Meat at the Movies: Not-So-Fantastic Four

We're experiencing a quick movie rotation this summer in the theaters with four new flicks out this week. Most of them actually have decent ratings. So which are you going to see this weekend: Shaun the Sheep, The Gift, Ricki and the Flash or Fantastic Four.

Starting off with the Wednesday release, Shaun the Sheep. From the creators of Wallace and Gromit, a TV series turned full feature film Shaun the Sheep follows...Shaun, the sheep...a sheep that doesn't always follow the flock. When the flock looses their farmer in the roll-away trailer, Shaun must get everyone together and head down to the city to save him. With an outstanding 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics are saying that this funny, silent, stop-motion movie is great for all ages even if they're unfamiliar with the characters.

Next for the mystery/suspense movie of the week, The Gift. Just when young couple Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) think that life is going just as planned they run into an old acquaintance of Simon's, Gordo (Joel Edgerton). After a series of gifts from Gordo, Robyn learns of a dark secret from Simon and Gordo's high school past and questions their relationship. With a rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics are raving Edgerton's directorial debut saying that the pacing of thrillers is key to a great movie and that he has got it down to a science.

Now a movie for the ladies Ricki and the Flash. Academy Award (R) winner Meryl Streep plays Ricki who put everything on the line to become a hard rock singer/guitarist. Playing side by side with her actual daughter who plays her fictional daughter, Ricki forgets her family while on her road to stardom and needs to reconnect and make things right with her them again. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 64% on this dramedy, critics either say that its a charming film with Streep really rockin' with the songs and time spent with the fictional family seems honest and fun; while others say Streep is unbelievable and the music writer Diablo Cody and director Jonathan Demme don't mix. Believe it or not at 64% critics are just about split.

Last and possibly least, I have the displeasure to say that Fantastic Four looks to be a flop. They just can't seem to get that series right. After four young hopefuls successfully travel to another dimension via teleportation their lives and bodies will never be the same. Each acquires a unique special ability that they need to learn to harness in order to save the world from a friend turned enemy.  With a rating of only 12%, the best description I could find comes from Todd McCarthy of Hollywood Reporter, "Fantastic Four feels like a 100-minute trailer for a movie that never happens." The comic books are great, the actors are more than capable but the movie has such a long build up and takes almost the full length to get where its going and when you finally arrive, you're not quite sure where you are.

As always take a look at the trailers below and until next week, we'll MEAT at the movies!