faisal_khatib

Philippe Petit is a French high-wire artist who gained fame in the year 1974 for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. "The Walk" revolves around his tentative beginning and his eventual love affair with the Twin Towers.

A French accented Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Philippe Petit with earnest. With a well sketched out character at hand, he manages to resonate the emotions fittingly. His chemistry with Charlotte Le Bon (as Annie) was charming while his interaction with Ben Kingsley (as Papa Rudy) were brilliant. Kingsley as expected was a scene stealer while Charlotte Le Bon was rather substandard.

Clément Sibony (as Jean-Louis) and César Domboy (as Jeff) was impeccably low-key in their supporting roles which played well in keeping the spotlight on the protagonist. James Badge Dale (as Jean- Pierre), Steve Valentine (as Barry Greenhouse) Ben Schwartz (as Albert) and Benedict Samuel (as David) played fundamental parts in keeping the humor alive as we reached the climax of the film.

"The Walk" is clearly designed with idea of enthralling the viewers in IMAX 3D. You'll find yourself wincing a couple of times and for anyone scared of heights; this film will get you a slightly anxious. The climax is spectacular and not for the faint hearted though the CGI in the wide scenes weren't up to the mark (shoestring budget I hear) as more often than not the images looked rather flat. Cinematography in general was enormously effective in immersing you into the set pieces while costume design were seamlessly complementary.

With Robert Zemeckis at the helm, much is to be expected. This isn't his finest work but he manages to pull off a well knitted story without going over the hill with dramatic distractions (i.e. exaggerated Twin Towers eulogy). The film even though not fast paced doesn't fall into the realm of boredom though the narratives were a buzz kill for momentum and could have been completely avoided chopping a good 10 minutes off the 123 minute run time. Obviously the censored/cut scenes (one at a pivotal junction) didn't help either.

If you've got an itch for IMAX; then this is the perfect film for you. It's flawed but you'll forget all of that as you find yourself on the edge of your seat during the breathtaking climax.

The run-of-the-mill buddy cop film where two polar opposite law enforcement characters are thrown together leading to 'I'll rip your head off' clashes and (as typically found in this genre) palling up in the end to catch the villains while learning some life lessons.

The story follows by-the-book know-it-all Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock), who travels to Boston on an assignment to capture a drug lord in order to impress her boss and secure a promotion. There she runs into foul-mouthed brash Detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) of the Boston Police Department who's extremely territorial about her neighborhood and the people she arrests.

Directed and produced by Paul Feig and written by Katie Dippold, 'The Heat' is undeniably hilarious but being R-rating; it hauls as many profanities and vulgarity at the screen as possible. Luckily most of the gags are more hit than miss though some jokes do overstay their welcome. The story is peppered with buddy cop clichés and you'll be able to foresee how the story unravels as it goes through predictable plots and twists. What makes up for it is the enthusiastic chemistry Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy share through trials and tribulation.

Sandra Bullock starts off a little cold as you fail to connect to her character. A role she has been seen in before, the moment the character begins to loosen up things get entertaining. Melissa McCarthy showcases her immense talent here and is a complete scene stealer with crude comedy and aggressive body language. Both of them together are bellyaching funny as they feed off one another and other supporting characters. The few dramatic moments they share, both are equally (if not more) likable.

Support notably comes from Marlon Wayans as local Boston FBI agent Levy, Demian Bichir as the FBI boss and Michael Rapaport as Shannon Mullins brother Jason. Thoman F. Wilson as Captain Woods was hilarious as was Dan Bakkedahl as the Albino DEA agent Craig while Spoken Reasons as a drug supplier Rojas was the only negative character that left an impression.

Nudging in at almost two hours, apart from a few scenes (the extended bar scene comes to mind) the film manages to stay entertaining throughout and is a good addition to the buddy cop genre. Bullock and Melissa make a formidable duo that will keep you tickled if you do not take the story too seriously.

I've always used IMDb as a basis of my decision to watch a film with a cutoff point around the 6/10 point. "After Earth" was flagging at a meager 4.6 which was odd since the trailers did look promising. So going along with my gut feeling with minimal expectations I decided to watch it. Boy was I surprised. The amount of flak this film has been getting seems out of place and uncalled for. This isn't a summer blockbuster with large set pieces and outlandish *blow everything up* action scenes. It falls more into a sci-fi survival drama with a morality tale and does a decent job.

The story revolved around Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) as they try to escape from Earth; a Class-1 quarantined planet that they've crashed on. Humanity had abandoned Earth in search of a new home and found Nova Prime to be perfect to settle on. A thousand years later they get attacked by alien creatures called S'krell who unleash large predatory creatures called the Ursas that hunt by sensing fear. By conquering fear, Cypher leads the Ranger Corps to victory, but loses his daughter Senshi (Zoe Kravitz) to the war. With scarred pasts, the father-son pair try to overcome their own guilt and shortcomings to survive the hostile environment that Earth has evolved into while avoiding contact with an Ursa.

From the conversations around us in the theatre, the story had managed to leave quite a few people confused. This was solely due to the hurried back story that failed to explain anything in-depth. Based on a story idea by Will Smith and directed by M. Night Shyamalan with screenplay by Gary Whitta; the film is riddled with plot holes and sub-par computer generated graphics. Some of the story plots were so illogical and brash that it felt like you were watching a bad horror film.

The story does have positives, but they aren't enough to keep you on the edge of the seat throughout as it suffers from uneven pace, lack of character development and poor screenplay. After the debacle that was "The Last Airbender", this fairs better in the list of films Shyamalan has given us over the past decade but falls short of expectations you'd have from a Will Smith film. It's entertaining not doubt about it, but the potential to make this a better film was clearly lost in an effort to dilute the whole experience into a Jaden Smith extravaganza. That would have even worked if Jaden was up to the mark, but his inexperience as an actor shows up too often. He emotes well though is limited in his range and one feels this role wasn't really suited for him. Will Smith on the other hand did exactly what the role required him to do as he delivers dialogue in a monotone voice bereft of any emotions. Irrespective of that with the limitation of the character itself, this might go down as one of his weaker performances.

With so much resting on young shoulders, "After Earth" stumbles along as an average film that could have been so much more.

After the death of his wife, Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) creates a lavish hotel to protect his daughter Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez) and other monsters from the pitchfork wielding humans and their hatred. Fast forward a century to Mavis's 118th birthday, a human by the name of Jonathan (voiced by Andy Samberg) stumbles upon the hotel. All hell breaks loose in Dracula's head as he tries to protect his hotel's image while being a protective control freak of a father.

With a bucket full of monsters, the writers (Todd Durham, Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman) could have gone horribly wrong or created a string of brilliance. Instead they wrapped the story around Dracula and his daughter while throwing in a string of cliché plots and a bit of a love story. The rest of the cast takes a backseat only stepping into the limelight for short funny moments that only peaks in the climax. Also, the whole monster-scared-of-humans concept was reminiscent of Monsters Inc. sans the cute factor.

The animation is wonderfully detailed and well put together for each character. The film lacks sweeping jaw dropping scenic material since most of the film plays out inside the castle; Sony Pictures has clearly taken a huge stride in the right direction with their animation. The action was fast paced and entertaining while emotions never got overwhelming to spoil the fun. Screenplay by Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel didn't exceed expectations but was amusing enough to keep us in our seats. The kids in the theatre, on the other hand, were having a laughter riot. The background score was unremarkable while the songs were well placed apart from the one at the end, which was completely unnecessary.

Adam Sandler as the voice for Dracula without his usual over the top antics was just right. Selena Gomez as *seen it before* Mavis didn't stand out while Andy Samberg as goofy Jonathan lacked variety but stilled managed to be funny. Kevin James as Frankenstein didn't have much to do and felt wasted. Steve Buscemi as stressed werewolf Wayne was brilliant as you've come to expect from him. David Spade as Invisible Man Griffin, Ceelo Green as mummy Murray, Jon Lovitz as Quasimodo, Luenell as Shrunken Heads and Fran Drescher as Eunice had their moments but they were few, and far between. A lot of talent there but not really utilised properly.

With a house full of monsters, the potential to create magic was there. Unfortunately the director Genndy Tartakovsky decided to play it safe with a humdrum story that we've already seen before (Brave comes to mind). Irrespective of all that, this film targets kids and they were clearly enjoying it. With a long weekend ahead, Hotel Transylvania is the perfect film to satisfy the appetite of the little ones. Meanwhile for the adults, it's a so-so affair that leaves you with a smile but fails to mesmerize you.

In an alternative world just like ours where you discover piranha birds, saber rabbits, mouse elephants and bunch of other hybrid animals; we are familiarized to a Stone Age family called the Croods. Clouded in judgment from their ignorance and fear of the unknown outside their cave, the Croods follow one simple rule "Never not be afraid". Abruptly one day their life is flung into complete disarray as their safe haven is shattered and everything they know is tossed out of the window as they are forced to venture into stunning unfamiliar land.

Directed, written and screenplay by Kirk De Micco (Space Chimps) and Chris Sanders (How to Train a Dragon, Lion King); 'The Croods' never surpassed my 'This is going to be an average film' expectations when I'd first seen the trailer. Expectations didn't get any better as you are introduced to the characters and a bit of the story via a voice over narration that spelled 'Seen-it-before' in my head. What happened next did come off as a bit of a surprised as the film managed to rise above its cliché story and to certain extend its characters to take you on a joyful ride through a family's journey in peril and happiness.

Grug (voiced by Nicolas Cage) is the overprotective father trying to protect his family from peril. Be it darkness or curiosity; everything leads to immediate death as depicted by him in every story he tells. You feel for him as he falters to lead his family to safety while comes across situations he can't muscle his way out of. The true protagonist of the film, the familiarity of the voice of Nicolas Cage brings further allows you to delve yourself into the character. Eep (voiced by Emma Stone) is the daughter bursting with curiosity about what lies beyond the cave. She shares a fantastic chemistry with her father as she struggles to break free of his rules. It was refreshing to see a clear exit from the usual character design that you expect in animated films when it comes to the leading lady.

Guy (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) who plays Eep's love interest comes across as the more sophisticated human by using (what he calls) the brain. Along with his pet Belt (who also happens to hold his pants up if you were wondering), he wanders the world on his own in search of tomorrow through his resourcefulness and ideas. The charming gooey eyed character is the basis for a lot of laughs. Gran (voice by Cloris Leachman) and Thunk (voice by Clark Duke) are a constant source of laughs while Ugga (voice by Catherine Keener) does her bit as a supporting wife to Grug. All the characters fit in perfectly complementing each other as and when required without creating any unnecessary havoc.

The Animation is brilliant as expected from the DreamsWorks film. With most of the humor of the physical kind the character design has an outwardly bulky and indestructible that works well in the context of the film. The camera work is smooth and does everything right to capture the hits and misses of the families journey.

The Croods is not going to match the heights of "How to Train Your Dragon" but it's the kind of film that you would enjoy with the whole family.

On the hunt for the Brittle brothers, a bounty hunter by the name of Dr. King Shultz (Christoph Waltz) frees Django (Jamie Foxx) who recognises the men he's looking for. Once done, Shultz trains Django and they partner up through the winter to finally end up at plantation owner Calvin Candie's (Lenardo DiCaprio) candy land in search of Django's wife Broomhilda von Shaft (Kerry Washington).

Set in the year 1858, Quentin Tarantino depicts an America where black slavery is prominent throughout society and Django in his pretty clothes, riding a horse stands out like an anomaly that lead to a few loosely put together plots and the banter throughout the film. That and what seemed like sloppy editing (made worse by censorship) now and then made the film lack any sense of direction. Compared to some of the other Tarantino films, this one lacked the finesse that you'd come expect from him.

Jamie Foxx as the protagonist does a fantastic job as he transforms from a nervous slave to a fearless bounty hunter but lacks the screen presence when surrounded by other actors. Christoph Waltz not only supersedes him with his extraordinary acting but even his character seemed less modulated and worth immersing yourself into.

Lenardo DiCaprio is amusingly eccentric and unhinged delivering yet another top notch performance while Samuel L. Jackson as Candie's adviser Stephen was literally a mishmash of stereotypes blurting out one line profanities as you'd expect from a grumpy old man. Kerry Washington is decent but doesn't really impress. Support and cameos from Walton Goggins, James Rema, Don Johnson, Jonah Hill etc was a mix bag of wasted screen time and necessary plot points.

Django Unchained never got boring. In fact is was a lot of fun to watch and was extremely entertaining. Problem was all of it didn't always fall into place which took the wind out of the sail for me. It might not be Tarantino's best work, but it's a lot more enjoyable than the humdrum we get from Hollywood blockbusters

With the premise of an internship at Google; you get the whole deal with product placements. Luckily "The Internship" manages to stay afloat as a two hour enjoyable and rather funny Google advert.

The film begins with Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) losing their jobs as fast talking watch salesmen facing an uncertain future thanks to the digital age. Managing to talk their way into an internship (against all odds) at Google, they find themselves facing off against smart and tech-savvy college kids aka "a mental Hunger Games" for jobs at the on-the-line search giant. Ending up with a team of out casts and facing mostly unreasoned challenges (Read: Quidditch match), Billy and Nick manage to turn the odds on its head for the perfect (and predictable) "Lived happily ever after" ending.

With previous individual failures Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson come together once more to share their amazing chemistry on screen. Vince Vaughen plays the exact same role he has played in every possible film you've seen of him lately. Since he's co-written the film; I guess he likes to feel right at home. The same may apply to Owen Wilson who's landed himself in a similar rut. It does make the whole process rather familiar but there is no denying that the chemistry both these lead actors share gives the films premise a new pair of legs every time it starts lagging a little. Both these actors clearly know their limitations and have managed to work around it well this time. Also since this was a PG-13 rated film, some of the vulgarity that you might associate with these actors is kept to a bare minimum reducing what I feel are just distractions.

Tobit Raphel as home-schooled Yo-Yo was a complete scene stealer as more often than not he'd have you laughing out loud with his crazy antics on screen. Dylan O'Brien on the other hand balanced it with his controlled cynical act of 'know it all' Stuart. Tiya Sircar as Neha was brilliant as you watch her character go through its curve. Josh Brener as the 23 year old Team leader Lile starts off brilliantly as he tries to portray himself as a cool dude but fades away as the love interest angle falls into place quite predictably.

Max Minghella as the films main antagonist Graham is underused and left with one-liners that are too far and few. Rose Byrne as Wilson's love interest apart from a single scene comes across as a postscript. Aasif Mandvi as the internship programs head Mr. Chetty is stereotypically brilliant and the short chemistry he shares with Billy is entertaining to watch.

Brilliant chemistry between the leads along with wonderful supporting actors makes you forget the flaws and plot holes blatantly staring at you. You just go along with that warm fuzzy feeling with a smile plastered on your face.

Every time I type the word intouchables, my iPad tries to correct me. Spell-check OCD. So here I was sitting in the theatre wondering what I was doing at the press screening of the French film 'The Intouchables'. Never having heard of it, one glimpse at the trailer had me convinced that irrespective of my initial hesitation, this was going to be fun even with the subtitles. To my surprise, it was dubbed in English. Hurray to that!

Based on a true story, the film is about Philippe (François Cluzet), paralysed by a paragliding accident and his unconventional, unqualified, newly acquired caretaker Driss (Omar Sy), a street thug trying to live off governmental benefits. Being tired of a life of pity, Philippe finds happiness in Driss's rogue behavior. They both help each other find peace from their past, permitting them to face an uncertain future filled with new opportunities.

'The Intouchables' is a heartwarming story that makes you laugh at every turn even though it's handling a sensitive topic. The on screen chemistry shared by the two protagonists is delightful. It reminds you of the basic needs of life (love and understanding) through their honest friendship while delving into their complexities with authenticity.

Omar Sy's comic-timing will have you in stitches as you fall in love with his character's dependence and morality. There isn't a dull moment with him on the screen. Cluzet fits in perfectly as Phillipe makes you feel his helplessness and to an extent his futility as a handicap who longs to be treated as an equal. Support in the form of Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, Clotilde Mollety, Alba Gaïa Kraghede Bellugi and a few others is subtle but interwoven beautifully into the story.

Director/writer Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano have shown how small, almost innocent things can lead to life-changing events. From shaving to a crazy drive through the city, you connect to everything you see on the screen without the feeling any pity. Music by Ludovico Einaudi adds beautifully to the mood while Dorian Rigal-Ansous's editing paces the film flawlessly based on the emotional curve of the characters.

Inspiring! Makes you look forward to life with a little more hope.

If it's not broken, don't fix it. Unfortunately Director Len Wiseman has done just that by removing and replacing what was good in the original 'Total Recall' (1990) by a lot of 'mediocre'.

By the end of the 21st century, earth has been devastated from chemical warfare leaving only two habitable territories, i.e. the United Federation of Britain (UFB) and the Colony (Australia). A factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) along with thousands of others travels every day from the Colony to UFB via "The Fall"; an elevator that travels through the earth's core. Happily married to Lori (Kate Beckinsale), Quaid dreams are marred by a single memory that he doesn't remember having. Tempted to figure things out, he visits a company that implants artificial memories called 'Rekall' that flicks a switch in his head pushing him into the life he was made to forget.

Colin Ferrell as Quaid is trying to fill shoes too big for him. Even though Arnold Schwarzenegger was never known for his acting prowess; his larger-than-life screen presence, odd funny one-liners and to an extent his accent brought more soul to the role than Ferrell manages. Instead, chooses to go through the places with a dead-serious attitude while sporting a frown. Also, Ferrell fails to relay to the viewers the sense of confusion Quaid must be feeling. Where he does shine is in the action sequences, from knocking out a SWAT team to free-running across rooftops.

Kate Beckinsale as UFB agent Lori is like the terminator that refuses to die. Apart from constantly chasing and beating up Quaid throughout the film, Kate has little else to do so she trolls through the film with just a few expressions and not much acting. Jessica Biel (as Melina) wasn't any better with zero chemistry and role curve.

When Bryan Cranston (as Cohaagen) first appeared on the screen, hopes were raised for a brilliant showdown between good and bad. Some intelligent argument was expected, but instead we got the 'done to death' old-man-fist-fights-with-young-man climax. John Cho's (McClane) acting skills were wasted while Bokeem Woodbine as Harry was quite convincing in his short role.

Coming from the Underworld films, Len Wiseman shows great understanding of how an action scene should be shot. Sensational CGI, sleek editing and brilliant cinematography add great finesse to the film. Unfortunately, a spoon-fed screenplay results in a toned-down sci-fi film that becomes a bore-fest of pointless subplots, awkward chemistry and unwanted action sequences. The soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams is mediocre and how ever beautiful the cinematography is, the content doesn't always make sense.

I honestly didn't enjoy it. I'd put this down as a huge disappointment and honestly I think I would have preferred watching the original again instead.

Fifteen hundred bike couriers populate Manhattan making deliveries on a daily basis. Among them, an ex-law student Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who works for a delivery company named Security Courier finds himself more at home on a brakeless fixed-gear steel-frame bike than behind a desk doing a 9-to-5 job. For his last job for the day, Wilee picks up an extremely important package that brings him face to face with a twisted NYC cop, Detective Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon) ensuing a game of cat and mouse.

A refreshing change from big budget sequels or remakes, Premium Rush may run short on a meagre script but rides high on adrenaline. Director and co-writer, David Koepp films the scenes on the streets of NYC with a lot of in-your-face camera work, putting you in the thick of the action or in this case, the seat of the rider. Even though CGI seemed to be on a shoe-string budget, the way it is used doesn't detract us from the action but adds a nice twist to proceedings and even sometimes leading to some comical conclusions.

The bike is (literally) treated as part of the support cast and watching the film's protagonist work his way around the city was entertaining. Also the choice of not following a chronological path made unravelling the back-story a wee bit more interesting. On top of all that, the film was perfectly paced and kept distractions to a minimum which in effect kept the runtime to just 91 minutes. Typical with such films, further scrutiny of the script and screenplay leads us to some unwanted plot twists and odd dialogues but thanks to that relentless adrenaline rush, one tends to be more forgiving.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Wilee is pleasing to the eyes. With not a very demanding role, his performance was believable even though quite a few scenes involved a stunt double. Dania Ramirez as Vanessa was by far the weakest performance I've seen by a female lead for a very long time. Wole Parks as Manny was a waste of screen time while Aasif Mandvi as Raj played his role quite decently.

Jamie Chung as Nima was impressive thanks to the authentic feel she had, especially with what sounded like a proper accent. Her subdued performance blended well with what her character was about. Michael Shannon as Bobby Monday was the pick of the actors. His over the top impulsive antics as a desperate cop were fantastic and he embodied the character to perfection. Christopher Place as the bike cop was extremely entertaining.

Manhattan in the film is seen in a way one doesn't see often. There was no glitz or glamour, nor the usual crops of landmarks littered around the city, and one wasn't overwhelmed with gritty dark alleys either. That difference and simplicity of the point of view was nice to see for once. The film may not have a jaw-dropping effect on you but that's why you should watch it. It reminds us that good films can be made out of a simple concept.

Disclaimer: Sexual content and vulgar reference towards it still puts me in an awkward situation however old I get. So my general rule is to avoid R-rated films especially when they fall into the genre of comedy, romance or drama. Unfortunately I didn't carefully look at the IMDb parental advisory before I went for the film 'The Watch'. Anyway… this is clearly not my type of genre.

'The Watch' is about Evan Trautwig (Ben Stiller) who's in love with his little town Glenview in Ohio and participates in various community initiatives while proudly managing a local Costco. After the mysterious murder of his colleague/friend Antonio Guzman (Joe Nunez), he takes it upon himself to set up a neighbourhood force to watch over the community and find the murderer. As volunteers Bob (Vince Vaughn), a possessive father; Franklin (Jonah Hill) a knife wielding police department reject who lives with his mom; and Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade) a housewife- fantasising Brit make up what he calls the 'neighbourhood watch'. As they stumble deeper into the mystery, they come face to face with aliens and an invasion with Glenview being ground zero.

Ben Stiller is as reliable as ever, but then he has played the same character in a dozen films before. You don't see anything new but it's as well played through as expected. I've never been a fan of Vince Vaughn and honestly his foul mouthed 'seen it before' act doesn't change that. He does what he does well, but it still doesn't impress me. Richard Ayoade was refreshing in comparison and did manage to be funny whenever he got the opportunity. Jonah Hill for me was the best of the four. The way he held his own among the others was great to watch and the unstable trigger-happy act was good.

From the people who wrote the brilliant but foul-mouthed teen film 'Superbad' (Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg along with Jared Stern), you can't help but expect better. With the mishmash of comedy and Sci-Fi (while flirting with horror, romance and drama), the film is left in doldrums while it keeps shifting almost abruptly between the genres. Then there were the unwanted subplots and characters that bloated the film's plots into the realm of senselessness.

This was clearly a case where less was better than more, but it seems nobody told that to the director Akiva Schaffer.

Disclaimer: I am a Tobey McGuire fan. I liked the first two spider man films and found the third installment atrociously bad (i.e. story wise). A reboot five years later did not make sense especially since the whole idea behind it seemed inclined towards making it a 3D extravaganza. Also, isn't the Lizard a second class villain?

Peter Parker (Max Charles) aged four is playing a game of hide n seek with his father Richard Parker (Campbell Scott) when he discovers his dad's study room in a mess. Realizing that there was a break-in, Richard Parker and his wife Mary Parker (Embeth Davidtz) leave Peter at his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben's (Martin Sheen) house while trying to flee an unknown (to us) enemy. Fast forward and Peter (Andrew Garfield) is all grown up into a nerdy college student who's got a passion for photography, science and his crush Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Stumbling on his father's old briefcase, he finds a photo of him with a colleague named Dr. Curtis Connors (Rhys Ifans) along with some secret documents. Sneaking his way into pharmaceutical company named Oscorp; Peter impresses Connors, eludes his crush and gets bitten by a genetically modified spider. And, we all know what happens next.

As evident, 'The Amazing Spider Man' is an origin story where we revisit the college years of Peter and his transformation into your friendly neighborhood hero Spider Man. It was the year 2002 when Sam Raimi introduced us to the Web slinging franchise. With Marc Webb at the helm this time, he had some pretty big shoes to fill just a decade later.

With a story more inclined towards the comic book, Webb managed to bring something different in comparison. More time is spent showing the teenage angst of Peter as he stumbles through his new found abilities such that you tend to prefer Peter over Spider Man. This favor-ability dually also lies with Andrew Garfield's brilliant act. He embodies the role of Peter with natural, genuine charm ranging from being a typical teenager to a tentative lover, a volatile nephew or a faltering hero. As Spider Man, he fails to blow you away as he lacks the screen presence you expect from a superhero.

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy was a huge improvement as a love interest. There was no screaming 'damsel in distress' moments that had become such an integral part of the previous trilogy. You instead get some smartness and humor with bucket loads of chemistry between her and Andrew which does become one high key of the film.

The Jekyll and Hyde combo of Dr. Connors and The Lizard is a mixed bag of good human presence and bad reptile representation. Rhys Ifans is good as Dr. Connors and his transformation to the dark side seemed promising. Unfortunately apart from some in your face 'jumpy' scenes, the design of the Lizard was disappointing especially that humanoid face.

Denis Leary as Gwen's father Captain Stacy was good as the authoritative police figure without any over the top attics. Veteran actors Martin Sheen and Sally Field were well cast and were good in their lovable warm interpretation of the characters. Irrfan Khan as Norman Osborn's minion Rajit Ratha was wasted.

With lots of web slinging action, it's hard to go wrong with 3D. Fortunately 3D was not overly used with it being limited to the action scenes only. Cinematography and camera work was brilliant and the soundtrack went along perfectly. Screenplay and those witty dialogues were spot on. I really like the comic book touch of inane wisecracks during action scenes from Spiderman. Talking about the action scenes, they might not be 'The Avengers' level of awesome, but are fun to watch nonetheless.

CGI was substandard to say the least; something you don't expect from a big budget summer film. A little investigation leads us to the culprits, i.e. Sony Pictures Imageworks who were behind the eye-sore 'The Green Lantern'. Some of the plots (spider suit for example) seemed rushed and unexplained while some of them were just unnecessary placed into the script to lead to something more dramatic. And, even though the story is well paced, a running time of 136mins does push it a little far.

It clearly helped cast good actors when the idea of rebooting this franchise popped up. The Amazing Spider Man is an enjoyable and a somewhat refreshing take on the story already told a decade ago. It won't blow you away, but it'll keep you entertained for those two hours.

"The film is not about reincarnation", exclaimed Director Kunal Kohli at the press conference of 'Teri Meri Kahani' at the Ritz Carlton, Dubai. It's about three different couples and their love story in three different eras i.e. pre-independence 1910, retro 1960 & social media 2012. Unfortunately casting the same actors for all three eras does confuse you about what the connection between the three stories is. Supposedly apart from true love nothing else.

We start off with the year 1960; film star Rukhsar (Priyanka Chopra) meets musician Govind (Shahid Kapoor) on a train to Bombay and they're instantly attracted to each other. Maahi (Prachi Desai) is the third corner in the love triangle that ensues. Moving on to the year 2012 (London); Krish (Shahid Kapoor) breaks up with girlfriend Meera (Neha Sharma) and literally bumps into Radha (Priyanka Chopra). They get along "quoting Meera" like old jeans. A social media interruption and they go their separate ways. And now comes the interesting bit. Post interval, we meet playboy Javed (Shahid Kapoor) and hard to impress Aradhana (Priyanka Chopra) in Lahore in the year 1910. A jail term later, the lovers find themselves divided thanks to a change in marital status.

"Hum Tum" was a fantastic film. Kunal Kohli had done a brilliant job writing and directing it. Unfortunately apart from that, none of his other films have been particularly impressive in comparison. "Teri Meri Kahani" isn't very different from those films. Using pointless subplots (song and dance in the jail comes to mind) to reach the melodramatic scenes made it seem like he had run out of ideas. And that's where even the best era of the three fell apart. You can't take the viewers for a ride over a completely ridiculous premise.

And then there were the extremely long love songs slowing down the film every time it picked up any pace. I get it that Hindi films need to have songs in them especially when it's a romantic love story. But do the actors really need to sing for five minutes just to proclaim their love for each other? What was wrong with the brilliant chemistry they were sharing? Isn't that enough?

The use of blue/green screen (behind the scene shots showed in the credits) to create the 1960's era was reminiscence of the films that were made then. It was an interesting touch though not sure if it was intentional. The silent/Charlie Chaplin films touch was an honest attempt at comedy though it failed to impress. Computer generated graphics used to depict the Bombay of 1960s were average but got the job done and didn't detract from the story. Shahid Kapoor as Govind was adorable though the chemistry he shared with Priyanka Chopra seemed a little forced. There were plenty of cute moments but you don't feel bad when things go awry. Prachi Desai as Maahi was surprisingly good and effective.

2012 was all about social media and getting drunk. I loved the way social networks i.e BBM, facebook, twitter etc. were used in this era, bringing people close or breaking their hearts. Unfortunately the highlight was the chemistry between Shahid Kapoor and Neha Sharma when they are breaking up. That's never a good thing for a love story. And seriously there is more to 2012 than falling in love overnight while being drunk (remember Ek Main Aur Ek Tu).

Javed was by far the best character in the film. It was well written and brilliantly presented on screen. The chemistry between Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra was funny, lovable and heartwarming. Apart from unnecessary songs and (some) dialogues, this love story was the best of the three. You laugh along with them and even feel their despair when they cry.

Even with its slow pace, I didn't mind the way the film was edited by Amitabh Shukla. Cinematography by Sunil Patel was well balanced with good camera work and well-designed sets. The music and background score were annoying and repetitive. Costumes weren't outlandish, which was a welcome change from other similar films.

It's hard enough to get a love story right nowadays and it's understandable that trying to tell three in one film wasn't going to be easy. The problem doesn't lie with the concept but the way it's presented to the audience with its rough edges. In the end, yet another below-average Hindi film made a lot of promises but fell short in most of them.

From the people who brought us the extremely stupid Transformers, Battleship was already dead in the water (pun intended) in my books. Then I fell for the tweets that were hailing it as a good movie. I should have stayed away.

FYI, a battleship is a heavy warship with extensive armour protection and large-calibre guns. This film is based on a board game called Battleship.

*long pause…*

I know movies have been made based on video games before, but I don't see enough material in a board game to produce a film inspired by it. Next thing we know they'll be releasing a Farmville movie… *shudders*

So some idiots at NASA thought it was a brilliant idea to send out a random signal of invitation into space. To their complete obliviousness, the signal is answered by technologically advanced small fleet of alien ships. In true Hollywood style, these aliens can not only travel through space, create impenetrable force fields, have telekinetic powers and superior weaponry, but are conveniently handicapped by the 'oh-so- bright' sun, with a complete lack of common sense. So they get their butt kicked by a bunch of veterans, bad actors and a decommissioned battleship while leapfrogging over water with the US flag flying high.

Lieutenant Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch) as the movies protagonist is a mix of depressingly bad acting and utter annoyance. Alexander Skarsgård as his brother Commander Stone Hopper seemed a lot more convincing and should have lived instead. Brooklyn Decker as Alex Hopper's love interest Samantha Shane had the "daunting task" of looking confused and distressed most of the time while being the eye candy. The love/hate triangle created between her, Alex and Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson) was off-putting. Liam Neeson seemed to be there just for the pay check and snooze walks through his tiny role.

Rihanna as Petty Officer Cora 'Weps' Raikes was just there to add a headliner name to the poster. John Tui as Chief Petty Officer Walter 'The Beast' Lynch was the one-liner sidekick with not much else to do. Gregory D. Gadson as amputee Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales was believable until he goes hulk on some clueless aliens. Hamish Linklater as Cal Zapata was the squeamish nerd while Tadanobu Asano as Captain Yugi Nagata was the Japanese flavor in the film.

I think it's obvious by now how much I did not like this film. The characters are badly written, the screenplay is utterly pointless, the dialogues are terrible, the story makes no sense and there is nothing in the way of intelligence. But all is not lost. The CGI is brilliant and the action scenes are well choreographed. I especially like the usage of the bird's eye view to show the standoff. The design team behind the look of the aliens and their ships did a commendable job. Also, the way the aliens differentiated between a hostile and a non-threatening situation was an interesting take on an alien invasion. Even with their plans of a full-fledged attack, they were never the aggressors in the one-on-one combat.

After getting away with the rubbish that was the Transformers trilogy, maybe it was assumed that Battleship would face the same fate. Fortunately it did not and hopefully it'll put an end to the idea of trying to sell a senseless paper-thin story with CGI awesomeness. *long pause* I know that's not going to happen but a man can hope...

Two weeks after everyone else saw 'The Avengers', I finally got around to watching the film last week. A lot has already been told about it by the gazillions of reviews on the internet today. This review will get lost among all that noise so I chose to keep it short and simple.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) brings together a group of superheroes i.e. Iron Man () and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) along with SHIELD agents Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to have a face off with a global threat posed by Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his army of Chitauri.

A run-off-the-mill story about the bad guy revealing himself in the first half by stealing something powerful; then the good guys get defeated in the first round to perform the knockout punch in the finale, with a post-credits scene promising a sequel. Where it stands apart is the brilliant execution on the part of director/writer Joss Whedon who not only manages to balance all the power packed characters into a dynamic package but creates what possibly could be the best adaption of a comic book into a superhero movie. He keeps the audience on the edge of the seat with intense action ranging from 'in your face' hand to hand combat and 'zipping around Manhattan' flying exploits.

Robert Downey Jr. when not suited up plays Tony Stark with immense amount of ease and charisma. Chris Evans seems out of place, which goes well with his lost in time character while Chris Hemsworth seemed a little underwhelming in comparison to his solo film act. Samuel L. Jackson had more breathing space with a lengthier role which was good to see while Tom Hiddleston as Loki was impressive as the outnumbered villain.

Mark Ruffalo was a refreshing change after the previous actors who played Bruce Banner, while the interpretation of Hulk was the perfect hurrah for this amazing comic character that's been long overdue. The respect it deserves on the big screen was a long time coming.

Scarlett Johansson sheds her 'Iron Man 2' eye candy role for something more in line with what you'd expect from the savvy spy - Black Widow. Unlike the trailers, Jeremy Renner had more to do than I expected which was pleasing and it would be great to see a film about the back story of Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson's character.

Background score, screenplay, cinematography, costumes, CGI were all top notch. Not a chink in the armor. Support from Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders and Stellan Skarsgård was more than adequate without turning into cliché ridden monosyllabic characters that have plagued recent big budget films.

The Avengers like someone on Twitter said, is the 'Star wars V (or was it VI?) of our generation'. A must-watch in the theatre though you can skip the 3D glasses if you want because I doubt it would reduce the awesomeness that is the film.

I arrived at the theatre clueless about what Prometheus was all about (apart from it being a sci-fi flick), having not partaken in the hype surrounding the film. Therefore, the lack of any preconceived notion allowed me to enjoy the film more than I expected.

Prometheus as I later found out is the brain child of Director Ridley Scott who was also behind the original film, 'Alien'. The film is supposed to be a prequel to the 1979 hit, which makes sense of the nostalgic feel that was evident throughout the film. Hence comparison between the two is made making you realize Prometheus's problem clearly lies in the several plot holes and a comparatively lackluster supporting cast.

Two archaeologists, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her boyfriend Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover a star map in several different ancient earth civilizations that they believe is an invitation from humanity's creators. It's the year 2093 i.e. four years later that they find themselves at a moon several light years away from earth in a star ship called Prometheus. On discovering several alien structures, they land nearby to explore it further, triggering a series of events leading to what could be humanity's destruction back on earth.

Spectacular visuals introduce you to the film taking complete advantage of those 3D glasses. These visuals stay with you throughout the film and to an extent, are one of its main highlights. CGI creations from action scenes to sweeping landscape shots are amazingly detailed. The cinematography (Dariusz Wolski) is flawless giving the visuals the required space to shine. Ultimately the world created by Scott is impeccable. Unfortunately the same can't be said about the background score (Marc Streitenfeld) that not only didn't fit the film's nature, but didn't even manage to leave a lasting effect.

Several times during the film it made one wonder why something was happening when logically the opposite should be happening. The lack of caution, fear, or clear direction on part of the characters at several occasions was perplexing. There were several 'Captain Obvious' moments too that were quite comical, while there were instances of leaving several loose ends unsolved. Shoddy efforts to cover up the plot holes I believe, which fell flat thanks to complete ignorance towards any kind of character development and clear lack of common sense.

Noomi Rapace as the film's protagonist is convincing with every turn in her character. As the only character with any real development, Noomi punches a pack with a brilliant performance especially when things get desperate. Michael Fassbender (Android called David) in a restrained act comes as a surprise from such a powerful actor. The constant look of curiosity on his face was reminiscence of Commander Data from Star Trek. The character mostly seemed random with no reasoning or motivation stated for his actions adding to the whole loose ends quota. If it wasn't for Michael's brilliant portrayal, the confusion created would have sunk the film.

Charlize Theron (Meredith Vickers) didn't have much to do apart from standing around pretending to be indifferent and cold. Idris Elba (Janek) as the "can't fly worth a damn" pilot was cliché riddled and so was his co-pilots Emun Elliott (Chance) and Benedict Wong (Ravel). Sean Harris (Fifield), Kate Dickie (Ford) and Rafe Spall (Millburn) seem like space-fillers. And I have no clue why Guy Pearce played the old man Peter Weyland.

When I reread what I've written above, this film does come across as a half-cooked effort at rebooting a franchise. But with zero expectations, stunning visuals and a brilliant leading pair; I put this film right among the better ones I've seen this year. I really did enjoy it quite a bit which is a surprise, because I'm pretty critical if I must say so myself. So if you're into sci-fi films, this is surely a must-watch.

I spent over 2 hours staring at Shah Rukh Khan's face and didn't cringe, that itself is surprising enough. Let me clarify, I'm not an SRK fan but someone who dislikes his monotonous acting. Having decided to go for Don 2 after watching the trailer at the Dubai International Film Festival Press meet with the cast, I opened my mind to possibilities as this was my first Hindi movie in 3D. And boy was I not disappointed, though I would skip the 3D bit.

A sequel to the 2006 hit film called Don, which was (to a certain extent) a remake of the original Don (1978), 'Don 2: The King is Back' tells the story of Don (Shah Rukh Khan) who having conquered the Asian underworld, now has his eyes set on the European market where the local underworld bosses want him dead. Through a series of clever twists and turns that takes us from Kuala Lumpur to Berlin, Don once again beats the odds to come out on top leaving behind a trail of destruction, dead partners and bamboozled law enforcement agencies.

Throughout this year, a common flaw among all Hindi films I've watched has been poor editing, leading to stretched sequences forcing the viewer to yawn at some point. Don 2, even with a run time of over 2 hours is well paced – thanks to the slick editing by Ritish Sony and Anand Subaya, and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. The way a simple story weaves its way through a roller-coaster ride of subplots to a rather predictable (open) ending makes you not only forget the potholes in the script but puts a smile on your face every single time SRK has the evil gleam in his eyes. You sit up like a kid and wonder what trick he has next, up his sleeve.

Farhan Akhtar at the helm has always added finesse to his films and Don 2 cements his position as one of the finest directors in the industry today. With the limitation of a remake removed, Farhan creates a product that's (possibly) by far the best action film to come out of the Hindi film industry in several years. It may lack on the emotional front, but that doesn't bother you.

Thankfully with only one song in the film, there weren't any unnecessary breaks in the film's pace which was wonderful, since the soundtrack by Shankar-Ehsan-Loy is quite ordinary. The background score isn't very original but works to set the mood right. Cinematography by Jason West is brilliant, though the camera work is annoying in bits with overused panning and zoom effects. The action scenes have been directed well with all the characters getting enough space to flex their muscles while the car chase is good. The 3D effect was disappointing but you can't expect more from a movie that wasn't shot with 3D in mind. The script is good and thankfully not repetitive with enough one-liners to precede the action without sounding stupid as many actions movies tend to.

Shah Rukh Khan is clearly having a ball playing Don and it shows in the movie. His understanding of the character has improved and therefore his performance is spellbinding. His attitude, expressions and appearance looks the part and he carries the film on his shoulders with no difficulty. My only complaint is the lack of makeup in the initial scenes where he looks old and weary compared to the rest of the film.

Priyanka Chopra as Roma is disappointing thanks to the lack of importance of her character. The role almost seems like an afterthought and you could literally sleep through the screen time Priyanka gets without losing out on the story. The chemistry between SRK and Priyanka is awkward, be it love or animosity. Lara Dutta who replaced Isha Koppikar plays fulfills the role of eye candy. Not much is expected from her character and she does a good job at keeping it simple.

Boman Irani as Vardhaan is a mixture of emotions. You love the chemistry he shares with SRK but on his own lacks the punch to hold the scene together. Om Puri as Vishal Malik is sidelined to shell out pointless dialogues and you wonder if the character would be edited out in the next installment. Kunal Kapoor as Sameer Ali is unexpected in an off- putting way. With a subtle part to play, he doesn't fit the role and lacks the screen presence one would expect from him. Nawab Shah as Jabar muscles his steroid-heavy role perfectly while Sahil Shroff as Arjun is passable. Aly Khan as J.K. Diwan is perfectly edgy.

Don 2 may not be very original nor ground breaking (like Ra.One) but it works as an entertaining action thriller. Farhan Akhtar with Shah Rukh Khan has done a brilliant job. Hmm… it's quite unsettling to think that I'd go watch this movie again in the theatre.

With a song to start off proceedings and two more to introduce the main characters, 'Ladies vs. Ricky Behl' looked the part of a typical Yash Raj production. As expected, like everything else they've delivered this year, there was a predictable Hindi film twist to spoil what was a promising premise.

Ricky Behl (Ranveer Singh) is a professional conman who targets women thanks to his good looks and charming personality. After conning 29 women including Saira Rashid (Aditi Sharma) as clothes material dealer Iqbal Khan and Dimple Chaddha (Parineeta Chopra) as gym instructor Sunny Singh, he manages to con dominating Raina Parulekar (Dipannita Sharma) and her company by pretending to be Art exhibitor Dev.

With the media spotlight on her regarding the scam, Raina unites with Saira and Dimple to bring down that 'Bloody Kamina' aka Ricky Behl. They hire saleslady Ishika Desai (Anushka Sharma) in the hopes of conning the conman. The rest is well....a typical Hindi film.

From the director who surprised us with Band Baaja Baaraat, Maneesh Sharma had high expectations resting on his shoulders. What began on a positive note (sans the song and dance routine) with loads of room for some fun and suspense, it fell right into the 'everyone lived happily ever after' love story category that really didn't make sense in the big picture.

Cinematography and camera work was uninspiring but effective while the music by Salim-Suleiman was mediocre to say the least. Some of the wardrobe choices were odd and rather distracting especially with excess amount of skin show from the lead pair. Editing as usual could have been better to improve the pace of the film and reduce its runtime. Seriously get rid of those songs...

Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh don't bring anything new to the table apart from what we've already seen in Band Baaja Baaraat. The chemistry they share felt rushed and therefore lacked the intensity needed to get the viewers involved. Ranveer had the perfect opportunity to shine as the films protagonist but his character variations were as awkward as his facial disguises.

Parineeta Chopra as Dimple was brilliant. Her facial expressions, comic timing and body language brought some fresh energy into a 'done to death' Punjabi supporting role. She is one actor to watch out for.

Dipannita Sharma as Raina was so-so as the corporate executive lost in the human rat race. Her character expected her to deliver a strong demanding performance but she felt out of place and rather rigid in her act.

Aditi Sharma as Saira was a typecast Muslim supporting role with the usual dosage of formality and awkwardness that conveniently diminishes away along with the clothes as the movie progresses. Aditi chose to remain confined

With a story (written by Aditya Chopra) that lacked the depth of a fully fledged Hindi film, the screenplay by Devika Bhagat also falls short of doing what was needed to make the film stand out. In the end, you can expect a few laughs, lots of colours and a happy ending. Just make sure you enter the theatre with low expectations.

After the dud that was 'Love Aaj Kal' (IMHO) that followed the brilliant 'Jab We Met' and under-appreciated 'Socha Na Tha', Director Imtiaz Ali brings what one could call 'an experimental love story'.

'Rockstar' is an unforgiving film about the journey of a musician through eccentric ecstasy and depressive reclusiveness riddled with heart break that eventually destroys him.

Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbhir Kapoor) spends his college days at talent contests getting ridiculed or sitting in the canteen admiring Jim Morrison (and his middle finger antic). One day the canteen manager, Khatana bhai (Kumud Mishra) proclaims that to be a real musician you have feel raw pain like true love and subsequent heart break. So our hero goes on his way and tries to woo the prettiest serial heart breaker in college, unavailable Heer Kaul (Nargis Fakhri). In his unique, slightly daft way of proposing, JJ carves a path through Heer's cold shoulder 'burger off' stance to unveil a wild friendship involving R- rated films to shady discos, to JJ going to Kashmir for Heer's marriage.

Heer falls in love with JJ (relabelled as Jordan), gets married and is exported to Prague while JJ joins the family business, gets disowned by his family, moves in with Khatana bhai after spending couple of months at a shrine (Nizamuddin Dargah). He then gets signed by Platinum records, a music company owned by Dhingra (Piyush Mishra) on the recommendation of Ustad Jameel Khan (the late Shammi Kapoor). A musical trip to Prague, healing of depressed Heer through wild trips to stripper-bars to back alley clubs and a romantic escapade threading on a fine line ensues, ending the entertaining first half. Post interval, everything goes wrong with a slow build up to a long but abrupt end. What was Imtiaz Ali even thinking when he put that video hotchpotch and quote (by Rumi) at the end?

The concept to start with had the foundation for some astonishing cinema. Unfortunately the story (written by Imtiaz Ali) didn't build on that foundation thanks to some avoidable love story clichés that stretched the film run-time into the 'yawn' category. With some tighter editing by Aarti Bajaj, it could have made the transitions between moments less of a visual roller coaster. Talking about visuals, cinematography by Anil Mehta was top-notch. From the streets of Delhi, to the scenery in Kashmir and Prague to the concert venues; everything looked great adding to the aesthetic value of the film.

Imtiaz Ali is an extraordinary film maker and excels at one thing: character development. Even though some of the smaller side characters were ignored, most characters had wonderful depth to them; something several movies this year failed miserably with. The skill with which the character of JJ is handled makes you live the journey alongside him. Fabulous!

Throughout the film, it is JJ and not Ranbhir Kapoor you're watching. He embodies the character so well that you forget you're watching an actor doing his job. The effortlessness with which he portrays the changeover from JJ to Jordan shows why he is the future of Hindi cinema. He is leagues ahead of his generation of actors.

Opposite him is Nargis Fakhri as Heer. One wonders (yet again) what Imtiaz Ali was thinking. Looking pretty doesn't qualify a person as an actor, acting does. And she clearly can't act. Shaking her head like a bobble-head while blurting out flat tone dialogues; it reminded us a lot of Katrina Kaif when she had started out. Here's hoping sense prevails and she either goes back to modelling or joins an acting school before doing anything else.

Support from Piyush Mishra as a classic greedy man was entertaining while Kumund Mishra's simplistic portrayal as Khatana was perfect. Shernaz Patel as Heer's mother Neena Kaur and Aditi Rao Hydari as the journalist (tracking the life of Jordan) 'Sheena' play their parts well. Shammi Kapoor didn't have much to do but it was hard to not get mesmerized by that glint in his eyes. The scenes he shares with Ranbhir Kapoor felt nice.

Music and soundtrack by A.R. Rahman is what defines this movie. Every moment in the film had a song to set the tone with. Breathtaking rapports with the visuals entwine you in a completely different world. The production value and scale that A.R. Rahman brings to the intensity of the music in a film, no one else can compare. Mohit Chauhan as the voice of JJ/Jordan compliments Ranbhir beautifully.

Rockstar as a musical journey excels with some fantastic acting and mesmerizing music. On the other hand, as a love story it not only falls short of expectation but drags the whole film down. Unfortunately the story is about a musician in love so neither can survive without the other. So overall it's a bit of a mixed-bag and one feels that with better editing and casting, this could have been so much better. Irrespective of it all, I'd recommend it as a theatre-watch thanks solely to Ranbhir and A.R. Rahman.

The plus side to being a sci-fi freak is that you never fail to catch every possibly sci-fi movie out there, hoping to uncover a gem among the cliché-ridden big budget snooze-fests. After the surprisingly good Super 8, Real Steel sucker punched us with an excellent package even with a slightly 'done to death' story.

Set in the year 2020, 'Robot Boxing' has replaced human boxing as the ultimate form of entertainment. Ex-boxer Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), a struggling promoter is trying to make a quick buck with second rate robots and a cocky attitude. A damaged robot (called Ambush) later, Charlie returns home to Bailey Tallet (Evangeline Lilly) with a son from his ex-girlfriend (deceased), 11 year old Max Kenton (Dakota Goyo) in tow. Having handed custody to protective Aunt Debra (Hope Davis), Charlie has to keep Max for the summer after brokering a deal with her wealthy husband Marvin (James Rehborn). A shattered confidence and another destroyed robot (called Noisy Boy) later, Charlie and Max find themselves in the junkyard where Max unearths a second generation sparring bot called Atom. Through Max's stubbornness and Charlie's boxing skills, Atom manages to find itself in the ring with Zeus, reigning WRB (World Robot Boxing) Champion. And that isn't what this is film is about.

When Charlie confesses to Max "You deserve better... than me"; you are sold. After seeing Hugh Jackman as the superhero so many times that it was refreshing to see him in a more human and extremely flawed character. His transition from rogue conman to a responsible father was skilfully muscled together. At the same time, it was impressive to see him take a step back and let the spotlight shine on the heart of this film; Dakota Goyo. A screaming "I want you to fight for me!" Dakota has you in an emotional dump right after you've cheered him on with pump fisting enthusiasm. He mirrors Charlie's traits like a shadow with ease that you're completely enrolled into the father-son relationship. And this is what the film is about.

Evangeline Lilly as Charlie's childhood comfort corner has a decent role with the highlight being her reminiscing the time when Charlie was a great boxer. Her eyes say a million words. Supporting cast in the form of Anthony Mackie (as Finn), Hope Davis, James Rebhorn, Kevin Durrand (as Ricky), Karl Yune (as Tak Mashido) and Olga Fonda (as Farra Lemkova) play their parts well in their limited screen time.

Sugar Ray Leonard was brought on to the project to train Hugh Jackman. He was also required to give each robot its own style of boxing. Having him behind the scenes gives the fights that extra edge while with Hugh Jackman, more than the punches it's the eyes that make you believe in his character.

Atom's shadow function enables him to flawlessly imitate every movement he sees. Dancing with Max, training with Charlie or handing out punches in the ring. You connect, you adore and hurt along with him.

Unfortunately the lack of any kind of moral responsibility towards the much-loved robots like Atom from Max or Charlie was rather disappointing. Also when Atom stares into the mirror, you feel the possibility of a new sub plot. Although you wonder if he is a sentient, no reference is made to it again. Both omissions were a trick missed by the writers to steer away from a clichéd story. Loosely based on the short story 'Steel' by Richard Matheson, writers Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven don't bring anything new to the table that we haven't already seen a million times before. It's the screenplay by John Gatins that lifts the story above its mediocre base and some good editing by Dean Zimmerman gives it the perfect pace to keep you entertained even with a slightly long running time of 127minutes.

The visuals thrown at you were pleasing with excellent amount of camera angles giving an absorbing view of Robot Boxing. The CGI was impressive as expected, though the background score by Danny Elfman was quite hackneyed. The sheer amount of annoying product placements throughout the film was astonishing.

You'll love it thanks to a good chemistry between the lead actors while your brain is numbed by the modus operandi of the storyline. It still manages to hit the right cords and works in the bigger picture just by a margin.

I wouldn't call it a bad movie. It clearly had its moments of brilliance but they being so few and far between that you walk out of the theatre thinking about the opportunity missed. Avid gamer Prateek Subramaniam (Armaan Verma) doesn't believe in heroes; he's tempted by the dark side. He being raised in a foreign country finds his father, game developer Shekhar Subramaniam (Shar Rukh Khan), a typical tam-bram from Mumbai, to be embarrassing, a coward and uncool. Shekhar tries to reach out to his son and as a last ditch effort creates an ultimate game called Ra.One (Derived from Random Access version One) where the artificial intelligence enabled villain called Ra.One (Arjun Rampal) can't be defeated or so we are made to believe even though Prateek manages to almost do that in his very first attempt. Fashioning a bruised ego and technology at his disposal, Ra.One enters the real world to hunt down Prateek. The rest is a typical Bollywood masala movie sans the running around the trees (Iss film mein emotion hain, action hain, drama hain, music hain). The introduction given to Prateek through special appearances from Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra was pleasingly interesting in a silly way. The same can be said for Shekhars introduction thanks to his antics and accent. Unfortunately just like Shah Rukh Khans inconsistent accent, the script was mined with plot-holes that were so glaringly obvious that you'd wonder how it ever got approved. One look at the writing credits makes it obvious where the fault lies i.e. too many cooks spoil the broth. Armaan Verma was a bit of a mixed bag thanks to some good acting but held back by poor dialogues at vital junctures. He has potential but clearly has a long way to go. Shah Rukh Khan as Shekhar was enjoyable when he stuck to the character but often that wasn't the case. The whole Tamilian act was used as a fall back for comic timings but forgotten rest of the time. Irrespective, it was clearly the stand out act of the film. Arjun Rampal, the protagonist of the movie was snubbed to the second half of the movie with minimal screen time and singular character line though he did look menacing in his bald look. Even though I am assuming he was used as the basis for the Ra.One CGI throughout the movie, the talented actor he is was wasted and it was a rather anti-climax in the end to all the publicity done for his character. The same can be said about Shahana Goswami who played Shekhar's colleague Jenny Nayar. Being proclaimed as an amazing actress and rising star by Shah Rukh Khan at the press conference, she didn't really have much to do thanks to a disposable character. Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Subramaniam started off on a positive bubbly note but drastically dropped to mediocre thanks to a pointless emotional character curve and poor acting. Unwanted importance and screen time was given to her character whereas it should have been edited out to reduce the rather long running time (almost 160mins). Tom Wu as Akaashi was an eye sore due to a poorly conceived spendable character and what looked like forced acting. Satish Shah, Suresh Menon and Dilip Tahil were relegated to do their usual act that we've seen a million times already. Shah Rukh Khan as G.One was flawed just like every other superhero we have seen. Throw in some Hindi film masala and we get a unique combination that was a treat to watch especially when the melodramatic emotions didn't drag it down. Shah Rukh Khan emoted well even with the lack of facial expressions and onerall he didn't disappoint. No super hero movie is complete without some breathtaking action. From car chases to train rides; it was an entertaining ride throughout. Apart from the action scene to introduce superstar Rajnikant (as Chitti) that felt a little stretched, most of the action was well choreographed and it was good to see injury ridden Shah Rukh Khan holding his own in them. Camera work with a mix of close in action and wide shots throwing you in and out of the action was faultless. Elaborate and well designed sets (digital or real) added that extra production value to the film completing the almost perfect visual package. Sound design by Resul Pookutty complimented the visuals beautifully. Unfortunately, irrespective of how famous some of the songs were, they do dampen the pace of the movie and should have been minimalist if not completely avoided. Talking about visuals; quoting my last night's tweet; "Special effects/CGI might not be Hollywood standards but it was good in parts. They have made an effort; it shows." The clear stand out being the way they have designed and used the cubes to create/manipulate our lead characters. When Ra.One punches G.One, the way the face contorts was clearly the highlight of it all followed with the way Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was destroyed. Well done Mike Kelt and Team Ra.One; full points there. Kudos to director Anubhav Sinha and producer Shah Rukh Khan for trying to take us viewers through a visual ride never seen before from a Hindi film. Unfortunately a script with several loose ends and unwanted sequences makes this an average film held together to an extent by Shah Rukh Khan and completely by the special effect, both clearly the USP of the film.

'Killer Elite' based on a 'factional' book by the name of 'The Feather Men', written by Sir Ranulph Fiennes; is a dramatic illustration about three Special Air Service (SAS) officers assassinated by an elite hit squad to avenge the death of 'Osama lookalike' Sheikh Amr's (Rodney Afif) three sons in Oman.

After a 'job' where he shoots a man in front of his son in Mexico, mercenary Danny (Jason Stathom) decides to retire ("I'm done with killing") in Australia when he is forcefully hired by Sheikh Amr to finish the job his imprisoned mentor, Hunter (Robert De Niro) couldn't. Along with Davies (Dominic Purcell) and Meier (Aden Young), he goes along hunting three SAS officers for confession and execution. A secret society made up of former operatives to protect their interests gets wind of this and their watch dog Spike Logan (Clive Owen) is put on the job to get to the bottom of it. Political oil interest is thrown in to the mix to put a third angle to proceedings.

With a pack of talented actors to boot, your expectations towards what seemed like a typical action movie is quadrupled with every teaser you see. Directed by Gary McKendry, this British film throws dozens of plots and twists at you hoping to come out looking smart like the Bourne series but instead gets a little bruised and bemused managing to stay afloat with fast paced action. Unfortunately the camera work by Simon Duggan doesn't put much of the action in the right light with hand held shaky cinematography keeping you too close to the action leaving you a little confused. The screenplay by Matt Sherring is cliché-ridden thanks to done-to-death characters and to some extent obtuse dialogues ("The killing is easy, living with it is hard.").

Jason Stathom as 'Danny' generates nothing different from the usual 'the man who can take on a whole army' act that we're so used to seeing him do. Pitted against Clive Owen, he does take a beating here and there but looks unscathed right after the fight is over. Clive Owen delivers the best performance in the movie and the dogfight chemistry he shares with Stathom is intensely entertaining. It's a feast to watch him out shine the rest of the cast with a dead right act.

Robert De Niro was wasted with a role relegated to short burst of snippets in the beginning and end of the movie. With no real space to breathe, it felt like a setup for promotional leverage for a good pay cheque in exchange. Yvonne Strahovski as Danny's love interest back home, 'Anne' was shorthanded into the script at multiple points to show the emotional side of our lethal killer, which falls flat instantly. Gladly there was no 'damsel in distress' moment and Yvonne Strahovski goes through the motion without a tripping over.

Dominic Purcell and Aden Young provide sufficient support to Stathom and have their respective moments to shine, though only Dominic manages to leave a lasting image. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as the Agent, and Rodney Affif have standard unintelligent roles.

Even with all its imperfections, the film works to an extent. The suspense is held together well with unexpected character twists and well choreographed action scenes. The story may not be the smartest one around, but it doesn't dumb itself down just to be universally accepted. Even with a slightly humdrum acting display, the chemistry between the male actors is enjoyable especially with no clear good side to root for. It might not be a cult status film but it manages to leave an imprint in your head.

After a decade since 'Planet of the Apes' released in 2001, a reboot in the form of a prequel, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', appeared in cinemas with plenty of negative hype regarding the extremely long name and the pointlessness of a reboot of a reboot quite possibly made to cash in on a partially successful franchise.

The story is about scientist Will Rodman (James Franco), who is hell bent on curing Alzheimer's that has haunted his father, Charles Rodman (John Lithgow) and an ape called 'Caesar' (motion-captured Andy Serkis) whose mother, a test subject, hands down the cure that enhances the primate to near human intelligence and his realization of where his kind stand in the world of humans.

Will's emotional connection to his need to find a cure to save his dad is beautifully scripted. You connect with his plight and elation in the roller coaster ride. James Franco as Will does a fine job at essaying those emotions. Charles' constant battle with Alzheimer's is beautifully portrayed by John Lithgow clearly outshining the other (human) actors. Freida Pinto as Will's girlfriend Caroline Aranha is passable with zero chemistry. Tom Felton (as Dodge Landon), David Oyelowo (as Steven Jacobs), Brian Cox (John Landon), Tyler Labine (as Robert Franklin) and James Harris (as Rodney) are reasonable in their respective supporting roles.

The most in-depth character has to be that of Caesar who you begin to adore from the moment you first lay your eyes on him wrapped in a blanket as a baby. As he grows, your connection and understanding towards him gets stronger, and by the end of it, you not only believe in his actions but cheer him on. Kudos to Director Rupert Wyatt, for choosing motion-capture instead of makeup because those eyes look stunning, and then believing in a character that utters less than 10 words throughout the movie. Also, good call by the script writers to shift the spotlight from Will's struggle to Caesar's march for freedom in the second half, keeping you on the edge till the end, something prequels tend to suffer at with their inevitable predictability.

With a skilfully portrayed script sewing all the subplots into a tight little knot, the film tops out with some simple but effective action scenes (Read: no apes ripping humans apart) at the end where you uncomfortably find yourself rooting for the apes who fight in an almost forgiving way unlike the gun/baton baring humans.

The camera work puts you in the right places throwing you in or pulling out of the action at the right moments. The soundtrack starts off on a soft note, picking up decibels by the end of the movie playing along perfectly with the story. CGI is among the best I've seen with a lot of detailing on the apes with what seemed like precise physical movements.

With almost zero expectations at the start due to rather misleading trailers, it isn't often that as a film progresses, my expectations sky rocket. Apart from a slightly hurried ending, it is a very well made film and possibly one of the better summer films this year.

Written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan is about Kush (Imran Khan) being given the responsibility by his London-settled big brother Luv (Ali Zafar) to find the perfect desi girl for him to get married to after his 'badly scripted' immature breakup with his British Indian girlfriend Piali (Tara D'Souza). He ends up rediscovering 'crazy/carefree England-born but a desi at heart' Dimple (Katrina Kaif) as that perfect girl and then conveniently falls in love with her.

With a potential for being a decent romantic comedy, the screenplay lets the movie down with a dull first half and one liners, *trying hard to be funny* innuendos that results in half hearted laughs from a few. The screen time and over the top antics that were put in place to stamp the carefree Katrina Kaif's image into the viewers mind was bordering to the level of annoyance. Most of the original songs felt out of place and faded out in comparison to songs from classics played in the background in different situations for a comical touch. The cinematography was typical Yash Raj fanfare, nothing extraordinarily special. The chemistry between the lead actors was fun and funny when kept simple.

Imran Khan as assistant director and younger brother Kush plays one of those 'been there, done that' roles. He has matured as an actor and does have that extra zip in some scenes but it's a character we have seen him play before. He fits the role, does a good job and looks adorable at the same time.

Katrina Kaif is a weak Hindi speaker, it has always shown in her acting and this movie is no different. Fortunately with every movie, her acting and dialogue delivery has been improving which is evident in scenes where she isn't a glam doll giving the actor in her some breathing space. Tara D'Souza is an above average model turned actress with a single dimension acting curve. Nothing to write home about.

Ali Zafar as Luv is melodramatic. Clearly the pick of the actors with brilliant expressions and body language. His acting style which was subtly comical was integral in keeping up with the lightness of the mood that was created throughout the movie.

Support was in the form of predictable, easily manipulated and rather understanding fathers (Parikshat Sahni & Kanwaljit Singh) and their *not much to say' wives; Dimple's genius autistic brother Ajju (Arfeen Khan) and ordinary looking Kush's childhood friend Shobhit (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub). Cliché wafer thin characters without any real depth to them and yet the actors still managed to do a decent job.

Starting off on a clear cut script, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan traverses from a weak and a boring screenplay to a subliminal love triangle that eventually manages to save some face in the end.

After an impressive beginning as a director with 'Luck by Chance', Zoya Akhtar is back with 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' in her second outing once again casting her brother Farhan Akhtar as Imran with Hrithik Roshan as Arjun & Abhay Deol as Kabir to make the three musketeers. They embark on a bachelor trip across Spain before Kabir gets married to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) where each of them will take the other two to experience an unknown extreme sport opening their respective lives to possibilities that they were unsure to face before.

Farhan Akthar with his surefire comic timing, relaxed personality and soul searching gazes makes this his best performance to date. He has matured as an actor proving that he can do more than just serious roles. Hrithik Roshan lets his eyes do the talking. His transition from a grumpy money making machine to a free soul is exulted beautifully. This is one of his better if not best performances and this proves that with the right director and script, he is a fantastic actor. Abhay Deol might come across as the timid one among the three and he might not be the best dancer (especially with the other two around) but he makes the best of what he has, his strong dialogue delivery. His casualness makes the trio feel human.

Support comes in the form of Kalki Koechlin who was in control and crazy at the same time which was annoying to watch (in a good way) because that's what her character was all about. Katrina Kaif as the NRI deep sea diving instructor Laila, was so-so. Her dialogue delivery is still weak with wafer thin facial expressions though her rapport with the guys was passable with good chemistry with Hrithik. Ariadna Cabrol as Nuria was an extra with a name; not much to do or say. Deepti Naval as Rehna Habib was believable in her short act while Naseeruddin Shah as Salman Habib was simply a scene stealer.

Cinematography keeps you in the thick of the action with plenty of in- your-face camera work. The way the extreme sports were captured didn't look staged most of the time, adding to the make-believe that the actors were in fact doing their own stunts (which I think they did, most of it at least). Locations are spectacular as expected, with Spain getting loads of screen-time to sell itself to the masses though I wasn't keen on some of the aspects shown (wasted tomatoes & animal torture). Other product placements were obvious though they didn't detract from the story. The story and screenplay was finessed well by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti even with predictable sub-plots and a long run time. The dialogues written by Farhan Akhtar with aptness to each scene were surprisingly good. The background score and songs are well placed adding weight to the visual experience. The lyrics written by Javed Akthar and narrated in Farhan Akhtar's raspy voice at vital emotional junctions in the movie were brilliant.

With a well paced narrative and brilliant acting, one must confess that this was a joyful experience that not many 'feel good' Hindi movies manage to emote.