OCEAN’S ELEVEN (Theatrical Release USA 2001)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.2|5.0 Starsìììì

Ocean’s Eleven is a little slow getting started, but doesn’t flag after that. George Clooney and cast pull this story off magnificently. This movie is a remake of the 1960s Ocean’s Eleven with more flash and dash. There is no lack in quality, dialogue, timing, action, or scripting. Every piece of the film works for entertainment.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Danny Ocean (George Clooney) develops a plan to rob The Bellagio, The Mirage, and the MGM Grand casinos all at the same time.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Steven Soderbergh for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Bruce Berman, Susan Ekins, and John Hardy for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), Turk Malloy (Scott Caan), Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck), Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner), Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), "The Amazing" Yen (Shaobo Qin), Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), and Tess Ocean (Julia Roberts).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s worth your time and your dollar.

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Ben Meyers

OCEAN’S TWELVE (Theatrical Release USA 2004)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.2|5.0 Stars ìììì

Ocean’s Twelve—sassy, smart, and fun—uses an all-star cast to tell its story. It follows the Ocean’s series format and doesn’t fail to deliver its usual action-packed formula.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) demands the return of the $150,000,000 stolen from him. Ocean’s gang travels to Europe to steal a Faberge Egg for payback. But this story does not follow a predictably straight path as doublecross follows doublecross between professional thieves and liars.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Steven Soderbergh for his directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Bruce Berman, Susan Ekins, and John Hardy for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck), Turk Malloy (Scott Caan), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), and Tess Ocean (Julia Roberts).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. The film is a great continuation story to Ocean’s Eleven.

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Ben Meyers

OCEAN’S THIRTEEN (Theatrical Release USA 2007)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.2|5.0 Starsìììì

Ocean’s Thirteen serves up another classic Ocean’s movie with no decrease in entertainment value. The film requires closer attention to plotline as this movie’s series of cons increase in their complication from previous Ocean films. The great all-star cast continue to deliver unbeatable, on-the-spot professionalism in every scene and dialogue line. Unfortunately, this appears to be the last Ocean’s movie after the passing of Bernie Mac, but there appears to be an upcoming 2018 all-girl spinoff—Ocean’s Eight—starring Sandra Bullock.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) cons his partner, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), out of his part of the casino ownership. Danny Ocean (George Clooney) sets out to right the wrong with a complicated series of events meant to bankrupt Willy Bank’s reputation and casino.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Steven Soderbergh for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Bruce Berman, Frederic W. Brost, and Susan Ekins for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), Linus Caldwell/Lenny Pepperidge (Matt Damon), Dr. Stan (Michael Mantell), Reuben’s Butler (Ray Xifo), Bank’s Junior Executive (Adam Lazarre-White), Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), Yen (Shaobo Qin), Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck), and Turk Malloy (Scott Caan).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. The movie serves as good brain exercise while delivering the usual excellence expected from the Ocean’s series.

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Ben Meyers

REIGN OVER ME (Relelased to Theaters USA 2007)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.5|5.0 Stars ìììì

Reign Over Me—one of the best 2007 films—tells the story of a friend who helps a friend. This is a terrific drama story, well acted, and well cast. Completely worth a watch.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Dentist Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) loses his family in the 9/11 disaster. Charlie fails to move on and begins a gradual downhill slide over a five-year period. When his friend, Dentist Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), sees him, he is shocked at his friend’s condition. He tries to help him at the risk of his own marriage. 

Additional Thanks

Great work for Director Mike Binder. Thank you to Executive Producers Jack Giarraputo and Lynwood Spinks for making the film possible. Additional Cast include: Don Cheadle, Adam Sandler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Robert Klein, and Melinda Dillon.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. Do not miss this movie.

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 Ben Meyers

SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY (Theatrical Release USA 2021)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì 

Space Jam: A New Legacy—okay, not great—primarily suffers from writing failures. The discord between the father figure, LeBron James, and his son played by Cedric Joe does not work well. Don Cheadle as the antagonist does not come off well. The movie, overall, seems out of step with its audience and completely unrelatable. Even though it is nice to see the Looney Tune characters, it seems odd to throw so many Warner Brother characters up on the screen without a verifiable reference to the why question and the reason, purpose, question. There isn’t even time to think about the missing Pepe Le Pew and the movie comes off more as a 90% promotion of Warner Brothers rather than a movie meant to entertain the audience. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

LeBron James desires his son to follow in his footsteps and the son has other plans. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Malcolm D. Lee for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Ryan Coogler, LeBraon James, Maverick Carter, and Duncan Henderson for making the film possible. Cast includes: LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Khris Davis, Sonequa Martin-Green, Zendaya, Jeff Bergman, and Eric Bauza. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Maybe. This movie could almost be skipped unless following the Space Jam film story. Listen for a Michael Jordan gag.  The movie does provide a conclusion that ends on the happy note and the concept for the movie is creative.   

Video Critique Available Here: 

Ben Meyers

VOLCANO (Theatrical Release USA 1997)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì 

Volcano—believable, realistic—works with good special effects and a casting mix that seems comfortable and at ease in their assigned roles and with each other. Tommy Lee Jones and Don Cheadle drive the story. This movie is a very good example of a lower grade, good to fair script that the cast takes and makes the end product better than it had the potential to be. That is called movie making and it has been done well here. The cast made a substantial presentation that is not only worth watching but deserves its place in the home video library when one is desiring a good disaster movie. This movie works its theme well.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia 

Storyline 

A volcano erupts in Los Angeles and creates mayhem and destruction. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Mick Jackson for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Neal Moritz and Andrew Davis for making the film possible. Cast includes: Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, Gaby Hoffmann, Don Cheadle, and Keith David. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This disaster movie stands above its genre and becomes a terrific, worth-watching film. It would make a good movie to add to the home video library. It is so well presented that it somehow works almost all the way around.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

AVENGERS: ENDGAME (Theatrical Release USA 2019)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì 

Avengers: Endgame—odd conclusion that seems disjointed from its story—runs as ‘not well thought out and complicates itself.’ It’s 2-hour build up leaves the audience flat at the end. The camera work, the animation, and the acting are good to great. It’s a good watch for superhero fans, but not for general audiences. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

The Avengers unite to recover the infinity stones so that life in the universe can be restored. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Kevin Feige for making the film possible. Cast includes: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin, and Gwyneth Paltrow. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. If one wants to finish the series, this is it.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (Theatrical Release USA 2018)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì

Avengers: Infinity War is complicated because of all the A-list actors and actresses playing several of the Marvel characters in the Marvel Universe within the storyline. The exceptions to inclusion in this film are X-Men and Nick Fury and many more. Stan Lee gets his usual cameo. Watch for it as it is exceptionally easy to miss in this movie. Tom Holland is the British actor who takes on the Spiderman suit as was already established in several movies unrelated to Avengers. This movie is epic, takes viewers on a strongly themed good versus evil storyline, and leaves viewers hanging for the sequel, Avengers: End Game. It's a WOW! movie that earns its watch. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

The movie is about acquiring the six stones that allow control of infinity. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Directors Anthony and Joe Russo for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Kevin Feige for making the film possible. Cast includes: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, and Zoe Saldaňa. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. While the movie complicates itself with a barrage of characters, it is precisely because nearly all the Marvel characters appear in the film and because the storyline is terrific and well executed that make it a WOW! movie. 

Video Critique Available Here: 

Ben Meyers

IRON MAN 3 (Theatrical Release USA 2013)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì 

Iron Man 3—concludes the Iron Man series—wisely reprises Robert Downey Jr. in his role as Iron Man. Downey Jr. does not miss one opportunity to continue to develop the personality of Iron Man to its maximum. The villains are well-chosen with Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce. Watch for William Sadler and Don Cheadle. This Iron Man works at an eclectic level that requires mental attention and a quick ear to follow the plotline. The movie lacks nothing and provides good entertainment.

 Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline 

Iron Man fights against a force intent on destroying him. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Shane Black for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Kevin Feige for making the film possible. Cast includes: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, William Sadler, Miguel Ferrer, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. Robert Downey Jr., as usual, is superb. This is another great Iron Man watch.

 Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers