HANNA (Theatrical Release USA 2011)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì 

Hanna—fresh and highly creative story concept—reveals the outstanding acting talents of Saoirse Ronan. Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett do a terrific job of creating suspense as they work against each other as secret agents. The movie is tense, suspenseful, and completely unique—a well-done drama thriller that makes a good watch for an adult audience. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

A young girl, engineered to be a super soldier, decides to leave her final training and search for her past and her future. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Joe Wright for directing efforts. Thank you to Producers Leslie Holleran, Marty Adelstein, and Scott Nemes for making the film possible. Cast includes: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Vicky Krieps. Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, Michelle Dockery, Jessica Barden, Jason Flemyng, and Cate Blanchett. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. This film is completely engaging and worth its watch. Be aware that the film exercises excessive and graphic violence. 

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

STARDUST (Theatrical Release USA 2007)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì

Stardust—high potential—fails to deliver due to poor character development, lack of backstory, average acting, complicated storyline, and weak foundation. The movie begins with highly imaginative scenes that support themselves on high budget stage sets, but the excellent stage sets cannot establish the storyline and the meaning of each scene becomes quickly lost. The film deserves its 3.8 stars because of the highly imaginative scenes, but fails in its meaningful delivery.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Magical kingdoms, falling stars, kings, princes, witches, princesses, jewels, Babylon candles, and voodoo dolls work together to establish rightful rulers to thrones.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Matthew Vaughn for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Stephen Marks, Peter Morton, Kris Thykier, and David Womark for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Yvaine (Claire Danes), Tristan Thorn (Charlie Cox), Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), Prince Septimus (Mark Strong), Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), Prince Primus (Jason Flemyng), Princess Una/Slave Girl (Kate Magowan), Ditchwater Sal (Melanie Hill), and Narrator (voice of Ian McKellen).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. The film needs backstory to explain and fill in the gaps of its complicated story. Read a plotline before you go.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

CLASH OF THE TITANS (Theatrical Release USA 2010)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.5|5.0 Starsììì

Clash of the Titans starts with a female voice narrating the history of the gods. Then, the story focuses on a fishing boat out to sea. The fisherman finds a casket floating close by his fishing boat and opens it to find a living baby boy lying on its dead mother’s chest. The fisherman raises the baby as his own son. At this point, the audience is engaged and interested. Clash of the Titans graphics are great; the story is great—a classic storyline with an overall great concept. However, the movie was not able to pull the greatness of the story onto the screen. When leaving the theater, one of my colleagues said, “Not many people can take such a large scale concept and successfully cram it into an hour and forty-six minutes.” This is a case where more playing time is needed to elevate a terrific story to the maximum. The movie rates as 3.5 stars only because of the large scale graphics and the intriguing monster fights. The presentation is okay. The movie is somewhat watchable but not a movie worth watching again.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The fisherman, Spyros (Pete Postlethwaite), finds an infant who grows up to become the demigod, Perseus (Sam Worthington).

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Louis Leterrier for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Brenda Berrisford, William Fay, Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull, and Richard D. Zanuck for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Zeus (Liam Neeson), Hades (Ralph Fiennes), Calibos/Acrisius (Jason Flemyng), Io (Gemma Arterton), Andromeda (Alexa Davalos), Danae (Tine Stapelfeldt), and Draco (Mads Mikkelsen).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. It has a ways to go to work at the higher level but this movie has its own interest level and serves as a light afternoon watch that does not require a huge energy expenditure to follow.

Video Critique available at:

Ben Meyers