vinodemails

Black Panther (2018): Reviee

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)'s 18th movie, marks the coming of age for the blockbuster churning studios. While the budget of $200 Mn reflects the confidence of the studio to create a solo movie for a not-so-famous Marvel hero, Box office collections (>$ 1bn) show that it has been rewarded nicely for the bet.

Those who follow MCU movies, would know that Black Panther was introduced in Captain America: Civil War where he chases the Captain and Bucky in a thrilling action sequence. This movie follows the story after T'Challa's father dies in the bombing of UN building. The mantle passes on and so the story progresses..

But, you are here for the review, right?

Let me first get out the parts that suck. The plot which is predictable even before the first hint is dropped is a concern - Age old formula of succession, challenger, failure and the comeback (Didn't we see something very similar in Thor's 1st movie?)

Most of the characters are also caricature (a doting mother, feisty girlfriend, priest with a past, betraying friend, loyal general, powerful enemy, the original enemy becoming an ally for honour and the sidekicks).

The underlying narrative about oppression of the black people by colonists and thus the payback; could've been handled much more subtly, than 'in your face' dialogues.

However, this doesn't make the movie unwatchable. Let me list down 5 reasons below, as to why you should still watch this movie.

1. Title credits - Movie starts with tribal beats and the story of Wakanda which is being told by T'Chaka to T'Challa. The visuals made with shape-changing vibranium nanites lend a magical effect and prepare the audience for the VFX that follows. Nicely done!

2. T'Challa, Shuri and Ulysses Klaue - The 3 characters which stand out.

First, the protagonist himself T'Challa (The Black Panther), groomed to be king from a young age himself, he's unusually subdued, for a Superhero. There's no glimpse of any smugness or over-confidence which we saw in Thor. If anything, there's a subtle pride and a bit of self-doubt, which is very well portrayed by Chadwick Boseman. Many scenes which depict his self-depreciation adds to the humour and draw empathy from the audience.

Second, 'Shuri' the young teenage genius to whom the myriad inventions in the whole of Wakanda is attributed to, is solely responsible for bringing in some fun element in the movie. Acting as Q, the doctor and the sidekick, she aces in her role and steals the scene whenever present. Well done, Letitia Wright.

Third and my favourite character in the movie is portrayed by the master Andy Serkis. The man, who rarely gets to play himself as a human is seen enjoying his role as Ulysses so much, that as the audience I was the most disappointed when he died. The raw energy he brings, lights up the screen and he kicks a** even with just 1 hand. Sample this dialogue to his driver 'Play some music. Do you think this is a funeral?', when he's being chased to be killed. He gets ample screen time here (not just a cameo which we saw in Avengers: Age of Ultron)

3. Action sequence - 3 to 4 brilliantly done action sequences, other than the hand to hand combat ones. Special mention to the one shot in South Korea. If only, DC learns something from this!

4. The Dream sequences - They appear thrice. Twice for T'Challa and once for Erik Killmonger. I'm not sure how they do it, but the 'aurora' effect in the sky is just unbelievable. Credit to the VFX team, wherever they may be situated.

5. Africa - the simplicity, the music and nature - The tap and the rhythm, you feel it right from the start. Every time it changes, the mood and the setting changes. Yes, there are few American rock songs in between. But, the director keeps coming back to the simple instruments. They are so very addictive. Africa, showcased through rolling hills, snow-capped mountains, jaw dropping waterfalls and rivers takes us right back to 'The Lion King'. For me, it did bring back few memories from Kenya

So, go ahead and watch this old school, but newly made Action movie. Personally recommended.

P.S. - The IMDB Trivia mentions that the scenes supposed to be in Africa, have in fact, been shot in Georgia. But, ignore that.

There are few movies which you miss out watching in theatres, maybe you are too busy with other things in life or maybe you thought it may not be worth it. I'm sure, for many of us, who although are ardent fans of Disney-Pixar collaborations (Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Up, Inside Out, etc), may have missed out on Coco which released in Nov '17. And it shows in their global collections (< $600m).

But as I watched the movie unfold it's colourful music and magic on my TV screen, I immediately started to regret, missing watching it on the theatre. A delectable comedy drama based in Mexico (creators indulging in meticulous research on the cultural aspects, depicting them with warmth); the story follows Miguel, a cute round eyed 12 year old who has immense love for music.

For this review, I mean to state some of issues upfront. The plot start on a familiar note - the boy wants to follow a path, which his family hates - remember Ratatouille?, the family is caricature, most of the scenes are predictable (more Disney here than Pixar) and it definitely includes fantasy - a transition to another world which changes the protagonist into a better person (yes, as in almost all Disney movies).

If so, why did I regret not watching it? Although the storyline is straightforward, it has alot of warmth (yes, I'll repeat this word); a fuzzy family feel to it which connects you and almost brings you to tears at the end of it. The impeccable research on Mexican culture and the depiction of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), in a sensible and touching manner leaves the audience with sweet memories while stressing on the importance of remembering and cherishing the dead. If you'd note, every culture across the world (especially the old ones) always had dedicated days to celebrate the dead, atleast 1 generation above.

We all have heard our parents and grandparents fondly remembering their childhood and may have ignored them or even criticized them (inside our heads) for droning on about the same memories. The movie, by communicating in a nice way states that those whom you remember from your past, never really die. They remain alive in another world. As this generation of ours grows older and we witness passing away of our grandparents, this is an important message to remember. And more to spend atleast one day in a year talking about them and sharing a laugh and a tear.

By using the smallest of elements including the golden petals of the Aztec marigold flower as a travel portal, highlighting the importance of family's blessings and showing how, unspoken words of love, can harm an entire generation, the movie retains all the best things an animation can bring, while being so much relatable to every culture in the world.

And then of course is the music. Composed by Michael Giacchino (the guy who had us swooning in 'Up'), it's instantly hummable and also capable of singing along once you listen to it. Justapoxed with Spanish and English lyrics, the 'Un poco loco', Miguel's stage debut song is my favourite. And few of them do make you want to get up and groove as well. Most people would also love 'Remember me' not just for it's music, but also it's lyrics.

Special mention to Gael Garcia Bernal, the voice actor for 'Hector', for brilliantly voicing comedy, love and tragedy all.so convincingly.

'Coco' is a recommended watch as per me. And be ready when you eventually realise whom the movie is named on. Wishing you happy tears..

It's Episode VIII, but it feels like Episode V, all over again. I mean it as a good thing. As a teenager when i had started watching Star Wars movies, what appealed to me were few elements. The Last Jedi has, it seems masterfully studied each of them and planted them seamlessly into the narrative, while staying true to the central theme.

So, in this review, i'll dwell on how Director Rian Johnson has revived the franchise from the debacle (although not financial) of 'The Force Awakens', by focusing on what audience always loved about the epic, rather than..... well, you can read my review of Episode VII in this link - http://www.imdb.com/user/ur21321686/reviews

And i'll try my best to minimize spoilers.

1. Start with Action, with Resistance on the verge of a collapse: This was always the reason for the opening crawl, to bring you right into the action without having to elaborate or build up situations. 'The Last Jedi' as expected begins with the new empire 'First Order' about to attack a rebel base. Poe, the suave looking fighter pilot is again at the centre of action, with almost an expected escape. This start lays down the foundation for the movie to build on.

2. Bring in the padawan - master relationship and the differences between them: Episode VII ends with Rey finding Luke skywalker in the faraway oceanic planet Ahch-to. An expected relationship between the master and apprentice takes a new twist revealing the past of Kylo Ren and the continuing differences between them. The 'curious' among you may want to google about the 3 lessons which Luke promises to teach Ren.

3. Focus on characters who stay true to what they are: One of the main reasons for a movie franchise spanning 40 years (1977-2017) is the characters. While Episode VII raised questions on whether this legacy of creating memorable characters was ending, 'The Last Jedi' makes up for it by establishing the nature of Rey (passionate and honest), Poe (instinctive and loud), Finn (stops running and finally chooses a side) and Kylo Ren (revealing a new layer, now strong and bold, although nowhere near to Darth Vader by any sense of imagination). Special mention to BB-8, who takes the role of R2-D2 a step further and undoubtably is the 'hero' who saves the day multiple times. New characters Rose Tico (a sweet chubby honest resistance fighter) and Vice Admiral Holdo (purple haired straight faced surprise package) are also enduring.

4. The myriad planets with it's native creatures: 3 planets feature in film, each of them with different creatures. Ahch-To has the adorable Porga (screaming big eyed fat birds), Caretakers (factually named) Thala-Sirens (huge marine milk cows); Canto Blight has Fathiers (tall and strong racing horses) and the Vupltex (shiny crytal foxes) in the planet Crait. The script has ensured that most of the creatures play a relevant role in storyline.

5. Comic timing through dialogues, situations and failures: Something which was sorely missing in the last episode. This one brings out chuckles, even in expected serious scenes. Instead of creating 1 character providing comic relief, the opportunity has been presented to almost all major protagonists.

6. Throwing up surprises: This was where Episode V stood out. Prodding the narrative along a familiar path with an unexpected twist at the end. In the 'Last Jedi', we get along many such familiar plot themes, be it the escape of the rebellion, a search for master codebraker or the expected fight scenes between Rey / Luke and Kylo Ren; only for us to realize that there's some minor twist which keeps us hooked.

7. Use nostalgia as the key: Nostalgia was the only reason millions of us watched 'The Force Awakens'. Rian Johnson (also the writer) has used that feeling in the best possible manner here, be it through the old characters (Luke Skywalker - the shining star who walks away with all the applause, Chewbacca, Yoda (with a surpirsing sentence at the end), R2D2 (the sense of timing being brilliant) and C-3PO (shiny and reluctant as ever); Or via situations which we are familiar with.

8. Focus on the eternal conflict to lay the path forward: Surprisingly, amidst the 152 minute running time, the focus remains on the Light vs. Dark, Jedi vs. Sith, Resistance vs. First Order and Rey vs. Kylo Ren. Due to this, whenever the conflict becomes alive on the screen, audience gets a chance to become biased and at the same time empathize with the losses on both sides.

9. Let the audience feel it as an adventure: Personally for me, this is the ultimate win of the movie. I'd recommend watching this one to every single person who has a sense of adventure as ultimately that's what we are looking for when we walk into the theatre and plonk our bottom in cushion. A fun ride with a message of hope. That's what we wanted and what we get.

In between all this, the film also manages to throw in a relevance to current affairs with a comment on the business of funding wars by supplying weapons to both sides. That's a nice touch.

As i left the theatre, the scenes in the movie and especially the face of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill reprising his character with swag, emotion and all the force he can muster) kept rising in front of my eyes. I can honestly say, it brought back memories of Episode I, 18 years ago.

For a perfect 10 though, i'd have liked all the actors (excluding Hamill) put in that little extra effort in expressing emotions; especially Daisy as at times, it's difficult to fathom her sculpted face and eyes which don't move at all. After all the movie is named after her.

A recommended watch; The Force Awakens truly here.

Stranger Things (Season 1)

Most of us have seen or heard the hoopla around this series. Some may have even wondered at the bill boards on highway and wondered when that movie is going to release and may have embarrassed ourselves when the truth got revealed.

And then there are the other section who have subscribed to Netflix specifically to watch the Season 2 as and when it gets released and even participate actively in the speculation for Season 3.

To the illiterate, Stranger Things is a Netflix original series created by Duffer brothers (hindi speaking audience, i can sense the chuckle); Season 1 of which with 8 episodes was released in July 2016 and Season 2 just got out in Oct 2017. Just like the audience i mentioned above, my opinion on the series is polarized.

Based in 1980's on the fictional American town of Hawkins, this retro supernatural themed series aims to target the mid 30's to 50's crowd who grew up on sci-fi , thriller and horror blockbusters delivered by Hollywood. If i have to pick and choose some of the movies it seems to have drawn inspiration from, it'd include Jumanji, E.T, Alien, A nightmare on the Elm street and even to the 2011 release Super 8. Familiar protagonists include geeky school kids, confused teenagers and tragedy hit adults prone to bad habits. Much to the dismay, at least Season 1 looked abit under funded with quality of some visual effects reflecting 1990's. The thrills mostly accompanied by loud recurring sound bits also seem familiar.

But then, what made it such a big hit, why did Netflix boost the Season 2's production and marketing budget so much? Answer i think lies in the execution. To draw an analogy from cooking, it isn't the ingredients themselves but the quantity you use and the treatment you give to each ingredient which creates that perfect dish. Duffer brothers have done just that. Letting the audience feel the familiarity of the setting, get closer to the characters, making them predict what's in store in the next scene; but at the very end coming up with a twist which hooks the audience for the next episode. The approach of following 3 sets of characters - kids, teens and adults helps provides perspective where you end up appreciating the kid's inventiveness, sigh at the failings of teens and groan when you realize you are going to do the exact same things as the adults did.

Performance wise Millie Baby Brown as 'Eleven' is excellent. David Harbour as police chief 'Jim Hopper' looks and acts the part of the veteran hero. My favourite, for the best look, perfect voice tone and impeccable body language is Matthew Modine as 'Dr. Martin Brenner', a perfect negative role.

Instead of binge watching, I'd recommend this to be watched as 1 episode every day, preferably at night, so that when you go to bed, your brains are filled with predictions for what to expect next and at times, even dream up a few. And oh, i've a few predictions for Season 2 as well. Of course, i won't let you know until i complete the 9 episodes.

Nolan is back, after a hiatus of 3 years from the silver screen. His last work Interstellar has left us desiring for more spectacular fiction, but he chooses to pick a historical event, maybe to experiment or to test his potential of portraying human stories.

The film is based on the small town in northern France, staged in May 1940 when Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. The story is of the struggle faced by English troops during the evacuation of more than 400,000 soldiers; presented across 3 dimensions - land, air and water; under 3 timelines - a week, a day and an hour.

Spoilers ahead:

The movie starts with land, conveying the dire status of troops stranded on a beach with amazing use of visuals, ranging from notices flying around in a street, a vast beach full of army personnel queuing up for a boat back home, a soldier stealing boots of a dead peer and streetsmart cadres scouting for surviving wounded to carry across in a stretcher, which would get them priority access into the barge. All these with the ever reliable crescendo by Mr. Zimmer. Hounded by German bombers, shooters outside perimeter wall and even torpedoes from U boats, the infantry does its best to survive and run, with the help of navy.

The scene shifts to water where citizens across the kingdom are called for assisting in evacuation, and we get to stick with the able Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance), his kid and his friend in a pleasure boat, as they journey across the English Channel pulling in survivors from boatwrecks and air crashes while shouting words of encouragement for the spitfires of the Royal Air Force booming above them.

The third parallel dimension of air features Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden in their spit fires picking up dog fights with German fighters, while keeping a watch on fuel guage. We get to see ample views from Hardy's cockpit where he adopts multiple manuouvers to shoot down the bombers.

Although very much predictive, the movie aces in its visuals, the scenes shot in a combination of 15/70mm IMAX film and Super Panavision 65mm film ideal for viewing in IMAX screens, along with the music and real life settings with minimal visual effects, leaves an impression of being in the beach, on the boat and within the Spitfire. The film achieves its fulfilment with the climax scenes where Tommy (Fionn) reads the newspaper headlines after returning home which exalts the humanitarian success of the evacuation while a resident British knocks on the window passing 2 bottles of ale cheering the young army personnel who managed to only 'survive'.

Where it lacks in female characters (understandable considering the war setting), repetitive sequences (like the dog fight and bombings) and story suspense, the director makes up with relatable real life characters, dramatic and horrific situations (like being trapped inside a steel ship when it's sinking) and the back and forth timelines which hold you from blinking.

Recommend this movie to all lovers of the medium of Cinema, who would love to watch a movie where multitude of human emotions are addressed in a true story celebrating human grit and survival spirit. Although this isn't the best of Nolan, it's worthy of being watched at least twice in theatres.

There are movies, which suck you in to their world and leave you mesmerized (like Inception) and then there are movies which leave a higher impression, one of awe and inspiration while passing a message which could define human capability and in ways, humanity itself.

Interstellar, in my view Nolan's attempt at not only creating pioneer cinema, but also communicating to the human urge to get out of our comfort zones n go explore the unknown. In a scene, Mr. Copper (protagonist) shares a trivia with his fellow traveler about many long range yatch drivers not knowing how to swim.

The movie has stayed very close to the story, with minimal efforts to showcase the marvels of space with visual effects (things other Hollywood summer blockbusters can learn from). Some audience may even get a feel of movie being low on budget, at $165mn it's huge enough and patience pays in the second half.

Moving on to story line (without spoilers), is simply about a father keeping his promise to daughter in the backdrop of Earth suffering from famine and an interstellar expedition to find a potential solution.

Performance wise, Mathew is brilliant as the adventurer, explorer, father, son, guide and de facto captain. Sir Caine charms as always, Anne tries and Matt Damon surprises (kept aloof in trailers). Cake however goes to Mackenzie Foy for honest (90%) portrayal of Young Murphy. Both TARS (70% humour) and CASE (100% efficient) are superbly cast too, potential competition for R2D2..

Verdict - Am not eligible to judge such cinema, but I'd recommend you watch it once (if possible in IMAX screen), and wonder whether it's you or the seat which is shaking...Oh, and FYI In physics, three dimensions of space and one of time is the accepted norm. Thank me later ;)

The $225 Mn movie has to be reviewed in 2 parts, just like the way it's budget would have been spent. First part - Budget estimate : $25 Mn makes a brilliant start in Krypton, which introduces Russel Crowe (Kal's dad) with fantasy gadgets, pet flying beast and a naturally born son, after a few action sequences, we see Clark in the sea, all bearded up (a welcome change). Over throwbacks into past, we get to look into his troubles at a young age, how his step- dad guides him n unlike spidy, asks him to wait till the World is ready. What we see is the metamorphosis of clark the kid into the shadow man going around saving people in his own way and disappearing. We see Clark's inhibitions and strange as it may seem, relate to him and see him evolve into the Man. Then comes the 2nd part. Budget estimate: $200 Mn - Nothing much to write here, it's all swish, boom n crash where u keep waiting for the movie to end coz u already know the plot (except for Mr. Crowe's funny re appearances). Do still watch it, for first half's sake though and carry earplugs if u want to take a nap during second...

Tamasha, (literarily translated as drama), although brought in front of the audience through the medium of cinema, is presented as a drama itself, with multiple acts, which starts with Teja's gold and ends with Don returns. Imitiaz aces in bringing out the best in ranbir, while presenting a story which is both endearing as well as disturbing.

Endearing to view as an audience, to see the 3rd generation 'Hero' waltz us through the story, you smile as much as deepika does when you meet him in delhi, are dumbstruck when he behaves as he does n cringe at his dialogues, you want to beat the daylight out of him when he mouths dialogues which we use everyday (Corporates are the new countries). Then we see his metamorphosis, coming out of his cocoon through some hilarious scenes and wonderfully performed mirror talks.

Disturbing for you, if you can feel, empathize n realize that you may also be doing exactly what the Hero does in his mediocre life, and maybe hoping deep inside for a Corsica or Tara to happen to you.

Special performance by Piyush Mishra, cute acts by Jr.ranbir and credits to Rahman and Imtiaz for deeply integrating music into the medium. The back n forth narrative reminds me of rockstar.

Do watch the movie and if not anything, you'll walk away admiring Ranbir, and hoping that he continues to be in good hands of talented directors.

Life is a tamasha.

Anurag Kashyap is back into direction and thankfully in the 'Ugly' mode, than in the mold of the unholy offspring with Karan johar (something Velvet).

The movie begins with an unexpected disclaimer that it is in no way related to Raman Raghav, a psychopathic serial killer from Mumbai in 1960's. That did help reduce the budget which would have been required to make a 'period' film, while the title helped catch enough buzz without the marketing spends.

The review deserves to be written in 2 parts, first about Nawazzudin's performance and then the flaws.

We are first introduced to 'Ramanna' as a voice over a call to the police station, in the form of a murder informant, but the wait is short before Anurag brings him to the screen as a self-confessed serial killer (9 as per his count), story about his first murder being illustrated with his glistening eyes and hand gestures. Even though audience loves the story, police doesn't, and we see him again out on the shady / littered streets of Mumbai amongst a pair of fighting rats and thin cats, sitting smug and comfortable, as if he belongs there. Through multiple chapters guiding the story, the serial killer continues his murdering spree which is done in grotesque manner, not with cold calculation, but with seething anger and passion. The actor aces it in a conversation with a 6 year old child where he explains his twisted logic for the crimes. As an escape artist, we are hardly surprised when he's shown submerged in a sewage drain to escape cops, and emerges to murder the traitor who baited him. The sheer aura of madness he brings to the screen not withstanding his small and lean body profile, scares the audience who keep guessing his next move. The ability to be invisible as a common man in a crowd also helps him. His final scene in the movie, where he explains his motive, while finding his soulmate to carry on his legacy is beautiful, bringing out his acting caliber.

Now, to the flaws. Agreed, this wasn't a biography. But, some background on the lead character would've helped, we get none except some indications about a violent childhood from his sister. Then, we would have needed a start. The first murder, it's motive brushed aside as a vengeance for child labour seemed meek. Also, the development of the character, the reason for becoming a serial killer is pushed under the carpet. The second protagonist, the shades-wearing disco hopping cop (who wears the uniform only for one scene), unnecessarily gets a lot of screen time. Although the director does try to justify this towards the climax, it falls through.

Credit must go to the camera man and the location scouts for showing us a part of Mumbai we aren't proud of, but have to live with. Also, for Anurag for bringing out again that there's a dark side within every common man.

Would recommend this for anyone who loves to watch Nawazzudin perform. For those who hope for another Anurag special, sorry he's way far from his best.

Yes, the movie cannot be skipped, as the first part and the twist question at the end ensure we all will flock to the theatres. So, I'll dwelve rather on what one expected from the movie and what one got.

Exp -Magnum opus with brilliant VFX Act - Brilliant VFX indeed with Kingdom, Dream sequences and war scenes portrayed effectively to border disbelief

Exp - Enhancing the character of Bahubali n son, Devsana, Bhallaldev, Sivagami and Kattappa with brilliant one- liners. Act - Characters watered down with very few one-liners to keep the audience hooked. Sivagami's fierceness gets lost, Kattappa's loyalty questioned, Bhallaldev's might becomes more brain than brawn and worst, even Bahubali ends up wasting his arm strength and skills

Exp- A nuanced script where politics and drama get overshadowed by pure heroics and camera following lead character all the time. Act- A muddled script reminiscent of good old Mahabharat serial of schemes and sub- schemes where Bahubali keeps losing without any retribution

Exp - Music which would create awe and timed beautifully to take the movie forward. Act - BGM remains good enough, but the songs didn't deliver, especially the romantic number between Devsana and Bahubali on which a good share of budget gets wasted

Exp - Last but not the least, an epic climax and final war, which would go on for an hour and where Sivadu finally manages to kill Bhallaldev against all odds Act - Kind of anti climax, which feels edited too much and put together fast enough to ensure reasonable running time and enough shows to hit Rs. 500 Crs collection in a week

All in all, somewhere the commercials seem to have overtaken the story, melodrama overshadowing an epic in making and VFX substituting genuine acting.

Independently, keeping aside the expectations, the film has been done well, with good BGM, main characters building up muscles, graphics team putting a lot of efforts and the costumes team doing well too. The love story between Bahubali and Devsana develops like a typical Bollywood potboiler with fake acting and a caricature wannabe boyfriend in the middle; finally blooming to a romance with a dream sequence in clouds on a flying ship. Anushka shetty as Devasena, to her credit delivers a wonderful performance as the young devasana with strong dialogues and attitude.

However, as the 'Conclusion' ends and a dialogue giving a hint of another sequel pours out, the excitement of crowd is nowhere to be seen. But for those times where you have open mouth stared and cheered for our hero when he nonchalantly massacred people, conquered animals and even challenged nature, 'Jai Mahishmati'.

The movie is based on an adaptation of a short story by Ted Chiang called the 'The Story of your life'. This sentence itself should raise curiosity as you'd wonder how the story of one's life can be related to a sci-fi movie about Aliens arriving on earth. This and recommendations from my friends drew my attention to this 2016 released film starring Amy Adams and Jeremy 'renner', yup the quotes are there for a reason.

With the opening scene of a huge french window overlooking a lake with lights being all murky, it feels like a Sunday morning on a rainy day when you woke up too early. These light effects continue throughout​ the running time, and together with the intermittent flashbacks/forwards of Louise (Amy) make you dizzy. However, don't get me wrong, the film manages to arise enough curiosity, and makes up for it's lack of grandiose, pace and action with scenes full of feel, emotion and awe.

The premise is a regular one, alien ships arrive on earth (12 of them), spread across the world and as usual, we get to stick to the one which landed in US of A. Many films have started thus, only to make it an expedition of Earth's annihilation or of some adventure of a miscreant individual alien. This one, however manages to keep it slow, allowing the humans to speculate, explore and attempt to communicate with the aliens, who strangely seem to be not in any hurry. So, humanity's less known linguists come to the fore to help decipher the answer to 'whats your purpose of visiting earth?'. And of course, scientists and military to assist them.

Ian, the scientist (played by Jeremy) acts as the side kick to Louise, who comes up with innovative ideas on communication while dealing with her inner turmoil of a dear personal loss. There are few fun moments with the CIA agent and the aliens, but generally a sobre feeling prevails. While keeping the dialogue and even the bgm minimalistic, director focuses on getting the feel of each scene just right.

Without much spoilers, i can reveal that the plot revolves around varied topics, highlighting human's basic nature of self protection, lack of unity, self doubt and paucity of trust; while applauding the ability to work together when required and resolve problems with an analytical approach. However, the focus is on that abstract variable which we define as 'time'.

The movie is a must watch for those sci-fi loving folk, who are by now tired of all the typical Hollywood blockbusters and are interested in more realistic fiction focusing as much on the story as it does on it's visuals. For others, I'd still recommend 'Independence day'.

To begin, thanks to Rudyard Kipling, the writer of the Jungle 'Book', for creating the characters in the great Indian jungle, which inspired the animated series of 90's and now the big budget live action / motion capture movie from Disney. Mr. Kipling had written the book (a collection of short stories) in 1894. The story about Mowgli, the man-cub has thus spawned over a century + 20 years continuing to capture the imaginations of at least 3 generations and may carry on further.

I chanced upon Google store and downloaded certain free e-books 1-2 years back. The Jungle book was one amongst them. Reading the same as an adult brought in fresher perspectives about the writer's messages within the fine lines. Setting the story in the Jungle where nature's laws are sacred, kept up in pride and lived upon, the writer had created a parallel world, acting as a reflection of human's world. The law breakers as Mowgli and Sherkhan at opposite ends, one fighting for his place, another for his pride & vengeance, the Wolfpack, Baloo, Bagheera and other animals who are caught in between, forced to choose a side eventually are very much relevant in our times, especially in our political world.

As for the movie, a great work at graphics. As wiki says, Favreau (the director) was encouraged by Walt Disney Studios to take advantage of the film's setting and story as an opportunity to use the latest advancements in photorealistic rendering, computer- generated imagery and motion capture technologies. So they created the whole Jungle on the green screen right down to the moss and weeds. And believe me, it's even better than in 'Avatar'. The story stays almost true to the book, altering slightly to accommodate the running time as well as budget. As the lead, we get enough insights into Mowgli when he's defending his failure in a race to Bagheera, when he's proud of using his man tricks, when he tries to negotiate his right of choosing his own 'people', when he is afraid of SherKhan, when he iterates the law of the Jungle and finally when he faces his fears. As the other major roles, both Bagheera and Baloo get ample screen time and their chemistry with Mowgli and with each other livens up the screen. Kaa impresses with her length while being short on screen time, while King Louie is both funny and scary. SherKhan (on screen reminds of you of the tiger in the 'Life of Pi', except for the scar) is perfect in his cunning and ferocious role, but seems a little less menacing (or it's the adult in me), though I did collectively gasp along with the audience when Mowgli barely escapes a swing from his tenacious claw. The movie flows with a good pace, slowing down only with Baloo, which can be perfectly understood. Those parts add the much needed humour and light heartedness, to remind you that it's still a children's movie. The Wolfpack looks the part, I loved the cubs and Grey's howl. Somehow only Akela (pronounced strangely as Ak-ee-la) seemed understated and unlike a leader, except during an interaction with the tiger. In brief, hardly any complaints.

And then the actors / voices. The first one you'll note is that of Sir Ben Kingsley. Even through the amber eyes of the panther, you can easily imagine the bald face of Ben staring at you. Neel Sethi (Mowgli) in just his second movie, impresses with the ability to act in front of the green screen and appear natural and comfortable in his red chaddi, all with a mesmerizing smile (potential awards waiting). The next voice you'll note and recall is that of Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), seductive and addictive, her voice-over of Mowgli's origins keep the audience along with Mowgli ensnared until Baloo trots along. Bill Murray as Baloo is the best voice cast, the huge lazy sloth bear with the dry humour in every way relates to Bill Murray whom I hope to hear in more voice-over roles. Christopher Walken is also splendid as King Louie (the Gigantopithecus, instead of a regular Orangutan) ruling the Bandar log swatting on a shadowy throne and sing saying his dialogues. Irdis Elba (Heimdall from Thor movies) surprises with his low tone for Sherkhan but takes it up a touch during climax. For some reason, I had expected Clint Eastwood to voice for the Bengal Tiger. I hope that Hindi version is as well voiced as this one. All my hope is pinned on Irrfan Khan who will voice Baloo.

To conclude, do watch the film (in any language you choose). Be the kids if you don't have them yet. Take the kids (they will pester you to) and explain to them the laws of the jungle and how it applies to us too. Take your mom with you to remind her of those times when you used to stare open mouthed at the TV on Sunday mornings when your mom fed you breakfast. Dad will enjoy the Jungle as he'd have seen in his childhood. Enjoy the ride, chaddi pahanke.

R Balki has already brought us some memorable light hearted dramas including Cheeni Kum and Paa. Sticking to his strength, he brings to us, Ki & Ka, another breezy script, but based on 1 statement, 'What if a guy grows up wanting to be like his mom?'

An interesting topic where gender stereotypes are reversed. For a country slowly grappling with the idea of financially independent women, women entrepreneurs, single mothers and husbands who work from home, it's another concept, which is fun to watch on screen, but awkward and embarrassing to live with. Balki casts Arjun n Kareena, who seem like an odd pairing, but grow on us through the movie as a pair of buddies (not as a couple).

The movie follows the basic pattern, but this time girl (Ki) meets guy (Ka), gets impressed, falls in love, takes him home to her mom for approval. The director makes enough efforts to establish the backgrounds of both the protagonists to convince the audience about their decision to get married. There are many well presented situations where Ka serves his first breakfast, catches the maid in action, cleans up a broken glass during a house party, feels left out during a foreign tour. What the film succeeds in, is to showcase the situations that each gender usually faces, helping the audience appreciate each other's troubles. Also, there are 2 advice statements, one from Ki's mom and another from Jaya Bachchan (yup, as herself) which make a lot of sense. There are a few flaws though.

As mentioned earlier, the script is a blown out version of an idea. Although many great movies start from a statement only, this one seems like a stretched idea, falling into the trap of repeating itself. Gender reversals bring out the chuckles, but it's continuous bombarding leaves you wondering whether such actions are plausible. Also the lack of flow in the script, it feels like a set of planned scenes, prevents it from being great. Ka keeps on iterating that he's also a typical guy by drinking a lot of whiskey and becoming Dharmendar to funnily beat up a couple of teasing goons. Also, an IIM topper keeping cash safe in a fridge and preparing house budget on a piece of paper is stretching it a bit too far.

Performance wise, Arjun has to be complimented for taking up the role and keeping a straight face while performing the awkward scenes. However, he lacks much in energy and charm to take the role up a notch. Maybe the Whiskey was a little too much. Kareena as 'Ki', looks great, doesn't let her real life marital status affect her performance in any manner and is the natural actor of the lot. In a film, where the limelight is mostly on Ka, she holds her own and wins it with an outburst on our irresponsible house husband. The best performances were by Swaroop Sampat as the modern, but insightful mom of Ki, who gets great dialogues and also Mr. Amitabh Bachchan who brings out the most laughter without even mouthing a dialogue.

I'd recommend watching the movie with your life partner, if for nothing but to appreciate each other's efforts in sustaining the family.

Everyone's favourite Po, the Panda is back and full credit to the animation team of Dreamworks to make him look so 'awesome'. Jack Black's voice-over is as energetic and passionate, if not more than in it's first instalment. From the trailers, it was clear than many new characters were to be introduced. None more bigger (and plumpier) than Po's dad Li (he's more Chinese looking) and his entire village of adorable furry fat , dumpling loving pandas. And not to forget 'Kai', the fearsome but funny new adversary from the spirit world voiced masterly by J.K.Simmons.

Although the plot follows a familiar and predictable path, the dialogues and the drawings make up for it. Thankfully, there are multiple scenes where the pandas happily engage in pure fun activities (I did feel a little jealous). My personal beloved character Grand Master Oogway is also back with his brilliant quotes and effervescent smile. Even as a statue, the smile assures us of inner peace.

The first instalment focused on delivering many messages ('There are no accidents!'). While the second part preferred story telling, this one is the right mix. I'd like to list down a few of such golden learnings with your permission below:

The more you take, the less you have Never underestimate the power of a dramatic entrance If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than what you are Always listen to your master Having another person in your beloved's life doesn't mean less for you, it means more for your beloved Sometimes we do wrong things for the right reason I'm not trying to turn you into me, I'm trying to turn you into you And most important of all, Never give up!

Do watch the movie to see how beautifully the above have been integrated into the narrative.

Only thing I wish for more from this movie were a few more dialogues for the Furious Five (especially the monkey). A movie which dwells into their past may help!

Everybody, go kungfu fighting...

So DC wants to kick-start it's Justice League bandwagon very badly. They are much delayed as Marvel has already marched ahead with 2 Avenger movies raking in billions. So they rope in Zack Snyder again who barely did justice to 'Man of Steel'. And then they cast Ben Affleck as the Batman. (Few Spoilers ahead, which won't matter much)

I tried my best to watch the big budget beginning of Justice League, without any preconceived judgements. Yes, I loved Nolan's Batman, but to each director, his own. First, the good!

The movie begins with young Bruce trying to run away from his childhood tragedy, across the woods and falling into the old well. In much improved 3D, the makers have to be credited for the photography and slo-mo scenes which is as good as it was in 'The Watchmen'.The slow falling leaves, the voice-over accompanied by relatable music, (gives you hope). Also, the alternate view of the man in the street feeling helpless while the God in cape fights his enemy without a care for the collateral damage is well presented. Bruce even with his financial and technological prowess, stands biting his lips while holding a child, who just became an orphan. (Hope did rise again) 18 months later, Bruce is busy tracking criminals and we are introduced to the maverick Lex Luther playful with his words while malicious in intent. Oh, and there is a scene where batmobile crashlands after just brushing it into the kryptonian generating chuckles from the audience. And another where the dark Knight keeps punching Mr. Tight jaws's face and he suddenly realizes that he's hitting a Spartan shield with a rubber fist. Oh, the Wonder woman is a hoot! Tall, talking with her eyes and dressed in style, she steals her scenes. And then there are Batman's hallucinations (makes u wonder if scarecrow still has an impact), which have graphics akin to video games with good action and appearing randomly, which could confuse a novice audience. Also well shot are Man of Steel's adventures, including saving astronauts from an exploding rocket.

The sad part is that the movie doesn't make much sense. The question of humans over how to trust an alien with powers that could easily destroy a world, who on one hand endeavors to save humans, is merciless over others who have threatened him or his love, delivering his own definition of Justice, is raised so meekly that it doesn't shake your conscience, neither do you believe it disturbs Clark the way Henry portrays it. One is similarly surprised when Bruce's initial enmity grows up to a peak and suddenly vanishes because of a common mother's name. Lois loiters all around in the movie, first in a desert, then all over metropolis, about to get shot, fall and drown, so that Mr. Steel can keep saving her. Big disappointments are also the design of Batmobile and Batplane, which looked like toys when compared to the 'Tumbler' or ' The Bat'. Also the car chase sequences, hand to hand combat and the final fight appear very weak and offer no new excitements.

As to the cast, Henry Cavill as The Man of Steel only looks the part, but fails to emote / move people. Ben Affleck has also built up a good body, looks dapper in his business suits with the greying hair showing age (20 yrs experience as the nightcrawler, older than his dad ever was), but doesn't come across as the dark and cunning Knight we have come to know. Jeremy Irons as Alfred, behaves less like the Butler and more like Fox / Robin, gets very few non-witty one liners and is wasted. Jesse Eisenberg as the hereditary CEO of LexCorp's keeps remembering his father and puts on a good show. Gal Gadot as the Wonder woman also looks the part as the Amazonian princess, has wonderful body language, but doesn't get much action screen time with her ill-designed wardrobe.

Lastly and more importantly, it's not at all clear as to why Luther was tracking 'Metahumans' and also why Bruce asks Diana's help to find future league members, except for his 'feeling'.

Overall a failure, another Big budget film goes the way of Avengers (Ultron) / Star Wars, losing more fans everyday, which their predecessors earned the hard way.

Airlift:

Hindi film industry regularly doles out movies targeting NRI's, who form a significant audience both in terms of numbers and collections. For the top actors, it has been a major strategy to target such scripts which appeal to the NRI's while the desi audience got to enjoy the foreign locales and imagine themselves driving swanky cars and partying in high rises. What the industry used to shy away were Original stories and Adapted screenplay as it required a professional approach in direction and a mature audience to appreciate and pay for the efforts. Recent years has sprang up a surprising number of movies inspired by real situations, be it from sports (Milkha, Paan singh), Crime ( Talwar, Charles) or even inspirational people (Maanjhi). However, they didn't target the aforementioned NRI audience.

The makers of Airlift choose a rare heroic incident to appeal equally to the desi and swadesi audience. The incident itself revealing the story of world's largest civilian evacuation led by a businessman in Kuwait during Iraq's surprise overnight military onslaught, could have killed the audience's curiosity, promotions ensuring everyone knew the story. It left the director / writer to lift the movie only through screenplay and good acting. The success of the film is exactly in that, and also in casting.

Akshay Kumar, after years of experience in myriad low IQ comedies has started exploring his potential with Neeraj Pandey movies, giving the audience hope of a genuine act. As the suavé industrialist, he has us convinced that he is a Kuwaiti, accidentally born as an Indian within a few minutes. Nimrat Kaur as the pretty punjabi wife refuses to be confined to sidelines with her natural expressions while packing a punch in her dialogues. Purab Kohli in a wonderfully understated key role adapts really well and hold his own, in front of Akshay. The winning role however is that of Prakash Belawadi as George Kutty, the quintessential middle class Mallu, whom everyone in the audience could relate to so easily. His acts of questioning the leader without ever volunteering for it, complaining without ever acting on it, quoting rules which he'd easily toss out when convenient and asking for justice when he feels he has received a raw deal, have a lot of resonance with most of us who would instinctively mouth 'Kya item hai?' while watching his performance and behave exactly in the same way if confounded with his situation. If his wasn't the best supporting role, i don't know what would be.

Apart from the cast, the screenplay ensures many moments which tug the audience's heartstrings including the raising of Indian flag in a foreign airport, with the BGM. The horror of invasion and the desperateness one feels during violation of human rights is presented without going overboard. The humané instincts of feeling safer in a group and being patriotic when it serves us is also brought up subtly. While snubbing the Indian External Affairs ministry, first for inaction and then for taking up the credit, the efforts by the Joint secretary (real wheels of government) are well appreciated and so are the Air India pilots for flying into a warzone for evacuations.

I'd recommend Airlift for all those who are residing out of India and also those in India who know someone out there. Oh, and do watch in theatres, at least the good movies deserve our spends.

The opening scene of the Disney+Pixar movie, promises a wonderful perspective. What if Dinosaurs hadn't been wiped off from the planet 65 million years ago? Apparently they would grow brains and evolve into farmers / shepherds. And humans? Well, they are a young species and would take their sweet time to evolve. Great buildup, washed down the drain.

The plot revolves around an Apatosaurus farming family, it's youngest kid Arlo and a caveboy who gets his name as 'spot' through an innovative guessing game. The general theme of an accidental adventure, changing the main character's life and perspectives, stays.

The famed studios have over the past decade rolled over several wonderful pieces of art since the Toy Story series, through Finding Nemo to Wall-E and even last year's Inside Out, appealing to a wide age span including an entire generation, who decided to stick to their childhood animation fantasies. However, for this movie, the makers seem to have lowered the average age of their audience by much.

As a kid, almost all the animation characters, whichever animal they maybe, seemed humané and we could easily associate with them like we do to our family members. So, watching Lion King, we could easily imagine Mufasa as our dad belting out instructions on life and our own wicked thoughts reflecting simba's attempt to be brake rules and be brave. It's thus easy for the kid to imagine and relate to a farming dino family showcased here. But a new gen smart kid may not accept the archaic methods of imparting age-old morals. Most of these kids want to quickly make mistakes, learn from them and move on to the next. They also seem to catch on more to the quirky and bold, rather than the straight and cautious. Arlo's character feels passé, while Spot's and even the storm chaser Thunder clap's (as the Nyctosaurus, winged dinosaur) actions are more relatable and kool.

The last ditch attempt should have been tugging the right emotions, to truly connect with the hero. Disney, inspite of mastering this art for decades is lost here.

Also, the title itself, emphasizing on the 'good' part, makes the audience long for the 'bad'. Not too long ago, Pixar and Disney had made 'Brave' which saw a reckless princess Melida transform into a Queen through her circumstances. The Good Dinosaur feels like a bad step backward in story telling for the studios which had earlier raised expectations to the zenith.

A few good points though are the touch of old school animation (Arlo looks like a 90s kid first drawing of a dinosaur), the beautiful landscapes, the color used for bringing the river to life and lastly the voice of Sam Elliott as Butch, the rex.

Chess is an intriguing game, where the player plans ahead anticipating the opponent's moves. Strrategies are umpteen. It's been played across the world for centuries, recently starting to lose popularity against modern visually appealing strategy video based games. Also Bollywood has been stuck with formulaé for considerable part of first decade, Mr. SRK continuing to stick to it. So, at this stage, i must compliment Vidhu Vinod Chopra for attempting a story based on the waning game, winning a dream cast and getting it directed as a fast paced thriller with original action sequences.

The story where people with similar tragedy come together to forge a friendship and fight against the past while plotting revenge on the backdrop of Kashmir, terrorism, politics and ATS is a broader way of reaching out to the audience while under lies the chess play, with a twist towards the end. I use my limited chess knowledge to dissect the characters below:

Wazir - although means minister, is the queen of the chess board. The all powerful character is the main weapon against the rival kingdom. In the movie, wazir portrayed as the ultimate ace of the evil badshaah, brings vital energy to the proceedings. He threatens, taunts, stabs and bombs the major adversary of the evil king. Played feverishly by Neil Nitin Mukesh, albeit for a short span, in a style reminiscent of classic villains makes you wonder where Bollywood lost all its villains.

Pawn is the foot soldier moving one-step forward, helpless on is own, if viewed in relation to other characters on the chess board. With only one step at a time, the pawn has to do the most planning, especially if his kingdom has already lost its wazir and needs a support. Played by Amitabh Bacchan with a handlebar staché combined with french beard speaking heart melting Hindi mixed with urdu, steals every screen he's in with his voice and energy. For a decapitated man, he's very independent and the audience would wish every person facing such odds physically and emotionally to fight back so well.

The Elephant lies in wait at the corner of the chessboard, to be unleashed madly when the king is threatened is his own courtroom. It can move only through a straight path, but destroys everything in it's path. Farhan, strangely sober, plays the elephant buried in guilt, befriended by a pawn, finds a new direction which he pursues until the kingdom is won. He's physically fit, awkward may be consciously as an ATS sharp shooter and surprisingly gets all his spy work done, even after being suspended.

Where the plot goes wrong is, when the pawn acts as a king, the elephant acts as a pawn guided and blindly following the path shown, and all the while, the rival king is busy playing another game without a care for the pawn or the elephant.

Performance wise, Amitabh is brilliant while Farhan deserves praise for choosing a role way out of his comfort zone. Aditi looks pretty and the child actors ooze with confidence. Watch wazir if you like chess, are not into much of romantic sing and dance routines and want to promote those rare Bollywood thrillers

Hollywood regularly comes up with movies that are essentially American in their subject, but try to push forth a universal appeal. Many of them fail because of just that, trying. And then there are those movies which do not pretend to be anything bigger than just their story and let the audience chose what they'd be appeased with. 'Bridge of Spies' falls easily into the latter category.

The story based on true events, is portrayed almost as a documentary, but in the style of Spielberg, which was visible in his other famous creation 'Schindler's list'. I'll list down a few points which appealed to my nature:

Real-life Heroes are people who face situations which they don't fancy, but put their heads down and work on them. In this case, Mr. Donovan, played by Mr. Hanks is a well to do insurance lawyer who is handed a case of a Russian spy arrested in the states. Initially indecisive and reluctant, he gives the case all attention.

The perks of freedom which most of us enjoy, but rarely acknowledge or realize suddenly dawn on us when they are violated by force. The movie beautifully depicts this, by picturing the building of the Berlin wall and a scene where Mr.Donovan coat is politely stolen, without caused him any offence.

The suaveness and impassiveness with which Mr. Abel (the Russian spy) carries himself, very unlike 007, is refreshing in itself and so is his attitude. When asked for multiple times by his counsel whether he's worried, his quirky response is 'Would it help?'. It helps us reflect on our petty worries and it's futility.

There are multiple situations in the movie which puts forward the message summarized bluntly by Mr. Donovan as ' Let people think what they want, you know what you did'. However, the director also emphasizes on how difficult it is, through the protagonist's facial expressions in response to the reactions of his fellow passengers in the metro.

Last, and this may help many in their professional career, are the negotiation skills of the lawyer, polite where it works and t where need be, speculating as much as required and putting all at stake for the bargain.

I'd recommend Bridge of Spies for all the lovers of the drama life offers and for those interested in the approach of those exceptional people who just do their job well..

blockbuster franchise is back, and no matter how anyone feels after watching Episode VII, the box office returns are guaranteed. Major differences from Episode VI, being the director is J J Abrams (director of rival 'Star Trek' movies) and with minimum contribution from the original creator George Lucas.

Let's start with the good, especially the new characters. BB-8 is adorable bouncing around on a football and seeming to understand complex human analogies and deals. Rey as the scavenger from the planet Jakku plays her character most convincingly, except during the last fight (we'll come to that). Poe Damaron is the dashing star fighter pilot, reminiscent of the young Han Solo. Maz Kanata, the spectacled pirate with semi-knowledge about the force and eye-gazing. The other aspects are the special effects focusing on the feeling, the anxiety of stormtroopers going into a battle scene, vastness of the destroyer lying in ruins and flight of the Millennium Falcon (stealing some grace from USS Enterprise). Last, the goosebumps you get seeing masked Kylo Ren as the leader of First Order and a Sith Lord with an astonishing voice, lightsaber and dark force (well, till he takes off the mask).

While the plot tries to set-up another saga by creating an evil force against a clueless scavenger and stormtrooper turned resistance fighter, it goes wrong by completely ignoring the finer aspects of characters staying true. Thus we see FN-2187, a stormtrooper bred specifically to serve the First Order, suddenly changing over to Finn trying to side the resistance for the sake of a scavenger who kicks him down in the first place. And then Poe Damon disappears suddenly only to re-appear and lead fighters in the end. Han Solo (although well-tried by Mr.Ford) seems lost in space searching for his falcon as he's running away from his guilt, but has no trouble returning to fight with the resistance whom he had abandoned. Most appallingly, Kylo Ren embarrassingly reveals his face and identity losing all the magnificence and the power built before. He cowers in front of the scavenger, whom we may learn more of, in the next episode, thus depriving us of a character we have grown to expect through the year long trailers. Only silver lining was of R2-D2 waking up.

Being a movie you just can't skip due to it's franchise, you may want to wizen up before splurging on it's next few episodes. Oh, may the force be with us all.