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

WISH (Released to Theaters USA 2023)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.4|5.0 Starsììì 

Wish—cliched formula film—lacks creativity and originality. The music is out of place even though it obviously wants to make exposition for the story. The dialogue lines are ho-hum and fall flat in every scene. The protagonist has a weak script to follow even though he is the bad guy and it is pretty evident.                                                                                                            

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

 A young girl relies on wishing to move to a place of happiness. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Chris Buck for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones for making the film possible. Cast includes Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillén, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef, Jon Rudnitsky, Della Saba, and Keone Young.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

No. This film has the usual great Disney animation but that alone cannot drive the investment of a family’s entertainment time and money. This movie is like every other Disney ‘feel good’ movie with its cliched method formula and the lead female role character trying to figure it all out. Because it relies on formulaic writing, it lacks the power of Disney’s earlier movies (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella). If they had done what the 2010 sassy Tangled movie did, then it had the potential to be another Disney Classic. But, as is, the film is the epitome of bland. 

 Video Critique Available Here: 

Ben Meyers

FROZEN (Theatrical Release USA 2013)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì 

Frozen—wonderful, rewatchable, buy it to own—has heart and that Disney magic that draws audiences from all over the world. WOW! The story and its message completely captivate. The artwork is outstanding. The movie reminds its audience of what humans do and can do when motivated by love. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

A young princess has control over ice and snow but does not know how to control that power. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee for directing efforts. Thank you to Producer Peter Del Vecho for making the film possible.  Cast includes: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, and Santino Fontana. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. Classic Disney entertainment. Novel, tremendously creative in animation. This film deserves a place in the family home video library and serves as a good child/adult share film.

Video Critique Available Here:

 Ben Meyers

 

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (Theatrical Release USA 2021)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì

Raya and the Last Dragon—good concept, no soul—complicates itself in the writing department and as a result makes itself child unfriendly. Animation is the best part of the film.

 Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline 

This animated film is about a time when evil spirits turn everything into stone, a dragon who is given the power to stop them, and a young girl. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Directors Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho for making the film possible. Cast includes: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Thalia Tran, Lucille Soong, and Alan Tudyk. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The best of this movie is the animation.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (Theatrical Release USA 2016)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story—much better than Star Wars VII though IX—has heart, a better written storyline, and better structuring than the last three Star Wars productions. It has the feel of the original George Lucas films although it does not, unfortunately, quite capture the George Lucas spirit. Disney deserves a thank you and congratulations for finally making the Star Wars story their own without putting the Disney stamp on it. The acting is great to good. This film is more than worth watching and gives the series that much needed breath of fresh air to continue the Star Wars saga.  The film is a great watch and can be watched as a stand-alone movie. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline 

A scientist is forced to complete the Death Star. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Gareth Edwards for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, and Simon Emanuel for making the film possible. Casting includes: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This small addendum to the Star Wars series is both welcome and highly entertaining. The movie more than earns audience time and monetary expenditure. It stays true to the Star Wars story and incorporates a stronger human element into its plotline that is much higher than Stars Wars VII through IX. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers