KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 (Theatrical Release USA 2003)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.7|5.0 Starsìììì

Kill Bill: Volume 1—Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu at their best—introduces its audience to the formidable blood and gore directing and writing skills of Quentin Tarantino. This movie, not for the faint of heart or children, launches the female actress into the martial arts arena with a vengeance. The timing, choreography, cinematography? Excellent on every level. A good watch for the very mature audience desiring a movie that exploits violence to the nearly unwatchable level.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Bill (David Carradine) shoots the bride (Uma Thurman) who carries his child. Unfortunately, for him, this bride lives.

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Quentin Tarantino for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Erica Steinberg, E. Bennett Walsh, Bob Weinstein, and Harvey Weinstein for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), Budd (Michael Madsen), Sofie Fatale (Julie Dreyfus), Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama), Hattori Hanzo (Shin’ichi Chiba), Johnny Mo (Chia-Hui Liu), Earl McGraw (Michael Parks), Buck (Michael Bowen), and Boss Tanaka (Jun Kunimura).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The movie targets a specific audience and provides a perfect fit for that audience.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

KILL BILL: VOLUME 2 (Theatrical Release USA 2004)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.7|5.0 Starsìììì

Kill Bill: Volume 2—Uma Thurman continues to deliver blood and gore to a most profound level—follows the release of Kill Bill: Volume 1 without apology for even one of its plasma-loaded scenes. For the mature audience, this film does not fail to ‘fill the bill’ with violence.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman) eliminates more members of the Deadly Vipers.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Quentin Tarantino for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Erica Steinberg, E. Bennett Walsh, Bob Weinstein, and Harvey for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), Nikki (Ambrosia Kelley), Earl McGraw/Esteban Vihajo (Michael Parks), Edgar McGraw (James Parks), Trucker (Jonathan Loughran), Buck (Michael Bowen), Bald Guy (Kenji Ohba), Tokyo Businessman (Yoshiyuki Morishita), Boss Tanaka (Jun Kunimura), Boss Honda (Goro Daimon), and Boss Koji/Crazy 88 (Kazuki Kitamura).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. For the audience who fell in love with Kill Bill: Volume I, this film does not disappoint or fail to stay true to the original vision of Director Quentin Tarantino.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (Theatrical Release Japan 1984)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.7|5.0 Stars ììì Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind—Japanese anime—takes about the first hour to set up its story and the last 30 to 40 minutes to clarify many of the questions that arise while watching. The story is almost incoherent for the first half and paces itself slowly. Expect a creative watch that seems almost Star War-ish as when Lord Yupa rides his bird animal across the desert. The camerawork is suitable, the voicing is very good, the musical scores and the special effects are very well done. Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Lord Yupa (voice by Patrick Stewart) sits astride a large, two-legged bird (like an ostrich). Both the bird and Lord Yupa have futuristic gas masks in place. Lord Yupa dresses in a long overcoat. A wide-brimmed hat droops around his head. He leads another bird who serves as a pack mule. Lord Yupa travels to a village that is covered in a type of cobweb, dismounts, takes his rifle from its case, and forces one of the house doors open. Everything inside is covered in spider webs and is completely desolate. Lord Yupa looks at the ground at the house entrance, sees a small doll, and picks it up. The doll crumbles to pieces in his hand and Lord Yupa says, “Yet another village—dead.” The camera flashes screens to dragonfly-like creatures swarming the village. Lord Yupa steps outside, looks at the sky, immediately mounts his bird, and flees.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Hayao Miyazaki for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Toru Hara, Michio Kondo, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma for making the film possible. Cast include: Alison Lohman, Uma Thurman, Chris Sarandon, Edward James Olmos, Mark Hamill, Jeff Bennett, Tress MacNeille, and Tony Jay.

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. Creative, but difficult to follow during the first half of movie. The film has great voicing and animation.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers

THE WAR WITH GRANDPA (Released to Switzerland 2016)

 

Ben Meyers’ Rating: 3.8|5.0 Starsììì  The War with Grandpa—presents as a comedy—has little comedy. This is a war where everyone loses. It has a good cast: Oakes Fegley, Christopher Walken, Cheech Marin and Uma Thurman, but it does show a situation where someone should have stepped in long before the climax reveals itself. There are some original comedic points; but overall, it is not a high quality storyline.   Film Poster Courtesy of IMDb Storyline A woman believes her father can't take care himself anymore. So she brings him to her house and makes her son's room into his room; but her son is not happy.  Additional Thanks Thank you to Director Tim Hill for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Marvin Peart, Rosa Morris Peart, and Phillip Glasser for making the film possible. Cast includes Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Oakes Fegley, Laura Marano, Cheech Marin, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Walken.   Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?  Maybe. It is well-acted and has good portrayal, but no one 'wins' in this movie. It is meant to be a comedy, but seems to fall flat in storyline.  Video Critique Available Here: Ben Meyers

BATMAN & ROBIN (Theatrical Release USA 1997)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.5|5.0 Starsììì

Batman & Robin—one of the best in the Batman movie remake series—adds George Clooney to the stable of actors who interpret the Batman/Bruce Wayne character. Clooney renders the Bruce Wayne half of Batman with a sophistication and solidness that differs entirely from Val Kilmer's more youthful, brash and rash vision of Bruce Wayne in his Batman Forever film. While the movie fails in the scenes detailing petty arguments between Batman and Robin over Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) as they are in transit to fight the evil Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), the evil laughs of Arnold Schwarzenegger spill ‘chill’ more than all the evil laughs of Two Face and the Riddler combined in previous versions of Batman. The acting? More realistic than previous Batman movies. The script has more strength than the previous three Batman films combined. While Batman and Robin ‘suiting up’ for action works on the comically lame side, Uma Thurman, considering her scripted dialogue, plays an interesting Poison Ivy.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) fight the evil Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) with some interesting interaction with Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman).

Additional Thanks

Thank You to Director Joel Schumacher for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Dr. Victor Fries (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Bruce Wayne (George Clooney), Dick Grayson (Chris O’Donnell), Dr. Pamela Isley (Uma Thurman), Batgirl/Barbara Wilson (Alicia Silverstone), Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Gough), Commissioner James Gordon (Pat Hingle), Dr. Jason Woodrue (John Glover), Julie Madison (Elle Macpherson), Ms. B. Haven (Vivica A. Fox), and Nora Fries (Vendela Kirsebom Thomessen).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The provocative casting mix of Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, and Uma Thurman creates a worthy watch.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers