OMG... Oh My God !!

GENRE: Drama/Comedy
Director: Umesh Shukla
Cast: Paresh Rawal (Kanji Bhai), Akshay Kumar (Lord Krishna), Mithun Chakraborty, Om Puri, Mahesh Manjrekar, Govind Namdeo (Siddheshwar Maharaj)

SUPERB MOVIE…..  Incomparable concept and impeccable script. Excels in every department
of movie making.

Inspired by a very famous Gujarati play “Kanji Virudh Kanji” this movie not only should open eyes, but the lessons of this movie should be learnt by heart. God is not about practicing religious faiths, not about idols or giving money for such things. He is all about having strong belief, spreading optimism and working towards welfare for all. EACH LINE and by saying so I mean LITERALLY each line has something to teach, especially to those who are blind with worshipping idols and following religious practices.

The story is about Kanji bhai, a Guajrati businessman who is challenged by a natural disaster considered as act of God for which he is denied an insurance claim. He sues God and his worshippers for the same and the democratic judicial system keeping God equal to humans accepts the case. Story keeps on getting interesting thereafter.

Hats off to the script and screenplay, that the viewers wont even feel like moving an inch from their seats through the movie. Direction was very good (not excellent though) and was well supported by precise editing.

The best part of this movie is the performance by lead actors. Paresh Rawal delivers his best as a frustrated businessman and Akshay Kumar is witty and smart as our very own God. They both manage to transfer the message of this movie by their expert delivery of dialogues and expressions. Also, Mithun Da was enjoyable as a religious leader trying to save his side.

My Rating – 4/5, superb concept and an eye opener. People, God doesn’t teach you to spend crores of money on worshiping him but to spend small goodwill for happiness to all.

Heroine

GENRE: Drama
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast: Kareena Kapoor (Mahi Arora), Arjun Rampal (Aryan Khanna), Randeep Hooda, Divya Dutta, Ranvir Shorey.

2 pegs that people love about Bhandarkar Movies…

-                 - Realistic content. The way that he shows some hidden insights of the industry he covers.

-                 - Character development. How a person and his responses change with the situation.

This movie does justice to the first but fails in the second.

Story shoots directly from the point where an actress Mahi Arora, has made herself a big space In Indian Film Industry and is content with her success. On the contrast, her personal life is unbalanced where she has fallen for Aryan Khanna, a married superstar who himself is unsure of this relationship and ends up leaving her. This leads to breaking her insides and in search of her confidence, Mahi ends up committing one mistake after another. Story pretty much spins around this situation.

Bhandarkar’s direction has nothing revolutionary and also the acting has been very average. Some of the characters weren’t fermented well, leading to negligible impacts on the story. Also, the problem with the script is that audience knows a lot about celebrity lives already and hence, nothing to look up to in this movie.Over dramatic setup with extreme emotions seems kinda stupud at times.

My Rating – 2.25/5, the concept was itself weak to start with.

BARFI !

GENRE: Drama/Romance.
Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor (Murphy/Barfi), Priyanka Chopra (Jhilmil Chatterjee), Ileana D'Cruz (Shruti Sengupta), Roopali Ganguly (Shruti's Mother), Bhola Raja Sapkota (Ranbir's Friend), Saurabh Shukla (Inspector), Arun Bali (Jhilmil's Dadu)

Makes you LAUGH,

Makes you CRY,

Makes you SMILE,

Makes you FEEL,

Makes you FALL IN LOVE again…

No amount of appreciation I put up for this movie is gonna be enough. This film has a guy who is deaf and dumb but lives with his heart open and expresses more emotions than other, so called normal people. This film has a girl who can’t think and behave like a normal person, but is more honest and more human than any other. Then, yet it has another girl who can listen, can speak and can behave normal but ends up making the 

biggest mistake of her life by not being honest to her heart.

Makes you REALISE, never lie to yourself.

Impeccable direction and screenplay brings this movie to life even without significant dialogues. It can be noticed in the film that scenes, actions and reactions of actors have been tailored to develop characters without saying anything, literally. Some were even inspired from the styles of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy (also to mention, their picturisation was perfect).
 

Story and editing are average and have nothing much to contribute in the movie’s excellence but that said it is over compensated by all the lead performances.
 

Ranbir Kapoor has given his best performance yet. If he doesn’t bag the National and Filmfare award for this role, then I doubt their credibility (unless superseded by something better..  :P ) . Not to forget Priyanka’s performance was remarkable as well. They really convince you of their innocence and emotions with nothing but their expressions and body language.
 

Well supported by the background scores, this movie becomes a delightful experience.

A very high quality drama and extremely enjoyable.

My rating- 4.5/5, something for our film-makers and movie viewers to learn from on how a film should be made, rather than some senseless movies which are big 300cr commercial hits but seriously deliver nothing in the name of quality intellectual cinema.

DOWNLOAD BARFI MOVIE. 

Step Up 4 - Revolution

GENRE: Drama/Dance/Music/Romance
Director: Scott Speer
Cast: Ryan Guzman (Sean), Kathryn McCormick (Emily), Cleopatra Coleman (Penelope), Misha Gabriel Hamilton (Eddy)

I saw this one kinda late but found it so soooo amazing that I had to write this review.

Just when I thought that almost everything that can be done with dancing has been exhausted in the first three installments there comes this movie which takes dancing to a totally new level. No more PERFORMANCE ART, it’s all about PROTEST ART.
Mobs performing wildly beautiful pieces in public (especially the museum performance was breath taking…) leaves everybody wanting more. Some trampoline and cable stunts in the end are remarkable and entry of all time favorites MOOSE and MADD Chadd is just a cherry on the cake.

Putting it simply this movie remains honest to Step Up brand and delivers even better quality in terms of dance moves, ideas and locations. Story is plain and simple but fits in with the concept.

My Rating- 3.75/5… I never thought I would rate a dance movie so high evvver…. but this flick deserves it….

The Avengers

GENRE: Action/Sci-Fi/Superhero
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr.(Tony Stark/IronMan), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Mark Ruffalo(Bruce Banner/Hulk), Chris Hemsworth(Thor), Scarlett Johnson(Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Tom Hiddleton (Loki), Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury)


Just 2 words, FANTABULOUS experience….

Recommended ONLY for avid comic fans who know the characters or facts or for those who have strictly followed the movies and by strictly I mean each dialogue otherwise this might even bore u.

Anyways, its still worth ur money and time for all the legendary action scenes the movie packs and the buildup is strong too. The only one thing the movie lacks is the epic quotient, i.e., a few scenes could have been made more epic during the buildup as well, but they were handled very plain. Also, the storyline is kinda slow and complex in the start but characters have gelled well as a team.

Actors specially Robert Downey, Jr. have really acted well and Mark Ruffalo justifies his selection as the new HULK with a good performance.

Visual effects are something which must be experienced. This movie is a VFX extravaganza taking everything to the next level.
Amazing high definition animations and color and light effects are so realistic that one can hardly differentiate.

Action sequences are so so gooood that one is just left drooling for more and I must say that it was for the first time I actually likes seeing HULK and Captain America in action even though they don’t have much to offer.

Finally my rating- 3.5/5…. must watch for comic fans like me, U will love this movie for its effects, action jammed scenes, humorous punch lines and might dislike it for the slow buildup. The best part for me was the realization each SUPERHERO gets that what it takes to put one’s life on line to save others and become an actual hero. And ya, all the comic fans… please wait after the titles, u are gonna know about the buildup for avengers 2… don’t miss it…. :)

The Dark Knight Rises

GENRE: Action/Thriller/Crime/Drama
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/The Batman), Tom Hardy (Bane), Anne Hathway (Selina/CatWoman), Gary Oldman (Commissioner Gordon), Joseph Gordon Levitt (Blake/Robin), Marion Cotillard (Miranda Tate), Michael Cane (Alfred), Morgan Freeman (Fox)


EPIC! EPIC! EPIC! The movie has this word EPIC written all over it.

My sincere request, DON’T COMPARE IT with Batman: The Dark Knight (it was an easy 4.75/5), both movies are very different. That showed the continuation and this shows the end which is legendary as the trilogy itself. Also, it has always been difficult to rework the magic once made, either its Titanic or Sholey.

This movie starts slow and steady but strong and till the time you reach the end all will be cheering “deshey basara” for Bruce Wayne to take hold and to do what he does best and that is Kick-Ass. Each scene from the re-entry of Batman to him being beaten to pulp by Bane as a very high epic quotient and the adrenaline blasts out when Bruce walks out of the cave with “deshey basara” chants behind him.

Characters have been scripted well (AGAIN NO comparisons with Joker, please) and each has their impact on the plot. Christian Bale is at his usual best and Tom Hardy conveys more through his eyes behind the mask. Direction has got no need for praise as we all know Christopher Nolan’s precision at that. Dialogues and storyline are OK but the show stealers are the VISUALS and STUNTS. Spectacular hand to hand combat scenes with amazing fight sequences with BatWing will make u drop your jaw and lose it. 1 hour of IMAX footage had its clear impact too.

Finally, I would say that wait patiently through the first half and just feel the awesome conclusion through the second…..

My Rating:- 4/5…. Ending to the legendary trilogy couldn’t have been better…. Please Please Nolan, ONCE MORE…….

The Amazing Spiderman

GENRE: Action/Sci-Fi/Superhero
Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man), Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Rhys Ifans (The Lizard), Denis Leary (Captain Stacy), Irrfan Khan (Raji Ratha)

Not really that AMAZING after all...

Movie does justice on areas where it was expected to perform... like it had AMAZING VISUALS, Super Cool PETER PARKER (definitely not a stupid nerd), a catching storyline... but it offered nothing much out of the box... and the STORY FAILS to leave any IMPACT...

The direction, screenplay and narration wasn't innovative at all...
as all the sequences were directly from The Amazing Spider-Man Comic Book series and all the facts were covered up in so much of a hurry that nothing could actually leave a mark.

BUT, the BEST part of the flick is the Amazing SPIDEY himself... simply rocking and unbeatable. His CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT has been excellent and the way it entertains you is unparallel. The story seems dull to the point till the spider bites Peter, but then its a treat to watch Pete grow into Spidey ( a real kick ass spider ). Very athletic and with many vulnerabilities to overcome, all the fight sequences make u say WOW. Specially in the end when he does his first full swing....

Very HILARIOUS DIALOGUES and clinically done STUNTS are the highlights. May even remind the gamers of the game Mirror's Edge...

My rating- 3.25/5... cud have been better with a deeper narration... and a must watch in 3D, to enjoy the visuals to the fullest...

Don 2

GENRE: Action/Crime/Drama
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Cast: SRK (Don), Priyanka Chopra (Roma), Hrithik Rosahn (Don-Special Appearance), Boman Irani (Vardhaan), Om Puri (Vishal Malik), Lara Dutta (Ayesha), Kunak Kapoor (Sameer Ali)


Man.... and i thought that Bollywood is way behind Hollywood.....

This movie is just Wowwwww..... and is simply uncomparable to any bolly action flick you can remember... it is witty, well written and character balance is just perfect.....

Where to start from ... everything u can imagine in this flick has full thumbs up.....
Starting with the SCRIPT... its very well penned by the director Farhan Akhtar, and u can just feel the pace and adrenaline rushing through the 2 hrs, with heavy twists which leave u wide open mouthed, simply unpredictable....
Then there are the STUNTS....... very well choreographed, with amazing agility shown by Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, you cud just feel the realism in the way they performed it and then all the Physics' Laws were maintained.... ;D Amazing car crashes too with a gud chase sequence was a cherry on top of the cream.....
ACTORS.... man i m not a SrK fan, but if u see him acting negative, all the Funsuk Wangdus and Dabbang Pandeys seem like drooling babies before him.... he delivered all the witty one-liners with amazing wickedness... with Boman Irani's precise performance and Lara dutta, Kunal Kapoor supporting well (mostly with looks :)).. the only let down Priyanka Chopra.... :(,but all in all a very gud performance by everybody.....
And then there is the character DON, he is simply smart, witty and gives u the feel of being uncatchable.... totally rocks with his style and charisma....
Hey and the VISUALS were gud too... though i saw in 3D, i can say that 3d wasn't really necessary, but they have converted the movie very well (much better than Ra.One) as u can see the background blurs and camera focussing to be quite well adjusted....

Highly recommended.... and a must watch for every action movie lover... and obviously for all those who appreciate complicated and quick scripts.....
4/5 : is my rating, cud have given 4.5, but a -0.5 for priyanka.... ;)

Kahaani

GENRE: Drama/Thriller
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Vidya Balan (Vidya Bagchi), Parambrata Chatterjee (Inspector Satyaki Sinha), Saswata Chatterjee (Bob Biswas), Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Mr. Khan)


The movie excels in almost all the departments. It keeps one engaged thoroughly (especially through the first half).

The Direction is good and all the details have been taken care simultaneously maintaining the flow of the story. Director has been smart to use the Kolkata’s Bengali setup to his advantage in setting up the atmosphere.

The Screenplay is also nice with really amazing background scores which add to the whole tension and confusion. Only slight lag could be observed in the pace of the script as the movie gets a bit of a drag after the interval (but only for some time… by the end it catches real pace…). At some points one can actually predict that what’s coming next but still my advice… WAIT TILL THE END…

All HATS OFF to Vidya Balan’s acting. After a long time I can say that Bollywood has found an actress who can carry a film through pure talent without meaningless dance moves and zero figures. Very brilliant performance and seriously worth looking forward to.

At the end I will definitely give this movie a --- 3.5/5.

Loved the ending (actually the last ten minutes make the movie…), Loved the song—“Ekla Chalo Re” and the character of Mr. Bob…. :D

Gangs of Wasseypur

GENRE: Crime/Action/Drama
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Manoj Bajpai (Sardar Khan), Nawazuddin Siddqui (Faizal Khan), Richa Chaddha (Nagma Khatoon), Tigmashu Dhulia (Ramadhir Singh)


Guys seriously not worth the hype... :((

The movie makes the most of a good SCRIPT, a few strong performances, BLASTING dialogues, well written songs and all the BIHARI set-up.

But, thats all to it... direction and screenplay are very average and the narration has been sooooo sloooowwwwww..... that u might feel heavy in the second half. The duration cud have been lesser and editors must have tried harder to TELL MORE in LESS TIME. After a complete 3 hour movie, director cudn't manage to finish the story... huh....

Rating- 2.75/5.... watch it on laptop where u can skip some unwanted scenes.... :) and enjoy the songs specially the one- 'Keh Ke Lunga'...

Teri Meri Kahaani

GENRE: Drama/Romance/Comedy
Director: Kunal Kohli
Cast: Shahid Kapoor (Govind/Javed/Krrish), Priyanka Chopra (Ruksar/Aradhan/Radha), Prachi Desai


Boss KAHANI to poori FILMY hai….
Aur poori BORING hai….

Kunal Kohli tries to immerse the audience into a journey through time where a couple tries to meet but fails each time until the final twist. But his attempt is really poor with a very badly written and arranged script. Each story is so similar that everything is like ‘ok, ye to hone hi tha’...

During the first half u feel that the movie might get better by second half but oh boy, it gets worse and the rest of the journey becomes an impractical joke. Oh ya, and further worse is the ending which is soooooooo predictable that everybody is crying out loud, not with emotions but for the loss of money and time. Director and producer need to understand that audience is no more so immature that u can feed them anything now. Please, work harder.

General reaction after each story:
Story 1: “Ok, chalo filmon mein aisa ho sakta hai”
Story 2: “ What the hell just happened? Why did they break up?”
Story 3: “ Achha uss time par bhi aisa hota tha kya..??”
Man, give us a break…

Then there is the music which is also below average. Only solace is a good performance from Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor, but the roles demanded very less so that credit is lost too. A few dialogues can make u laugh but rest of it puts u to sleep.

My Rating- 1.5/5… not even worth a download… rather go for Gangs of Wasseypur… will be more worth the money…

Mission Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol

 

GENRE: Action/Adventure/Thriller
Director: Brad Bird
Cast: Tom Cruise (Etahn Hunt), Paulo Patton (Jane Carter), Jeremy Renner (William Brandt), Simon Pegg(Benji Dunn), Michael Nyqvist (Kurt Hendricks), Anil Kapoor (Brij Nath)

LEFT ME THIRSTY FOR MORE AND MORE.....

Ethan Hunt is back with a bang in this flick.
Staying true to the MI series the movie has amazing action sequences and unparallel visual staging (specially the complete Dubai portion).

The story had a lot to offer but lacked editing with a slow start and a quickly wrapped-up ending....
As for Tom Cruise, he cant hide his age but still manages to look the all focussed and on the edge Ethan, with some stunts performed clinically precise. Not to forget, he acted really well in this one. ;)
Also, for a surprise India has been shown as a place u could LIVE in but, dont keep much expectations from Anil Kapoor's role. :( :P
As for the Imax experience, man.... this movie is all thumbs up, the whole floor shook with each car dropping and we could literally feel our hearts thumping when ethan goes for a free fall.
My recommendation- a must watch.... worth each penny.... :)

Men in Black 3

GENRE: Action/Sci-Fi/Comedy
Director: Barry Sonenfeld
Cast: Will Smith (Agent J), Tommy Lee Jones (Agent K), Josh Brolin (Young Agent K), Jemaine Clement (Boris the Animal)

So finally after 15 looong years since the first installment, the trilogy finishes…

To be honest the mystical aliens and their ultra sci-fi weapons have really lost the edge that was there back in 90s and that’s where this movie fails. Although, Will Smith tries hard to fill in the gap with his hilarious acting and one-liners but he himself seemed to have lost patience in between. Nothing much to look forward remains in the storyline as everything seems predictable.

Direction and screenplay are very average and visuals also don’t offer anything exceptional with some stupid aliens here and there.

As far as script is concerned its quite straight and simple in the first half specially. Although, gets slightly interesting in the second half, it would catch more interest of people who are into real sci-fi entertainment like The Big Bang Theory, Back to the Future Trilogy and concepts like Space Time Continuum and Parallel Timelines.

But, I would specifically mention the climax which actually reveals that why Agent K is such an all time serious chap around Agent J and that was really the best piece of the entire flick.

My rating- 2.25/5, nothing special to watch for until you are a sincere MIB fan.