LOGAN (Theatrical Release USA 2017)

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.2|5.0 Starsìììì 

Logan appears to be the final film for Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart in the X-Men franchise. This movie contains a great deal of graphic violence, but not to the ‘close the eyes and turn the head away’ level. The acting and presentation are good. The roles assigned to both Jackman and Stewart seem better placed and more realistic than previous X-Men movies. This movie presents a new young actress to the series, Dafne Keen, who acts an exceptionally vicious role. It will be interesting to follow her career path. Very good creative artistry for everyone involved in producing this story. The movie deserves its watch. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

Despite aging and a decrease in powers, remaining X-Men continue to be hunted and must find ways to fight. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director James Mangold for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, and Lauren Shuler Donner for making the film possible. Casting includes: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Dafne Keen. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. WOW! Good concept and great to watch. This movie is not child friendly due to its exceptionally vicious violence.

Video Critique Available Here:

 

Ben Meyers

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (Theatrical Release USA 2014)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.5|5.0 Starsììì 

X-Men: Days of Future Past—meaningless—has all the bells and whistles of a great movie but the bells aren’t ringing. The movie falls flat and the audience feels empty after watching it. It’s below par and has no redeeming factors to encourage recommendation to watch it. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

Robots have been sent to kill mutants and all humans who could become mutant. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Bryan Singer for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Bryan Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, and Hutch Parker for making the film possible. Cast includes: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Fan Bingbing, Elliot Page, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

No. This film is a ‘wanna be great’ and fails to be great due to weak writing and portrayal. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.1|5.0 Starsìììì 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine—good action, well-written story—will particularly suit X-Men and Wolverine fans. The movie can be watched as a stand-alone movie about the relationship between Wolverine and his older brother, Victor Creed. The movie sports good acting and presentation. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

This superhero film is about two half-brothers who live through centuries of time. Then, the brothers are recruited by William Stryker to form a team of mutants to search for the source of a special mineral. Wolverine eventually leaves the team for the sake of humanity to pursue a more respectable job.

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Gavin Hood for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter, Hugh Jackman, and John Palermo for making the film possible. Cast includes: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, and Ryan Reynolds.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. The movie serves as a good film for fans of X-Men movies and/or the X-Men Comic series. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers 

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (Theatrical Release USA 2006)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì 

X-Men: The Last Stand—good concept, story quality fluctuates throughout the movie—reprises most of the actors and actresses for this final film in the series. The quality of entertainment is on par with the first two movies. The next movie about X-Men begins with prequel stories to the series and starts with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

This superhero film is about a time when mutants are offered an inoculation to cure mutantism. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Brett Ratner for directing efforts. Thank you to Producers Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter, and Ave Arad for making the film possible. Cast includes: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Rebecca Romin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Patrick Stewart, and Vinnie Jones.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This is a good/suitable watch and is comparable in entertainment quality to the first two X-Men movies. 

Video Critique Available Here: 

Ben Meyers 

FLUSHED AWAY (Theatrical Release USA 2006)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì 

Flushed Away—while other films like An American Tail or Teenage Mutant Turtles can get away with settings resting in the sewer, somehow this movie cannot manage that setting. The animation is good, but the setting of the entire movie keeps getting in the way of the story itself. The characters cannot establish lovability or likeableness and that lack hampers the story’s appeal. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

A pet rat gets a taste of living on the rougher side of town that includes not only rats but a toad with plans of its own. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Directors Sam Fell and David Bowers for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Cecil Kramer, David Sproxton, and Peter Lord for making the film possible. Cast includes:   Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Jean Reno, Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis, Shane Richie, and Ian McKellen. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Maybe. The film lacks charm and basic appeal. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

X2: X-MEN UNITED (Theatrical Release USA 2003)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.0|5.0 Starsìììì 

X2: X-Men United—elaborates on the X-Men story—reprises the roles of Hugh Jackman, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen. It adds Brian Cox and Alan Cumming. The  presentation needs more crafting but the movie is an enjoyable watch and quite entertaining…a good afternoon watch. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

This superhero film is about a machine that is developed to wipe out all Earth’s mutants. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Bryan Singer for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter for making the film possible. Cast includes: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Bruce Davison, and Anna Paquin. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This movie is not as good as the first movie in the series, but it still earns a recommendation as watchable and entertaining.

 Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

X-MEN (Theatrical Release USA 2000)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.1|5.0 Starsìììì 

X-Men—great concept—entertains and has great casting: Patrick Stewart, James Marsden, Ian McKellan, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Tyler Mane, and Ray Park (Darth Maul character in Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace and Toad in the X-Men).  Watch for Hugh Jackman in his first role as Wolverine. The movie is not the high quality one would expect, but it is suitable and particularly serves the superhero fan.  

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

This superhero film is about a time when it becomes increasingly apparent that not all humans are the same…some are mutants with superhuman abilities…the government intervenes…mutants divide in opinion of how to integrate with humans so they can occupy the same environmental space safely. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Bryan Singer for directing efforts. Thank you to Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter for making the film possible. Cast includes: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Bruce Davison, Rebecca Romin, Ray Park, and Anna Paquin. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This is the first live-action X-Men film. It is watchable and will suit superhero fans well.

Video Critique Available Here:

 

Ben Meyers 

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (Theatrical Release USA 2017)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì 

The Greatest Showman—beautifully presented, backed with outstanding music and dancing—is wonderful. The singing is some of the best a movie could have and brings both joy and excitement. This piece reminds one of why we go to the movies and deserves its addition to the home video library collection. It tells the P. T. Barnum story with finesse, dignity, and integrity. Great to see Hugh Jackman pull this off so well and the terrific choice of Zac Efron as a business partner. WOW!!! What a treat! No ‘shab’ here. It’s a film that will soar in popularity through the years.

 Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline 

P.T. Barnum’s inauspicious start and grand accomplishments. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Michael Gracey for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Laurence Mark, Peter Chemin, and Jenno Topping for making the film possible. Cast includes: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This is a wonderful film that more than earns its watch…a superior musical that touches the heart with its decency, honesty, and integrity to all that is good in life. Thank you to all involved in its production. Magical. Michael Gracey does an outstanding directing job. Thank you to all involved in production.

 Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

THE FOUNTAIN (Theatrical Release USA 2006)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.7|5.0 Starsììì 

The Fountain—difficult to understand due to the introduction of high spirituality ideas—can seem convoluted to the uninitiated audience. The acting is excellent with the team of Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

A medical researcher endeavors to save his dying wife. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Aaron Aronofsky for directing efforts. Thank you to Producers Arnon Milchan, Iain Smith, and Eric Watson for making the film possible. Cast includes: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, and Ellen Burstyn. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Maybe. It is a story that is something wonderful shrouded in mystery. 

Video Critique Available Here: 

Ben Meyers

LES MISÉRABLES (Theatrical Release USA 2012)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.9|5.0 Starsììì

Les Misérables starts well—almost with the majestic feel of Lord of the Rings. This musical is not the ‘typical’ musical—much of the dialogue is sung without the benefit of rhyming lyrics and musical score. Now that the format is understood, the story can be settled into. The first big surprise is that Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway can sing—well. We already know Hugh Jackman can sing (Oklahoma!). The acting is—good. The story is—unsettling, darkly written. It’s no Cinderella story—the working-class, single mother does not rise to a place of plenty, but is lowered into a life of prostitution, disease, and poverty. This story is a dive into reality where revolutionaries do not live to celebrate the day, but are massacred as they stand and deserted by those for whom they fight. Good deeds are not rewarded and injustices are madly pursued until the critical question is finally asked, “If we live in a world of grace and forgiveness, what happens to law and order?” Irreconcilable worlds clash, neither one forgiving of the other, until it seems that only on the other side of death shall all be made right. The climatic ending scenes send this movie through the roof for kudos. Les Misérables takes a while to tell its story, but don’t miss it.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is released on parole, but cannot find a job. Bishop of Digne (Colm Wilkinson) gives him a place to stay, but Jean Valjean steals his silver. When the police catch Jean Valjean, the Bishop tells them he gave the silver to Jean Valjean and then tells Jean to go make a life for himself.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Tom Hooper for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Nicholas Allott, Liza Chasin, Angela Morrison, F. Richard Pappas, and Thomas Schönberg for making the film possible. Additional character/cast include: Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), Javert (Russell Crowe), Fantine (Anne Hathaway), Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), Thénardier (Sacha Baron Cohen), Madame Thénardier (Helena Bonham Carter), Marius (Eddie Redmayne), and Enjolras (Aaron Tveit).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film’s message is unmistakable and needs to be retold again and again.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers