Carlo Casino with large bags of stolen cash. As the casino building starts to light the warning, Lupin and Jigen run to their getaway car. Gangsters swarm to their cars for the chase, but their cars fall apart with wheels coming off, et cetera. When Lupin discovers the stolen money is counterfeit, he tracks the counterfeiting scheme and becomes involved in political intrigue, restoration of treasure and rightful political power.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Hayao Miyazaki for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producer Yutaka Fujioka and Laurence Guinness for making the film possible. Cast include: Michael McConnohie, Edie Mirman, Bob Bergen, Steve Bulen, David Povall, Jeff Winkless, Kirk Thornton, Mike Reynolds, Steve Kramer, Juliana Donald, Kerrigan Mahan, Tom Wyner, Stephen Apostolina, William Bassett, Tony Clay, Peter Spellos, John Snyder, Jeff Nimoy, Jamieson Price, Bridget Hoffman, Beau Billingslea, Paul St. Peter, Milton James, Michael Forest, Joe Romersa, Dyanne DiRosario, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, David Hayter, Barry Stigler, Kevin Seymour, and Joan-Carol O’Connell/Barbara Goodson.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Hayao Miyazaki is an entertainment master. This is Japanese Manga at its finest.

Video critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

THE INFORMANT! (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.1|5.0 Starsìììì

The Informant!—a well-directed, true story liberally sprinkles itself  with twists and turns—increases respect for Director Steven Soderbergh’s (Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, Ocean’s 13) skills and takes actor Matt Damon to the top of his game. A well-chosen supporting cast throws the audience into a nonstop, suspenseful tale about whistle blowers, their companies, and the United States government.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Marc Whitacre (Matt Damon) tells government officials that his company engages in price fixing for the product lysine. He becomes part of an insider investigation.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Steven Soderbergh for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers George Clooney, Michael London, and Jeff Skoll for making the film possible. Cast include: Lucas McHugh Carroll, Eddie Jemison, Rusty Schwimmer, Craig Ricci Shaynak, Tom Papa, Rick Overton, Melanie Lynskey, and Thomas F. Wilson.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The conclusion completely surprises.

Video Critique Available Here:

 

Ben Meyers

THE WIND RISES (Released to the New York Film Festival, New York, New York USA 2013)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

The Wind Rises becomes one of the best of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated creative endeavors. It tells the story of a young Japanese engineer who wishes to build airplanes, his disappointments as some of his models fail testing, and his concern that his successful models are used in warfare. It is an interestingly written script that explores personal relationships, otherworldly experiences, and the connectedness of everything.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Hayao Miyazaki. Thank you to Executive Producer Frank Marshall, Producer Geoffrey Wexler, and Co-Producer Robyn Klein for making the film possible. Thank you to Music Composer Joe Hisaishi for the musical score. Cast include: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, Werner Herzog, Mae Whitman, and Jennifer Grey.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This film has wonderful animation, a really awesome script that tells a wonderful story.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS (Released to Theaters USA 1995)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì

Mr. Holland’s Opus—superbly done—shows, without preaching, that our real ‘opus’ becomes the lives we affect along the way when we put our heart into our work. This film, completely worth watching, becomes one of the best musically themed films we’ve seen for awhile. Outstanding work by actor Richard Dreyfuss.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss), a musical performer and composer, aspires to be a well-remembered musical composer; but finds those aspirations down-sized to a regular suburbia lifestyle while earning his living as a high school music teacher. The film follows his disappointments and temptations, endeavors to create meaning in an occupation not well appreciated by peers and superiors, and succeeds in weaving the small threads of a life that have a good impact over the span of a lifetime.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Stephen Herek for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Patrick Sheane Duncan and Scott Kroopf for making the film possible.  thank you to Script Writer Patrick Sheane Duncan. Cast include: Glenne Headly, William H. Macy, Terrence Howard, and Damon Whitaker.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The movie is thought provoking, easy on the mind, and drives a theme of how to live life well.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

STAR TREK BEYOND (Theatrical Release USA 2016)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì

Star Trek Beyond—special effects hide many of the faults in this movie— has a weak story line that questions its relevancy and clarity. An audience may question what direction Director Justin Lin is taking this film. It is what it is. Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia Storyline Krall (Idris Elba) attacks the Enterprise and its crew scrambles for survival and means of escape.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Justin Lin for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Tommy Harper for  for making the film possible. Cast include: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Sofia Boutella.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe.  Hard core Trekkies will love the special effects.  Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

GERONIMO: AN AMERICAN LEGEND (Released to Theaters USA 1993)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

Geronimo: An American Legend succeeds beautifully in its attempt to tell Geronimo’s side of the American/Native American story. It drives the point that Geronimo has a mission in life to preserve his people and that he successfully accomplishes that mission.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The movie covers the middle and latter part of Geronimo’s life.

Additional Thanks

The film is great work for Director Walter Hill. Thank you to Executive Producer Michael S. Glick and Producers Neil Canton and Walter Hill for making the film possible. Music Composer is Ry Cooder. Screenplay written by John Milius and Larry Gross. Casting includes: Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Matt Damon, Rodney A. Grant, Kevin Tighe, Steve Reevis.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. A western worth watching for the western fan.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (Released to Theaters USA 2013)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì Star Trek into Darkness—tries too hard—fails to catch the Star Trek magic. The special effects are probably the best part. The film could almost be skipped.  Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia Storyline Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is relieved of starship duties due to failure to keep the prime directive; but, is quickly restored to his position after Starfleet headquarters undergoes attack.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director J.J. Abrams for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Paul Schwake for making the film possible. Cast include: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, and Bruce Greenwood.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. This is a suitable to okay watch. Video Critique Available Here:

 

Ben Meyers

ASTRO BOY (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì

Astro Boy, surprisingly, is better than the first episodes of the 1980 Astro Boy television series with its little different twist than the television stories had. Nicolas Cage does a great job voicing Dr. Tenma while Freddie Highmore easily earns his place as an outstanding choice to voice Astro Boy. This film needs improvement in presentation and storyline.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Toby (voice of Freddie Highmore) is accidentally disintegrated by energy spheres and is reconstructed by his father, Dr. Tenma (voice of Nicolas Cage), into a robotic body.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director David Bowers for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Francis Kao, Cecil Kramer, Ken Tsumura, and Paul Wang for making the film possible. Cast include: Freddie Highmore, voice of Ryann Stiles, Eugene Levy, voice of Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Bill Nighy, David Alan Grier, and Alan Tudyk.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. It is an okay watch but not great. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

MAO’S LAST DANCER (Released to the Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2009)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

Mao’s Last Dancer—barely broke even in box office—but is a remarkable ‘don’t miss it’ show. It’s based on the book, Mao’s Last Dancer, the true story of Li Cunxin, a Chinese ballet dancer trained in both Chinese and classical Russian Ballet, who China allowed to study under the United States Houston Ballet Company. The film examines Li Cunxin’s rigorous Chinese childhood training program, his success, and the impact study within the United States had on his personal life.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Li Cunxin (Chi Cao) is removed from his family and village as a young child for professional dance training with Madam Mao’s Dance Academy in China. His success receives notice from the Houston Ballet Company’s dance instructor, Ben Stevenson (Bruce Greenwood), who invites him to train with the United States team.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Bruce Beresford for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producer Troy Lum for making the film possible. Great musical scoring by Christopher Gordon. Thank you to script writer Jan Sardi for script writing efforts. Cast include: Bruce Greenwood, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Christopher Kirby, Suzie Steen, Madeleine Eastoe, Aden Young, Wen Bin Huang, Shu Guang Liang, and Ye Wang.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This is a terrific film that automatically generates excellent opportunity for family conversation through the wide range of history, politics, culture, and creative dance endeavor. It’s an outstanding choice for the child/adult share film.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers