DUNE: PART TWO (Released to Theaters USA 2024)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì  Dune: Part Two—improves over the 2021 Dune—has stronger acting from Timothée Chalamet.  It is best to watch the first Dune, then this Dune: Part Two as there are references that may be difficult to understand if the first movie has not been watched.  Film Poster Courtesy of IMDb Storyline  Paul Atrietes and his mother continue to make alliances with the Freman,  and Paul tries to take actions against the persons responsible for destroying his family.    Additional Thanks Thank you to Director and Producer Denis Villeneuve for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producer Herbert W. Gains, Joshua Grode, John Harrison, Brian Herbert, Kim Herbert, Byron Merritt, Richard P. Rubinstein, Jon Spaihts, for making the film possible. Cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Dave Bautista.  Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? Yes. This movie is better than the first Dune movie due to stronger acting and writing. Be aware that the movie tries to work like an epic movie and is 2 hours and 46 minutes long.    Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

ELVIS (Theatrical Release USA 2022)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.5|5.0 Starsìììì

Elvis—solid, Grade-A, WOW! movie—accesses the skills of Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. The movie uses a terrific and unexpected technique of telling the story through the eyes of Colonel Parker rather than through Elvis or his family’s eyes. The scenes have perfect placement and timing. The dialogue remains true to life and new details of the Presley story are brought to the forefront in the storyline. Great work for all involved. This movie ranks as some of the best movies Director Baz Luhrmann has directed. The movie easily earns its watch. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

This musical bio-pic is about the life of Elvis Presley as told through the eyes of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Baz Luhrmann for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, and Schuyler Weiss for making the film possible. Cast includes: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Luke Bracey. 

Buy a Ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. The movie completely engages its audience and becomes a great piece of entertainment whether one is or is not a fan of Elvis Presley. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

ALIENS IN THE ATTIC (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì 

Aliens in the Attic—a little scary, a little comedy—marks itself with just the right mix to appeal to the wider audience for entertainment value. The movie wisely chooses cast built on a family’s wide span of generational ages who are each involved in the interests appropriate to their ages and then throws them into situations quite inappropriate to those ages. This enables comedy to break the horror of the quite terrifying aliens living in the attic and makes this a movie worth watching for the whole family. The presentation is intriguing, and the acting is fair/good. The writing is solid, Disney-style story-telling that relies on honest, clean delivery that is fresh and quite welcome. The animation of the aliens is still great 13 years later with no lack of creativity in mixing the animated world with the human world. Watch for Ashley Tisdale’s very good performance as the teen in the middle of young love. 

Storyline 

Aliens endeavor to retrieve something that belongs to them while a family tries to vacation in a leased vacation home. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director John Schultz for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Barry Josephson for making the film possible. Cast includes: Carter Jenkins, Austin Butler, Kevin Nealon, Robert Hoffman, Doris Roberts, Tim Meadows, and Ashley Tisdale. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. This is a very good choice for a holiday family share movie that provides good humor and a satisfying conclusion.

 Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers