WRATH OF THE TITANS (Theatrical Release USA 2012)

 Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì

Wrath of the Titans has the same difficulty most movies about Greek and Roman mythology have: There is not enough time or a big enough screen to allow the impact. This movie relies on a good cast, realistic spectacularism, great animation of monsters such as Cyclopes and creatures like the flying Pegasus. More time needs to be invested in fleshing out the main characters’ personalities. The movie is not good enough to make it worth audience time to watch unless one is involved in the series and wants to finish the stories or is a hardcore Greek mythology fan. 

Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images 

Storyline 

Zeus is losing his power and asks Perseus to help him. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director Jonathan Liebesman for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Basil Iwanyk and Polly Cohen Johnsen for making the film possible. Cast includes: Sam Worthington, Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Édgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell, Danny Huston, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Neeson. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Maybe. The general audience may enjoy this movie for its animation effects and its basic storyline. For the hardcore lovers of the gods and their interactions on earth, then the outcome of Perseus’ interaction with his father, Zeus, will be interesting.

 Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

AVATAR (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.3|5.0 Starsìììì 

Avatar, the imaginative culture and the world this culture inhabits, is vibrant with color. The movie touches the emotions at repeatedly high levels throughout the film. The acting and voicing are very good. At times, one forgets that one is watching a ‘motion capture’ movie. The writing is solid and blurs the lines that separate reality from fiction. Enjoy Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, and the rest of the cast in this audience-captivating movie.

 Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images

Storyline 

A man is assigned to serve on a planet inhabited by native flora and fauna highly deadly to human survival. 

Additional Thanks 

Thank you to Director James Cameron for directing effort. Thank you to Producers James Cameron and Jon Landau for making the film possible. Cast includes: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver. 

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. The movie has spectacular special effects that use color well. It works on an epic scale. While the basic storyline could use improvement, there is no denying the outstanding use of color, the originality of the movie’s special effects, and the creativity of the culture and its environment. It earns its watch.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

TERMINATOR SALVATION (Theatrical Release USA 2009)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.6|5.0 Starsììì

Terminator Salvation needs improvement in strength of presentation, believability, and camera work. It's good to see Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Common, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Helena Bonham Carter in the movie.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

After the nuclear holocaust, the survivors form a resistance to the terminators and Skynet.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director McG for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jeanne Allgood, Kathy Chasen-Hay, Chrystal Dowd, Sean Cushing, Peter D. Graves, Mario Kassar, Janet Lewin, Dan Lin, Emma McGuinness, Joel B. Michaels, MIchael Pardee, Jon Silk Stefan Sonnenfeld, and Andrew G. Vajna for making the film possible. Additional Cast include: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Jadagrace, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Common.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. Terminator has been presented in installments. This is the fourth installment of the series. For those who are following the series, this is the next in the series. Hopefully, the next film, Terminator Genisys, can restore the former glory of the series.

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